I’m starting a new column for the site called What Would Coco Do? As the name implies, I’ll be giving advice as I think Mlle. Chanel would.  If you have any questions please submit them to gdk@lachanelphile.com.  I’m looking forward to hearing your questions!

The Chanel Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Haute Couture show at the Grand Palais was a grand spectacle complete with a forty-foot lion.  But even the lioness could not outshine the clothing and accessories that Uncle Karl designed.

The overall silhouette was a play on layers, length and shoulders.  Strong shoulders have been popular for a few seasons now, but the Chanel strong shoulder was different.  It’s very soft and round, but strong in the sense that it is exaggerated.  Almost all of the looks had the rounded, sculptural shoulder paired with a 3/4 length sleeve.  The looks that didn’t have the rounded shoulder were sleeveless and the models’ bare shoulders were reminiscent of the roundness of the sleeved jackets.

Lagerfeld also played with length in this collection.  From 3/4 sleeve jackets, to long blouses paired with cropped jackets, to-the-knee skirts and dresses to calf-length dresses and skirts.  Most of the hemlines were on the short side – even the formal dresses.

The color palette is one suited for fall – rich jewel tones like garnet, topaz, and sapphire paired with rich browns, camel and black.  Lush fabrics like warm tweeds paired with luxe fur; brocade fabric with rich beading and embroidery, dresses embellished with strings of pearls.  The overall look is very luxurious and rich – think ladies who lunch.

I must confess, the clothing was not my favorite this season.  I wasn’t a very big fan of the big rounded shoulders.  What stole the show for me was the accessories.  These boots were definitely made for walking – slouchy, ruched, metallic, beaded, and with the iconic black toe cap – every look had an ankle boot to match.

The accessories that had me drooling were the large chunky bangle bracelets – bejeweled with chains hanging and layered – the bracelets were the perfect match for the 3/4 sleeve and sleeveless looks.  Brooches and belt buckles had similar looks with chains dripping from them with lion heads at the center.  A collection certainly made to make you roar!

Each year Allure Magazine hosts a Reader’s Choice Award and this year, Chanel N˚5 won Best Classic Fragrance. This should come as no surprise as Chanel N˚5 has been making waves since it debuted on May 5, 1921. Perhaps the most famous fragrance in the world, a bottle of Chanel N˚5 is sold every 55 seconds. (Stephen Brook, Guardian.co.uk).  No other perfume has gained the iconic status of Chanel N˚5 and it’s easy to see why it would win the Best Classic Fragrance award.

Above: Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring): Part I (The Adoration of the Earth) – by Igor Stravinsky

There’s a moment in Director Jan Lounen’s film Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky, after a passionate sex scene (one of many), where the Russian composer tells Chanel, played by Anna Mouglalis, that she is not an artist. She could have had any man she wanted but she could not deny that which inspired her, even if he was married.

This moment ends an intense yet short affair between the innovative designer and the Russian composer but not before the two reached amazing high points in their respective careers.

After dedicating herself to her work, Chanel slowly began to evolve into a piece of art herself. This is something Lounen’s translates beautifully through the visuals in his film. Most of the film takes place in Coco’s garden villa, where she invited the exiled Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) and his family to stay while he worked. The decor of the villa is lavish and speaks to the indulgence of the intense affair. The whimsical garden, large enough for a horse ride and a swing between the trees, speaks to the romantic tones of the film down to the moans coming from the secret love shack in the woods.

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

In another scene, while in her room and after parting with Stravinsky, Chanel catches a glimpse of herself working in the mirror and pulls the drape to cover it. As unapologetic and not guilty as Coco felt about her affair with a married man, we see that it really is lonely at the top. She’s surrounded by extravagance and elegance but her loneliness is almost painful for her to witness. Her strict and detailed ways allowed her reach a level of success that is unmatched by any other fashion designer. Stravinsky’s revolutionary use of dissonance propelled him into music history books. After Boy Capel’s death, all the grief-stricken Coco wanted was to be fascinated and intrigued by a man again. She was a woman who yearned, lusted and loved.

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

The film paints Coco as a woman of high standards, admired by other woman for her confidence but plagued by others thinking that her gambling with love meant she did not take it seriously.

Chanel was first captivated by Igor’s intensity and his brilliant mind during the legendary premiere of “The Rites of Spring” on May 29th, 1913.

While the French audience, used to ballets like Swan Lake, was outraged over the pairing of Stravinsky’s adventurous composition and Vaslav Nijinsky’s almost savage choreography, Chanel was excited and drawn to the radical departure. This all makes for one of the most heart-pounding moments in a non-action film I’ve ever experienced. (See a Cannes Excerpt from Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky on Youtube)

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

From the beginning, the film is whimsical and romantic and at times makes you feel like you’re in a surreal world of savage love and emotions. The intense story follows both Chanel and Stravinsky’s greatest achievements (Ballet Russes, Chanel No. 5) but also captures the pain and “decay” of Catherine Stravinsky—played by a striking Yelena Morozova—as she if forced to watch it all unfold before her and her children’s eyes.

The stunning costumes and score are enough to realize that this isn’t just another Chanel film. Uncle Karl even designed a gown for the film but every gown and outfit in this feature is just as stunning as the next. From Chanel to the male actors fitted in the most appropriate suits, expect to find your mouth slightly opened in awe of the sex, fashion and music Coco & Igor provides.

