Chanel has form when it comes to bringing a touch of glamour to the unlikeliest of places.

The world’s most prestigious fashion house chose a street in Manchester’s gloomy industrial Northern Quarter for its annual Metiers d’Art show in 2023.

On Tuesday night, the show was held on New York’s Lower East Side but below ground in an abandoned subway station.

The venue was given a fresh coat of burnt orange paint, fitted out with vintage newsstands and turnstiles and the guests were seated on classic subway benches to watch the models emerge from silver subway cars on to the platform as if they were regular, fabulously stylish (albeit breathtakingly rich) commuters. 

Novelty, edge, buzz, raw street energy combined with exquisite luxury is what high fashion is all about in the mid-21st century.

The annual show is designed to showcase the small French artisanal workshops that supply Chanel in a collection that blends ready-to-wear with couture.

This was the first from the brand’s new creative director, Matthieu Blazy, and Chanel flew in hundreds of clients and celebrities including brand ambassadors, among them actresses Tilda Swinton and Kristen Stewart.

Stewart, 35, wore masculine black trousers and a waistcoat left open to expose a nude bra top and the waistband of white pants.

Swinton, 65, tends to the dramatic and chose a sleeveless, feather-covered high-necked top in light blue, teal, black and cream with a kilt-style skirt.

Meg Ryan, 64, wore a classic black Chanel tweed suit with jacket buttons that spelt out Chanel (it looked great) and supermodel Linda Evangelista, 60, chose a black tweed coat trimmed in white feathers over black trousers and black-capped white shoes.

On and off the catwalk, these were some of the most desirable clothes we’ve seen at Chanel in a long time.