Celebrated creative director Karl Lagerfeld brings show to Edinburgh

Fashionistas in the Capital have been left drooling at the prospect of Lagerfeld, the creative director of legendary French design house Chanel, bringing his star-studded Metiers d’Art show to the city.

The show – previously held in the style meccas of Paris, Tokyo, New York, Shanghai and London – is expected to see a string of A-listers from the worlds of fashion, film and entertainment descend on the city for a celebration of the latest  creations to emerge from Chanel’s cutting-edge design studio.

Previous shows have seen French actress Vanessa Paradis, right, the ex-wife of Johnny Depp, and German actress Diane Kruger, far right, attend the glitzy exhibition but organisers are remaining tight-lipped about Edinburgh’s celebrity guest list.

The location of the December 4 event is also shrouded in mystery but fashion insiders have revealed it is likely to be held in a ruined castle close to the Capital. Bosses of Historic Scotland were unable to confirm which of their properties would host the gathering.

News that Edinburgh is to host Metiers d’Art comes only days after it was reported the Capital had been dropped from Louis Vuitton’s latest world style guide. But designers and retailers today hailed the selection as evidence of the Capital’s clout in the fashion world.

Anna Freemantle, a Dutch-born supermodel who lives in the city and organises the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival, said: “It’s not a surprise to me that this event is coming – what is a surprise is that something like this hasn’t come before.

“Any time I bring designers and buyers to the city, they’re so impressed by its beauty and that’s something that works well with a fashion event.”

Mrs Freemantle urged citizens not to read too much into Edinburgh’s removal from the Vuitton style guide and said hosting Metiers d’Art could be the first of many major fashion events to come.

She said: “People here seem to think that we cannot handle something as big as this in the fashion world but this show could be the start of something – it could create a snowball effect. If the city can set a good example with this event then I think there will be many that follow.”

Paula Reed, group fashion director at retailer Harvey Nichols, which has a flagship department store on St Andrew Square, said the arrival of the Chanel tour bore testament to the city’s prominence as an international fashion hub.

She said: “The Chanel brand is very, very concerned to protect its heritage but what’s also important to it is that its design is contemporary and modern at the same time. Karl is a very enthusiastic modernist.”

Karina Baldorf, owner of fashion boutique Kakao by K, said: “It’s an amazing opportunity for Edinburgh to be selected for such a high-profile event. There’s a lot of great work going on – with the city’s boutiques, the fashion festival and places like Multrees Walk – which is helping to push the profile of Edinburgh as a fashion city.”

Where will it be held?

SPECULATION is mounting on where exactly Chanel’s Metiers d’Art show will take place.

Paula Reed, of Harvey Nichols, told the News the event would happen in a “non-functioning castle” near Edinburgh which has “romance” and a “stunning setting”.

One possibility is the ruined Dirleton Castle, a fortress-residence for three successive noble families over 400 years.

Alternatively, there’s Crichton Castle, Midlothian, which was home to the Earls of Bothwell and has a stunning 16th century courtyard facade.

Another contender is Tantallon Castle, set atop cliffs on the Firth of Forth and the seat of the Douglas Earls of Angus, one of the most powerful baronial families in Scotland.