Review by Lexx Valdez

A few months back it was announced that Vanessa Paradis would replace Lily Allen as the face of the Chanel Coco Cocoon collection.  Paradis is the Chanel “it girl” of the moment and she must have Uncle Karl smitten as she’s snagged the Chanel Coco Rouge & Coco Cocoon campaigns.

The second Chanel Coco Cocoon collection was recently released and chanteuse Vanessa Paradis provides the face and soundtrack for the collection.  The images, shot by Karl Lagerfeld, are beautiful and alluring in soft black and white and feature Paradis lovingly clutching various styles of the Cocoon collection.  The campaign shots and collection photos all play to the tune of Paradis’ “L’Incendie”.

Coco Cocoon features several styles of bags in quilted nylon and lambskin, with some boasting Orylag trim (fancy French rabbit fur).  I love the Coco Cocoon collection because they are updated takes on the iconic Chanel quilting pattern reworked into very modern, practical wearable bags.  These are the types of bags that you can use for weekend travel or for everyday use – you can fit your laptop and then some!  View pictures from the campaign and collection below.

It’s with what cannot be taught that one succeeds. – Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur”Coco” Chanel is a mysterious figure whose past is fraught with ambiguity.  As my favorite designer, and icon for female empowerment, I’ve done my fair share of reading on Mademoiselle Chanel.  When I heard Paul Morand’s The Allure of Chanel was being reissued with illustrations by Karl Lagerfeld, I immediately had to get my hands on a copy.

Morand’s The Allure of Chanel stands apart from other books on Gabrielle Chanel’s life because the text is in Chanel’s own words.  Mlle. Chanel invited Paul Morand to visit her in St. Moritz so that he could write her memoirs.  Morand took many notes on his conversations with Coco on everything from hard work, beauty, wealth, aging and solitude.  After the interviews, the notes were stashed away, only to be discovered after Mlle. Chanel’s death.  Thirty years after the interviews, Paul Morand published The Allure of Chanel.

I read The Allure of Chanel from cover to cover in a matter of hours.  Maybe it’s because I’m infatuated with the subject matter, or maybe it was because it will be the closest to hearing her speak in her own words, but I was hooked from the moment I started reading.  It’s very rare that you can get a glimpse into the mind of a haute couture and fashion branding pioneer and Paul Morand gives us the opportunity.  The illustrations by Karl Lagerfeld at the beginning of each chapter only enhance the experience.  If you have any interest at all in Chanel, I highly recommend this book.  The Allure of Chanel is available now online.

*I received a copy of The Allure of Chanel from the publisher.

Nylon TV’s Factory Girl paid a visit to the famed Chanel Perfume Lab where “all the magic happens” to sit down and chat with famed “nose” (i.e., perfumer) Jacques Polge.  So jealous! I want her job! Watch the video below …

LES POP-UP DE CHANEL SUMMER 2010 MAKEUP COLLECTION

Coco Chanel made tans chic, and now Peter Philips had concocted a summer cosmetics collection that will make bronzed skin glow.  Inspired by Mademoiselle’s idyllic seaside vista, Les Pop-Up De Chanel, boasts a fresh crops of colors that will surely be the cult favorites of the summer.  Neon pink, sunny coral and brilliant turquoise are sure to complement any glowing tan (faux or not).

The limited edition collection features Soleil Tan de Chanel (Moisturizing Bronzing Powder), Rouge Allure (Luminous Satin Lip Color $32), Aqualumière (Sheer Color Lipshine SPF 15 $29), Aqualumière Gloss (High Shine Sheer Concentrate $27), Gloss Fluo de Chanel (Brilliant Lip Shine $27), Lèvres Scintillantes (Glossimer $27) and Le Vernis (Nail Colour $23).

I’m especially loving Le Vernis Nail Colour in Nouvelle Vague – it’s a bit reminiscent of the ever-popular Jade but it’s a bit more blue evoking the Mediterranean Sea. All of these colors looks great together and will take you from the beach to le club. Les Pop-Up De Chanel Summer 2010 Makeup Collection hits stores in May 2010. I know I can’t wait to get my Nouvelle Vague!

LES POP-UP DE CHANEL SUMMER 2010 MAKEUP COLLECTION

Chanel Paris-Shanghai Accessories

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Chanel has Shanghai on the brain for 2010.  First there was the Chanel Shanghai boutique opening, then there was the Chanel Métiers D’Art Pre-Fall 2010 Paris-Shanghai collection.  We know Coco Chanel was infatuated with Shanghai and would have loved to have traveled there.  But I wonder if that was the only inspiration for the Chanel Shanghai collection – could it be that it was timed to coincide with the upcoming World’s Fair Expo in Shanghai in May, 2010.  Whatever the reason, the accessories are amazing!

After the success of the Chanel Paris-Moscou Matryoshka doll purse, Uncle Karl has created a similar purse for the Shanghai collection. The matching drop earrings are adorable – I wonder if he used these little ladies on any other accessories? Lagerfeld also reinterpreted the classic 2.55 bag with large sequined palletes in red and jade.

Chanel Paris-Shanghai Accessories

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My other favorite bag is Chanel’s rendition of the classic takeout box – with leather chain strap and all!  The Chanel cuff is also especially beautiful and is reminiscent of Chinese pottery and vases.

This is just a little glimpse into the details of the collection and I can’t wait to see more!