A visit to le19M affords a better understanding of just how intricate the process of creation can be for a material like tweed.

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In March, French fashion house Chanel presented its Fall/Winter 2022/23 collection in Paris.

The show was a celebration of tweed.

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Beyond adorning the models walking down the runway in a variety of designs, the textured textile wrapped every surface of the show space, including the walls in a black-and-white iteration and the seating cubes, which were wrapped in a variety of tweeds ranging from a tight black-and-white check to a dreamy pink-toned offering.

The show invites were also presented in a tweed-covered box with a piece of matching material adhered to the thick card’s backing.

That tweed should be celebrated so thoroughly in a collection from the luxury house is of little surprise. The woven material is considered a fundamental part of the so-called “Chanel look.”

Founder Gabrielle Chanel is said to be the first designer to adapt the material for womenswear, which had, up to that point, largely been used for men’s tailored suiting and outerwear. The designer is said to have found inspiration for the use during a love affair with the Duke of Westminster that saw her borrow a selection of his Scottish-tweed pieces as her own.

Chanel’s initial approach to the material included the introduction of artificial fibres into the woollen yarns. The goal of doing so was to lighten the overall weight of the fabric, while also introducing “fantasy threads” to add dimension and intrigue into each piece. Since those early days of tweed in Chanel collections, the material has been reimagined each season in the Haute Couture and Ready-to-Wear collections, built out by the late Karl Lagerfeld following his arrival at the house in 1983, and now by current creative director Virginie Viard.

Cotton and silk tweeds can be found with spring-summer seasons, adorning everything from accessories to jackets to shoes. This month, the Fall/Winter fashions shown on the runway will land in Canadian Chanel boutiques offering newly inventive ways to showcase the tactile textile, this time with wefts of thick wool in unique shade combinations.

“Devoting the entire collection to tweed is a tribute,” Viard says. “We followed the footsteps of Gabrielle Chanel along the River Tweed, to imagine tweeds in the colours of this landscape. Like that of a long pink coat mottled with blue and purple or a burgundy suit with a delicate gold shimmer.

“This is what Gabrielle Chanel would do on her walks through the Scottish countryside: she would gather ferns and bouquets of flowers to inspire the local artisans for the tones she wanted.”

Viard’s inspiration for the designs, which include oversized jackets, slim skirts, long coats and more, were also said to be inspired by “England in the 1960s, and very colourful record covers.”

Among the tweed-heavy collection are three pieces — a midi-length skirt featuring a checkered tweed and a scalloped hem, a skirt and double-breasted blazer suit, and a full-length coat in a Prince of Wales-inspired check finished with tones of soft pink, beige, grey and black — that are set apart slightly from the collection by their connection to an important element of the Chanel tweed story.

The tweeds featured in these garments were crafted by the artisans of the House of Lesage. Founded in the 1990s by embroiderer François Lesage, the textile shop has been a go-to supplier for tweeds used in Chanel Haute Couture collections since 2008.

Renowned for their ability to interlace unique materials such as chiffon, wool, lace and cotton — there can be as many as 12 different threads in a single vertically strung warp — in their woven wonders of material, the House of Lesage is said to “interpret” the points of inspiration provided by Chanel’s Creation Studio.

A short drive in Paris to the 19th arrondissement offers an introduction to the le19M, a hub of craftsmanship for 11 maisons d’arts including Goossens goldsmith, Maison Michel millinery and the shoemaker Massaro. Some 600 artisans and experts are said to work out of the location.

Among them, is the House of Lesage.

Unveiled in 2019, the expansive le19M building designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti is also home to an embroidery arts school where new artisans can learn to master the steps required to make the intricate materials; an effort to preserve the arts for future generations.

A small portion of the space is open to the public for exhibits. An afternoon visit one sunny spring day yielded the opportunity to have some hands-on experience with embroidery on a giant tapestry of the city, while various displays within the space showcased the work of the artisan collective up close and in exquisite detail.

The visit afforded a better understanding of just how intricate the process of creation can be for a material like tweed. And, therefore, a better understanding of what makes the Chanel pieces that showcase them so unique.

Postmedia News was a guest of Chanel in France. The brand neither reviewed nor approved this article.

Looking to add a tweed element to your fall-winter fashion selection? Consider these three stylish interpretations of the textured textile:

Chanel recently launched a collection of limited-edition eyeshadow palettes, each devoted to tweed. Dubbed Les 4 Ombres Tweed, the four-shade eyeshadow palettes each feature embossing on the pressed powder shadows making them appear textured like a tweed design. Plus, the precious makeup pieces are housed in a stunning tweed sleeve for safekeeping.

Layering never looked so good thanks to this Babaton Joan Shirt Jacket from the Vancouver-headquartered company Aritzia. The relaxed style features a linen-blend tweed material that’s available in a selection of sweet shades. It’s the perfect piece to pair with jeans, a skirt, leggings — the list goes on.

Add an element of tailoring to your fall fashion lineup with these Tweed Pintuck Flare Leg Trousers from the Canadian brand Smythe. The slim-fit style features a slight flare for an updated take on an otherwise classic suiting staple.

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