Imagine being so fascinated by a Chanel suit that you make one out of plywood. Well, that’s exactly what artist Tom Sachs did.
The 60-year-old American artist hosted a gallery of his meticulously crafted versions of Chanel suits. At 245 Centre Street in New York, Sachs has transformed his studio into his own version of Chanel’s Rue 31 Cambon boutique.
“I always wanted a Chanel suit, but I’m not the kind of guy who could wear one. I was always impressed with how they were built, with no limits to the materials or construction, so I made my own.”
Sachs found a picture of a Chanel suit that he really liked, printed it out, and projected it onto a piece of plywood. He traced the image and began cutting it out with a jigsaw. From there, he painted it to replicate the image he had printed, using techniques like combing to create the lines and texture of the tweed suit. He then went back in with paint to add all the minuscule details, including the buttons, piping along the trim, and the iconic CC logo.
The experience started in a small mirrored room, complete with a chandelier created by Sachs and the Chanel logo in the middle of the floor. From there, you walk into the main showroom, where the unconventional plywood suits and accessories live.
You get five minutes to explore the designs. In those five minutes, you’re able to take in the details that went into each suit and accessory. It was amazing to see the creativity that went into the suits and how Sachs matched the textures of the original pieces to the plywood versions. If a suit had a bumpy texture because of its tweed fabric, he mimicked it by creating ridges in the plywood.
Even the chain detailing found on some of the suits was recreated in the plywood versions. The suits also had the Chanel label painted on the inside. The buttons were another gorgeous detail that you could tell Sachs spent time bringing to life through his phenomenal painting skills.
The rest of the collection consisted of cardboard Chanel flap bags and classic slingbacks. Smaller accessories, like brooches, were made out of Legos, with some displayed in their own wooden jewelry cases.
