Mademoiselle Privé, a journey through the origins of Chanel’s creations, capturing the personality and spirit of Mademoiselle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld. Designed to provide an escape away from the rules of the busy city into an immersive natural wilderness. British native trees and shrubs flooded the space with vivid autumn colours creating a ribbon of gold, journeying through the garden to the entrance of Saatchi Gallery. The entire space was divided into three individual character areas each accessible by walking the separated Chanel C’s. On arrival into the garden you enter into ‘Liberty’, a space that fuses the natural tapestry of the wild and rustic Scottish landscape within a defined, masculine structure. This entrance depicts the relationship between Coco Chanel’s love for the Scottish landscape and her need to rebel, letting her natural and untamed feelings emerge. The central space was inspired by her lover Arthur Edward “Boy” Capel whose wealthy and cultivated English heritage heavily influenced her masculine and refined designs. This narrow and intimate space encouraged contemplation with romantic ‘English garden’ style planting softening the structured design. The final space leading into the gallery is much looser and curved, echoing her decision to relax and reshape the female silhouette as well as her ongoing legacy that is still so strong today.

Photographed by Rachel Warne