ASMR at the museum | Unboxing a vintage CHANEL suit, hat and bag | V&A

// Listen with headphones for best experience //

Join Curator Stephanie Wood as she carefully unboxes a haute couture cocktail suit, hat and handbag designed by Gabrielle Chanel for her Spring/Summer 1965 collection. Made from a cloqué fabric, the suit jacket and dress are highly textured, giving the look a distinctive, sculptured quality.

Watch and listen as Stephanie shows us the detailing on the pieces, including buttons, labels, pockets and ribbons, whilst telling us about the original wearer of the suit – a very stylish woman named Antoinette.

00:00 Introducing the suit
00:34 Unboxing and introducing the wearer, Antoinette
01:09 Handling with no gloves
01:21 What does haute couture mean?
02:16 Unboxing the hat
02:54 Chanel as a milliner
03:29 Detailing of the hat
05:14 Opening the handbag and exploring the pockets
07:00 Suit worn in an advertisement
07:40 Textiles – cloqué fabric
08:30 Suit silhouette, pockets and lining
10:24 Suit buttons, label and metal chain
13:04 Antoinette, the owner of the suit
13:30 Seeing the suit at the V&A's new study centre
13:59 Packing the suit back into the box

Find out more about V&A East Storehouse, where the suit will be accessible from 2025: https://www.vam.ac.uk/east

Discover more about the Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto exhibition: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/gab...

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