Paris in the 1920s gave Coco Chanel, Madeleine Vionnet, and other women the chance to spread their wings.

It was in Paris between two world wars in the 1920s. This age saw an intermingling of many different talents across genre boundaries, resulting in a miraculous space that gave birth to unrivaled creations. Women in particular enjoyed dazzling success during this period. Both Marie Laurencin and Coco Chanel were born in 1883, and can be seen as the representatives of all women who lived in this free post-war era.

Laurencin endlessly pursued feminine beauty, while Chanel incorporated elements from men's clothing and sportswear into women's fashion. This exhibition focuses on the careers of these two women who lived at the intersection between art and fashion, while also touching on their connections with other iconic contemporaries such as Paul Poiret, Jean Cocteau, and Man Ray, as well as Madeleine Vionnet, the pioneer of the beautiful bias cut. Take a bird's eye view of the world of art in interwar Paris, with its exquisite fusion between modern and classic.

Laurencin and Chanel lived within their own time, but went on to become timeless individuals. This exhibition celebrates 140 years since their birth, and will shed light on the modern-day significance and true value of their work.

We have gathered some 90 pieces from collections in Japan and abroad, including the Musée de l'Orangerie and Musée Marie Laurencin.*

* Musée Marie Laurencin: The only art gallery across the globe that is solely dedicated to the world of Marie Laurencin. Opened from 1983 to 2011 in the Tateshina Highlands within Nagano Prefecture, and then from 2017 to 2019 in Hotel New Otani Tokyo. Its collection is not currently open to the public.