First there was Sponge Bob Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld, then came Karl Lagerfeld as Homer Simpson and now I’d like to present to you Coco Simpson…
Image by aleXsandro Palombo
February 1, 2012
Coco Simpson
January 26, 2012
Numéros Privés in Las Vegas Video
Earlier this week I posted about Numéros Privés, the exclusive Chanel event in Las Vegas – check out the video below to see what the experience was like…
January 24, 2012
Chanel Joaillerie Spring 2012
Chanel Joaillerie Spring 2012 Open Necklace with Shooting Star Brooch
Chanel presented its Chanel Joaillerie Spring 2012 collection – the haute couture of fine jewelry. What set this presentation apart was that it celebrates the 80th anniversary of Coco Chanel’s 1932 Bijoux de Diamants collection. In homage to Coco Chanel’s original 1932 collections, Chanel displayed nine celestial-inspired pieces – a preview of what we can expect to see at the July presentation that will honor the 80th anniversary. Coco Chanel was intrigued by astrology so taking inspiration from the cosmos was a natural progression for her. These pieces are literally “out of this world.”
Sources: WWD and Coco Chanel by Justine Picardie
Chanel Joaillerie Spring 2012 3-D Celeste Brooch
Coco Chanel 1932 Bijoux de Diamants scanned from Justine Picardie's "Coco Chanel" p. 218
Coco Chanel 1932 Bijoux de Diamants collection scanned from Justine Picardie's "Coco Chanel" p. 221
January 12, 2012
Karl Bob, Coco Bob and My Little Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Mania has reached new heights as pop cultural icons Sponge Bob and My Little Pony take on the Karl Lagerfeld persona!
Dutch illustrator Mike Frederiqo gave Sponge Bob a fashionable makeover as Unkle Karl…
and of course Mademoiselle Coco Chanel as Sponge Bob…
Mari Kasurinen took a My Little Pony and made transformed it from playful to fierce as My Little Karl Lagerfeld. We should all have one of these around, no?
January 10, 2012
Day of Silence in Honor of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel
Coco Chanel photographed by Cecil Beaton, 1961
Forty-one years ago today, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel passed away in her suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. In her honor, La Chanelphile will be silent today. We miss you Coco but your legacy lives on.
January 3, 2012
La Chanelphile PSA: Don’t Use The Name “Coco Chanel” In Vain
Please stop naming pets after our beloved Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel – it’s not an homage, but an insult. Please stop. Thank you.
December 11, 2011
Chinese Room in Blakes Hotel Dedicated to Coco Chanel
One of the original boutique hotels, Blakes Hotel & Restaurant is beloved by celebrities including Gwenyth Paltrow. Adjoining the famed restaurant is the Chinese Room – a lounge that is the “epitome of decadence and comfort.” Fancy people like musicians, film stars and designers are known to flock there – and why not? The Chinese Room is dedicated to Coco Chanel and Marlene Dietrich, of course. When I go back to London one day, I’d love to have a cocktail there.
December 8, 2011
The Original Chanel Paris-Bombay: Vintage Chanel Bombay-Inspired Designs
Silk Lamé tunic and trouser ensemble; Bib Necklace, Gabrielle Chanel, Spring/Summer 1969. Image from Chanel: Couture and Industry by Amy de la Haye
“In the late Fifties, early Sixties, she designed several Indian-inspired outfits — and that was enough.”
-Karl Lagerfeld, WWD
Karl Lagerfeld’s creativity knows no bounds, but what I love about him as the designer for Chanel is that he utterly respects the foundations that Gabrielle Chanel laid. With each Chanel Métiers D’Art collection he takes us on a trip around the globe to view a visual fusion of Paris and some glamorous destination. But these destinations are not pulled out of his magician’s hat (or fingerless gloves), rather, they are based on clues that Gabrielle Chanel left us long ago.
Having access to the Chanel archives, Karl Lagerfeld knew that Chanel herself was inspired by South Asia and designed clothing and jewelry in the sixties that were Indian-inspired. Reviewing some of my Chanel books, I was able to cull some examples for you to see. It’s interesting to see how glitzy previous examples are and how subdued the current Chanel Métiers D’Art Pre-Fall 2012 Paris-Bombay collection is. It’s also interesting to note that this is not the first time that Karl Lagerfeld has referenced this South Asian inspiration. The bottom two photos show images of Karl Lagerfeld designs for Chanel from previous collections .
Evening Suit, Mughal patterned gold lamé and silk brocade, Gabrielle Chanel, 1960. Image from Chanel: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition Catalog
Evening Ensemble, Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 1989-90. Image from Chanel: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition Catalog
Evening Suit, Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, Prêt-à-porter, Autumn/Winter 1996-97. Image from Chanel: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition Catalog
December 6, 2011
Book Review: Chanel – Couture and Industry by Amy de la Haye
Chanel: Couture and Industry is one of the many new recent books that have come out about our favorite couturière, Coco Chanel. Unlike some of the more scandalous biographies, Chanel: Couture and Industry is a breath of fresh air because it focuses on Chanel in the context of fashion history.
Coco Chanel is synonymous with elegance, fashion innovation and modernity and in Chanel: Couture and Industry, Amy de la Haye examines the creative output of the House of Chanel from its infancy in the 1920s, to the present day under the tutelage of Karl Lagerfeld. Using the renowned collections of the V&A as her sources, fashion historian Amy de la Haye shows how Coco Chanel changed the way modern women dress.
Chanel: Couture and Industry includes beautiful images of original Chanel pieces – many of which can only be seen in museums – and many of which I have never seen before in any other Chanel publication. Chanel is the third book in the V&A Fashion Series covering key innovators in the world of fashion. If you are looking for a book that focuses more on Chanel in the context of fashion history then this is the book for you – or a great gift for any Chanelphile. Chanel: Couture and Industry is available online on Amazon.com.
December 5, 2011
Book Review: “Chanel, The Vocabulary of Style”
Chanel, The Vocabulary of Style is one of the most beautiful collections of Chanel photography that I have ever seen. Compiled by fashion historian and journalist Jérôme Gautier, Coco Chanel’s story of iconic style is told through archival photos paired with recent images. Photographs by leading photographers from Cecil Beaton, Horst P. Horst and Edward Steichen to Nick Knight, Annie Leibowitz and Mario Testino are shown side-by-side, just to name a few.
The Vocabulary of Style is divided into eleven chapters that identify key elements in Chanel’s lexicon: The Body Liberated, Little Black Dresses, Black into Night, Baroque Inspirations, 31, Rue Cambon, Youth and Evolution, Simple Chic, Androgyne, From Tweed to Tweeds, The Total Look and Rebel. In each chapter the viewer sees the progression from the seeds that Coco Chanel herself sowed to the flowers that bloomed under Karl Lagerfeld’s delicate hand.
Chanel, The Vocabulary of Style is a gorgeous collection of Chanel photographs and is a must-have for any Chanelphile. If you especially like vintage Chanel from the 80s and 90s – this book features more photos from this time period than any other Chanel book I have seen. If you are making a holiday wish list, or are looking for a gift for a fashion lover then I would highly recommend Chanel, The Vocabulary of Style – the edition comes in a slipcover and is as beautiful as the photographs within it. You can purchase Chanel, The Vocabulary of Style online on Amazon.com.
