In December 2018, Chanel unveiled its Métiers d’Art 2018/2019 collection at the Temple of Dendur in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City—a sacred space where ancient Egyptian history met contemporary French elegance. For this bold celebration of artisanal excellence, Chanel invited French-Vietnamese graffiti artist Cyril Kongo to collaborate with its historic ateliers.

This unique partnership brought the vibrant pulse of street art into the refined world of haute couture. Rather than directly painting garments, Kongo created large-scale artworks in his signature style—dynamic calligraphy, explosive color, and layered urban textures. These original paintings were then reinterpreted by Chanel’s artisans and transformed into garments and accessories: embroidered bags, printed dresses, and richly adorned pieces that bore the energy of the street transposed into the language of luxury.

The collaboration highlighted the savoir-faire of Chanel’s Maisons d’art—Lesage, Lemarié, Goossens, and others—who translated Kongo’s gestures into intricate textiles and embellishments. The result was a dialogue between tradition and innovation, between the walls of the city and the walls of a temple.

At the heart of this project was a shared respect for craftsmanship. Kongo’s artistic universe, born from decades of graffiti in the public space, met Chanel’s centuries-old couture techniques, elevating both in the process. The Métiers d’Art 2018/2019 show stood as a testament to Chanel’s boldness in inviting new forms of expression into its house, and to Kongo’s place in the canon of contemporary visual culture.

In placing Kongo’s visual language inside the walls of the Met—and on the bodies of models wearing couture—the collaboration became a celebration of cultural exchange, audacity, and the timeless spirit of creation.