The Chanel Fall/Winter 2010 Haute Couture show featured very simple makeup with a striking red lip. This is the look Coco Chanel herself preferred so it should come as no surprise that it showed on on the runway. Also, Chanel recently released its Rouge Coco line of lipsticks in their attempt to “bring lipstick back” and what better way than to feature it on the runway? See the Global Creative Director for Chanel talk about what inspired the faces on the runway…
Music is a big part of creating ambiance and I love the tunes at Chanel because I’m always introduced to something new. Here are the tunes that filled the air of the Grand Palais in Paris:
Timothy Andres
“Antennae”, Shy and Mighty
Nonesuch Records 2010
Lou Reed and John Cale
“Small Town”, Songs For Drella
Sire/Warner Records 1990
Chilly Gonzales
“Never Stop (Piano-Pella)”
Phantasy Sound Limited 2010
Gonzales
“Knight Moves”, Ivory Tower
Arts & Crafts 2010
Image from Chanel News
I didn’t think that Karl could outdo a giant glacier as the centerpiece for a runway show – but somehow he did. On Tuesday, Chanel unveiled its Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Haute Couture show at the Grand Palais in Paris with an “8-ton, 40-foot-tall golden lion, [with] its paw perched on an enormous pearl” serving as the backdrop. (WWD).
The inspiration for the lion is clear – born on August 19th, Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel was a Leo. She loved lions and they surfaced everywhere from her apartment decor, buttons and even her gravestone. The centerpiece for the haute couture runway show is a replica of a marble sculpture from her infamous apartment at 31 Rue Cambon. “Gabrielle Chanel surrounded herself with models of lions in wood, silver, bronze or alabaster…[and t]he lion became a timeless biographical seal on numerous of her creations.” (Chanel News).
Chanel herself, felt a close affinity with lions: “August 19th is my birthday. I was born under the sign of Leo. I am a Leo and, like a lion, I use my claws to prevent people from doing me harm, but, believe me, I suffer more from scratching than from being scratched.”
The lion inspired some of her creations and lion heads were commonly found embossed on the buttons of her iconic tweed suits.
Indeed, Mlle. Chanel’s love for lions are eternal – her gravestone has 5 lion heads carved onto it.
Not only is Karl Lagerfeld an ingenious designer, he truly respects and understands the woman that Coco Chanel was. He stays true to what inspired her and he gives it all a modern twist. Of course, he is one of the few people in the world who has access to her apartments and archives (what I would do to be a fly on the wall!). I hope that his successor will have the same respect for Chanel’s vision.
Image Credits:
Runway show & apartment images: Chanel News
Chanel Button: Chanel: Collections & Creations
Chanel Gravestone: Ballyshannon
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