Listening to Women

To mark 150 years of Chantelle, the company invited fashion historian Salomé Dudemaine to reflect on the house’s history and evolution. What follows is Part 5 of her essay, originally written in French and translated into English.

Chantelle has always been a very vocal brand—one that speaks directly to women through slogans rooted in their most intimate experiences. Through carefully chosen words, it tells me far more than the aesthetic details we sometimes focus on. It projects me into the needs and sensations of women in each era, helping me better understand the evolution of Chantelle's products.

I return, then, to Something more. The first thing Chantelle has more of is its 150 years of experience. A century and a half of forging a singular path within an industry shaped by major technical, social, and cultural upheavals. In the archives, there are hours of filmed interviews conducted by Chantelle's teams with women in the 1990s, aiming to better understand their practices, needs, and desires. A patient, almost invisible, but fundamental act of listening. I close the archive box with a much clearer understanding of what Something more means.

Because in any industry, longevity is impossible without resonating with one's time. Chantelle's something more is precisely this: a constant ability to listen and respond. The capacity to place technical innovation in the service of women's real needs. The very definition of design.

Something more is not about defining what women should be. Something more is women. All women.

Discover Part 1 HERE