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Chanel Autumn-Winter 2008-2009 Carrousel

For the Autumn-Winter 2008-209 show Karl Lagerfeld dreamt up a Chanel carousel with oversize Chanel iconography such as bows, pearls, cuffs, 2.55 bags and camelias.  For the Spring-Summer 2012 show Marc Jacobs conjured up a white carrousel for Louis Vuitton.  Though the Louis Vuitton carrousel is a more traditional carrousel complete with horses, I think it’s a bit too similar too soon, non?  What do you think?

Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2012 Carrousel

• Katy Perry in Chanel Track Suit
• Debbie Harry in Chanel?
• Chanel Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear Inspiration: Last Year at Marienbad
• Under The Sea – Chanel Spring-Summer 2012 Ready-to-Wear
• Chanel Spring/Summer 2011 Ad Campaign

Yesterday I posted the names of the three Chanel Le Vernis nail colors releasing in January as part of the Spring 2012 collection – April, May and June.  I just found an image of the polishes online and they’re bright and colorful – a perfect compliment to our summer tans.

Sources: Lisa Eldridge & StyleSimilar Posts:

• Les Pop-Up De Chanel Summer 2010 Makeup Collection
• Chanel Limited Edition Nail Colors
• Vampire Lips: Les Noirs de Chanel Rouge Allure Lipsticks
• I Want This Bag! Chanel Cabas Eté
• 12 Days of Chanel: Le Vernis Nail Colour

Skin prepared with HYDRA BEAUTY SERUM Hydration Protection Radiance (available April 2012)

The Complexion

VITALUMIERE AQUA Fresh and Hydrating Cream Compact Makeup SPF 15 (available April 2012)
POUDRE UNIVERSELLE LIBRE  Natural Finish Loose Powder
ECLAT LUMIERE Highlighting Face Pen
CORRECTEUR PERFECTION Long Lasting Concealer

The Eyes

ILLUSION D’OMBRE Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Fantasme and Emerveillé
STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF Long Lasting Eyeliner in Ebène
LE CRAYON KHOL Intense Eye Pencil in Clair
CRAYON SOURCILS Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil
INIMITABLE WATERPROOF Mascara in Black
RECOURBE CILS DE CHANEL Precision Eyelash Curler

The Cheeks

EXCLUSIVE CREATION BLUSH HORIZON DE CHANEL Glowing Blush Harmony (available January 2012)

The Lips

ROUGE COCO BAUME Hydrating Conditioning Lip Balm (available January 2012)
LEVRES SCINTILLANTES Glossimer in Plaisir (available March 2012)

The Nails

LE VERNIS Nail Colour in April (available January 2012)
LE VERNIS Nail Colour in May (available January 2012)
LE VERNIS Limited Edition Nail Colour in June (available January 2012)
**The pearly white nail shade was specially created only for the show**

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Images: StyleSimilar Posts:

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For spring 2012, the Chanel accessories all evoke the aquatic theme.  Pearls were everywhere – on the apparel, hair, skin and handbags.  Purses came in the shape of conch shells while other bags used the signature quilting and woven leather chain detail but were in the shape of a wrapped parcel.  Heels of shoes were in the shape of coral and conch shells.  Finally, jewelry took its cues from seashells and coral.  Check out the gallery for more detail shots…

Images: StyleSimilar Posts:

• Chanel Spring-Summer 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection
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I especially loved the hair – wet hair was the perfect finishing touch to an underwater-themed collection.  The wet hair was twisted into low side buns at the nape of the models’ necks and pearls floated in the models’ hair.

Last but not least we have the nail color!  From what I could see from the runway images I saw 2 colors: white and coral.  I don’t know if it’s an existing white color like Pearl Drop or a new one.  It would be lovely to see a white iridescent shade that’s like mother of pearl.  I’ll fill you in on details as soon as I receive the information from Chanel.  For now enjoy these photos…

All Images: StyleSimilar Posts:

• Chanel Spring-Summer 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection
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“I love the sea — it’s very mysterious, and fish scales seem so modern; there was everything but mermaids!”
-Karl Lagerfeld (NYTimes)

I’m not sure where Karl Lagerfeld got his inspiration for his aquatic inspired collection – could it have been all the time Coco Chanel spent on the Flying Cloud with the Duke of Westminster?  Wherever inspiration may have struck, Karl is always able to take the seedlings of the idea and make them flourish into Chanel elegance.

For the Chanel Spring-Summer 2012 Ready-to-Wear collection the Grand Palais was transformed into a whitewashed underwater scape with oversize algae, sand dollars, sea horses, fish, seashells and whales.  One particular shell opened and Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine appeared singing her siren song, “What the Water Gave Me” to accompany the models walking down the runway.  A male model (not Baptiste Giabiconi) stood at her side in a men’s bathing romper as her protector.

The models all appeared through a structure filled with what looked like sea foam – each one a modern day Botticelli Venus emerging from the sea in etheral Chanel.  The color palette was very light and neutral with some hints of the blue-green of the sea, light coral, sand and very little black.  Since it was an aquatic theme, the ubiquitous leather woven chains and cuffs were replaced with another Chanel signature – pearls.

Pearls were everywhere on the apparel (on the beauty as well – you’ll see in a separate upcoming post) – all buttons and belts were pearls.  The looks were a departure from the oversize looks and skirts-over-pants that we’ve seen from the past few Chanel collections.  Jackets were cropped with 3/4 sleeves, dresses were short and form-fitting.  Aquatic references included netting sewn into the clothing giving us a new “sheer”, iridescent fabric and beading that looked like glimmering waters or mother-of-pearl and origami folds of sheer fabric that were reminscent of fish gills.  All of this was juxtaposed with black geometric lines on some of the looks. The accessories all got the aquatic treatment with bags shaped as conches and covered with pearls and shoes with shoes with conch-shaped heels.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts on the details of the collection, beauty, scene and front row.

Images: Style

**Update – I thought from the photo it was Baptiste Giabiconi standing near Florence Welch but it was not.Similar Posts:

• Florence Welch on Working With Karl Lagerfeld
• Chanel Spring-Summer 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Details
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• More Chanel Spring/Summer 2011 Ad Campaign Shots

So my suspicions were confirmed – the Chanel invite did give us a clue to the theme of the spring-summer 2012 ready-to-wear collection.  The Grand Palais was transformed into an under water paradise complete with oversize sea shells and coral.  A certain red-headed chanteuse – I think Florence and the Machine  but waiting for confirmation – even appeared in a shell and sang during the runway presentation.  I’m doing more research into the show and getting images together but here’s a little teaser.

All Photos: Chanel, Olivier SaillantSimilar Posts:

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