The Chanel 2025-2026 cruise show, presented on April 29 in Lake Como, Italy, gave the luxury house an opportunity to showcase its commitment to quality. The day before the event, Chanel offered tours of two closely affiliated local factories. In March, it had already begun revealing the behind-the-scenes of its production by opening the doors of its Verneuil-en-Halatte workshops in Oise, France, to a few media outlets, including Le Monde.
Inaugurated in 2021, these workshops take the form of a 25,000 square meter parallelepiped at the edge of the Halatte forest. The electrical production is supplied by photovoltaic panels, and most of the spaces are bathed in natural light. Conveniently located about 50 kilometers from Paris, the workshops specialize in producing two best-selling bags: the 2.55, launched by Gabrielle Chanel in 1955, and the 11.12 (also called the "classic"), a variation of the former imagined by Karl Lagerfeld in the 1980s.
And this location, which is a source of pride for the brand, was designed to be displayed. It features its own exhibition room, which presents the history and characteristics of its bags that are so crucial to Chanel's economic health. A selection of 2.55 and 11.12 bags is also exhibited in the small showcases of the large reception hall, where the latest fashion show is broadcast on a giant screen.
For Chanel, a visit of the site offers an introduction to some of its 300 local artisans – from the quality control officer for the different animal skins (who was also a former aeronautics sector employee) to the person responsible for threading a leather link through metal links to create the famous interwoven chain (a loyal employee with 38 years of service in the company).
Each step highlights how complex the creation of these two bags is: each requires 180 operations, performed by 30 people. Even though they are already skilled, the leatherworkers of Verneuil-en-Halatte are trained on-site for four to five years to be capable of intervening at any stage of the process. They also become the custodians of the renowned expertise unique to these models, which are now exclusively made in France.
Breaking down the entire production chain, where most stages are performed by hand, is an ingenious way to legitimize the soaring prices that have risen over the past decade. Take, for example, the 11.12's prices: in France, it sold for €1,500 in 2006; €4,800 in 2019; and now €10,300.
According to Chanel, this inflation reflects the rising cost of raw materials; it also results from a policy of price uniformity across different regions (for a long time, it was more advantageous to buy in Europe). It finally aligns with the desire to be perfectly transparent about the manufacturing process and, ultimately, to be able to provide all information regarding raw materials, environmental impact and production conditions.
"We keep talking about the price of luxury," said Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel's fashion and commercial activities, when asked about the reasons for showcasing its factories. "Some brands charge high prices that do not reflect the value of their products. Chanel is where it is today [in good economic health] because it makes exceptional products. It seems important to me to show how we work." The house on rue Cambon would be remiss not to, as it possesses production workshops that match its ambitions.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.