London Fashion Week came and went in September, but Louis Vuitton and Chanel are battling it out across London with exhibitions at 180 Strand, the 1980’s building which was formerly Arundel Great Court, and the Saatchi Gallery in Kings Road, Chelsea.

At 180 Strand, Louis Vuitton has recreated the atmosphere of the shows at the new Louis Vuitton Foundation (LDF) in Paris designed by Frank Gehry; at the Saatchi, Chanel have taken over the whole building for Mademoiselle Prive, which starts outside with landscaping of a traditional garden and continues inside with the history of Chanel and its development into the major fashion house it is today, with leading designs by Karl Legerfeld.

Saatchi has hosted a number of similar events for companies such as Hermes and Rolls Royce in the past; 180 Strand is the new kid on the block and will no doubt build on the initial exhibition for future events.

The winner? It has to be Chanel. Their exhibition has more content, in part linked to the heritage of their products, and the technological support of an app which provides an additional 3D experience to many of the rooms, plus there are workshops for visitors to participate in, rather than just watch as is the case with Louis Vuitton.  But watch out, 180 Strand has just started to be an exhibition venue.  It will learn lessons and may well catch up….