On September 9th, Karl Lagerfeld will jump-start New York Fashion Week with a chic dinner to celebrate the re-opening of the Soho Chanel boutique. Approximately 300 guests will be in attendance and I’m sure it will be a who’s who of the young, rich and beautiful. What I would do for an invite!
Chanel recently announced that Italian model Elisa Sednaoui is the face of the new Chanel eyewear campaign. She’s been seen in dozens of European fashion magazines and earlier this year Karl Lagerfeld shot an editorial with Elisa for Numéro Magazine. I wonder if that’s how he came to choose her for the eyewear campaign. Sednauoi is wearing the Jewel button sunglasses from the Cruise 2010/11 collection. We’ll probably start seeing these ads run in fashion magazines pretty soon.
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…
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!
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
Les Fidèles De Chanel, or “the faithful ones” are girls about town that act as modern-day Chanel ambassadors. One of Fidèles is Poppy Delevingne, British socialite and model. Her Summer Travel Essentials are perfect for a day at the beach.
I’m drooling over the shades and the beach towel/tote bag set. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I’m available, ready and willing to be one of Les Fidèles De Chanel…just say the word Karl and we’re good to go!
A few months ago we showed you images from the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2010 Ready to Wear Collection and we’ve recently received info on the Fall 2010 Cosmetics collection. You may recall the snowy theme of the Fall 2010 collection and Peter Philips worked closely with Karl Lagerfeld to come up with a beauty collection worthy of an ice princess.
The Fall 2010 collection features makeup that will give you a bold eye, while keeping cheeks and lips soft. The nails steal the show again this season with a new must-have color called Paradoxal, a greyish-violet that will leave beauty mavens clamoring at makeup counters.
The collection will be available in stores in July 2010.
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.
Last week, Chanel debuted its 2010-2011 Cruise collection in St. Tropez and like his previous collections that show in special locales, this Cruise Collection took inspiration from the myth and magic of the diamond of the French Riviera.
The St. Tropez Chanel Cruise Collection has a very laid back vibe – very fitting since technically these are vacation clothes. Karl Lagerfeld was inspired by iconic St. Tropez moments – from the Brigitte Bardot’s St. Tropez of the 50s and 60s to Mick and Bianca Jagger’s wedding in the 1970s. These moments translated to fashion cues from mod shift mini dresses, high-waisted bell bottoms and an all white suit (a nod to Bianca Jagger’s YSL wedding suit).
The collection also included fun denim pieces, cropped jackets and sweaters, and beautiful flowing pastel chiffon pieces. Crocheted pieces evoked fishing nets used in the waters of St. Tropez. This seasons interpretation of tweed saw it mixed with metallics and sheers. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much of a view of the accessories but I’m sure they won’t disappoint.
To coincide with the launch of the collection Karl Lagerfeld produced a film, Remember Now. The short film was shot in St. Tropez and does a good job of bringing the inspiration to life. You can view the video and see the full collection below…
Images via Style
Chanel Cruise Show Jet Setting to St. Tropez
Chanel Cruise collections are always shown in a beautiful vacation locales from Miami to Venice. For the upcoming 2010 Chanel Cruise show, Karl Lagerfeld is presenting the collection in France’s St. Tropez. Situated in the French Riviera, St. Tropez is a glamorous vacation destination that’s a “playground to jetsetters, fashion models, and millionaires.” (Wikipedia) Brigitte Bardot used to spend quite some time there and I wonder if she will inspire any part of the collection.
Image: Chanel News
Karl Lagerfeld was in St. Tropez recently shooting the Chanel Cruise 2010 film to accompany the launch of the collection. The cast includes actors “Elisa Sednaoui and Pascal Greggory in the leading roles alongside Jean-Roch, as well as models closely related to the House of Chanel: Freja Beha, Jake Davies, Magdalena Frackowiak, Baptiste Giabiconi, Sébastien Jondeau, Karolina Kurkova, Abbey Lee, Leigh Lezark and Heidi Mount.” (Chanel News)
Within recent seasons, Karl has added films to his repertoire to launch collections. I think they do a wonderful job of bringing the collection and inspiration to life and I can’t wait to see this! Stay tuned for the 11th! For more behind the scenes images taken by actor Pascal Greggory, visit the Chanel News photo gallery.
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