The first was when she said 'Not one man I have spoken to likes a woman in miniskirts.' I think no one dared to tell this 86-year-old lady that miniskirts are great and really sexy. Number two was when she decided blue jeans were horrible. This was the fashion of the world at that particular [sic] moment — it was the Sixties. No one wanted to be told by an old lady that miniskirts and jeans weren't chic. The result was that she lost her power and in the end no one cared about what she did.
”He told Suzy Menkes at the International Herald Tribune's Luxury Heritage conference
You would think it was enough that Karl Lagerfeld has the house of Chanel at his fingertips. At the brand, his tune is eclectic yet always classic and tuneful. He is the priest at the altar of Chanel and we all worship him, season after season. However this is not enough for the man they call Karl the Kaiser and so it comes as no surprise that now he is taking on the role as Editor-in-Chief of one of France's top newspapers, Liberation.
The entire issue bears the Lagerfeld touch, from illustrations to comments, special interviews of him, and an opinion page about the legendary designer - no part of the paper has been left untouched. The front page is a picture of the man himself encaptioned : “Karl Lagerfeld gives ‘Libé’ a makeover.” This he does indeed with his magical way of turning the ordinary into the extra-ordinary. Also included is a little mention from the "real" editor, Laurent Joffrin, who states that Lagerfeld “has a profound culture, and a sharp eye.”
The rest of the paper is made up of daily news but with this comes a Lagerfeld twist. Another side to the Fashion genius , Karl the artist. His "fashion-o-licious" drawings, range from portraits of Afghan men to Angela Merkel and Liliane Bettencourt. Perhaps the most interesting and amusing is his visual interpretation of the World Cup which has swept each nation to embrace the men who are representing their countries. However, Lagerfeld uses satire in his depiction of a dominant male sport using erotic portraits of the football players. This will surely only further enrage the football fans, lets face it England aren't exactly on a winning streak, in particular the 'macho' males who already have no interest in fashion whatsoever.
The newspaper is a collector’s item and there are only going to be a very limited, 160,000 copies printed, good luck on getting your hands on one! If not for the excitement of owning such a rare item,start the hunt for a copy now for the sheer entertainment and a good laugh on Mr Karl Lagerfeld .
Classical music crashed to a halt when Kate Bush's 'Hounds of Love' ascended to full volume on the Kinder Aggugini runway, followed with yet another drastic change as the heavy bass of Deadmau5 pounded out. Aggugini cited Juliette Recamier as inspiration, the woman who stood up to Napoleon, with the Aggugini AW10 woman being one who 'lives like a true rockstar whilst turning heads for both her look and her intellect'.
Describing his design signatures as 'Sid Vicious marries Coco Chanel' certainly explains the mix in the catwalk soundtrack, and sheds a little light on the juxtaposition of heavily military-influenced power coats - with carefully selected corners pinned back to reveal contrasting pillar-box red lining - and the long, fluid lines of the black maxi dresses. Stephen Jones' Napoleon-inspired hats suited the army of models' slick black painted hair, of which all sported bar a model with striking auburn locks, which highlighted the reddish tones within the print on her flowing maxi dress. The double-breasted, structured outerwear was the definite strength for Aggugini this season. We couldn't get enough of the raw seam details.
While McQueen sales have rocketed following the tragic death of Alexander McQueen, the fate of the label is still up in the air. When a designer as influential and unique as McQueen dies unexpectedly, it is no wonder the future of the brand is thrown into question. Unlike Coco Chanel, who left behind an established look of suits, quilting and pearls that Lagerfeld was able to both respect and reinvent, “this is different, very different”, says Scott Schuman, founder of the Sartorialist.
“I was talking to a retailer yesterday who said that her McQueen business was growing faster than it ever had before. However, she sees no other option than to close the business of McQueen. Who could take over? Should anyone takeover? I'm sure Gucci has invested millions in this business but, this isn't the same as finding a replacement for an old house like YSL or Kenzo. This is different, very different. I think the closest correlation to this would have to be Moschino. And still after all these years, no one has been able to replace him, just a design team. Do we really want this to be the fate of McQueen's business? I mean, come on, who could possibly keep the spirit of McQueen alive? He was so unique that his replacement could never get out of that shadow,” Schuman said.
Aside from the label itself, the more pertinent question on everyone’s lips is ‘what will become of the final collection?’ Before his death on Thursday, Alexander McQueen’s fall 2010 collection was effectively complete with final fittings done, a Fashionologie source has said. The label’s Director of Communications has also asked that all McQueen pieces loaned to press for shoots be returned immediately, in a bid to protect what is left.
Taking into account Karl Lagerfeld's comments surrounding the size debate recently, you'd think he'd be the last person to shoot a plus-size model, wearing Chanel. He's said: "No one wants to see curvy women. You've got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly." How endearing.
Well, after making those remarks and calling anti size-zero magazine Brigette "absurd" for featuring real women as opposed to models, it was a shock to see the models.com preview of the Karl Lagerfeld shoot for V magazine's size issue - starring a plus-size model. The shoot features burlesque dancer 'Miss Dirty Martini', scantily clad in the classic Chanel monotone colours and a hell of a lot of jewellery, with Jane Schmitt posing as Coco Chanel herself. Mind you, Mr Lagerfeld did have Beth Ditto play at his Fendi party at Paris Fashion Week- maybe his 'fat-phobia' is finally shifting?
Chanel is a brand that rarely finds itself in the midst of scandal, until now. The brand's Coco Chanel perfume has been the subject of a counterfeit scam that saw counterfeitters attempt to smuggle a staggering 20,000 bottles of the perfume into the UK. Coming from China, the bottles were transported in two containers containnig other perfumes and were said to be worth approximately £1.5 million (and £200,000 in VAT).
Normally tasked with dealing with asylum seekers, UK Border Agency officials seized the goods at Felixstone docks on the 26th November but have only just been to confirm that the perfumes were indeed fake. They had become suspicious after they had discovered that the perfumes had been packed alongside other brands of considerably lesser value.
Last night the Chanel army descended on Shanghai for the unveiling of the label's latest pre-fall collection and film. The event, which was held on a glass-fronted custom-built barge, with a view of the skyscrapers of Pudong, was opened with a viewing of a film, which saw Coco Chanel day-dreaming about going to China in the sixties and creating a collection inspired by a Mao suit. Karl Lagerfeld faced some opposition to his use of Europeans in yellow face, playing Chinese characters. Lagerfeld explained that "It is an homage to Europeans trying yo look Chinese, like in "The Good Earth', the people in the movie liked the idea that they had to look like Chinese. Or like actors in 'Madame Butterfly'. People around the world like to dress up as different nationalities."
In spite of this, the Paris- Shanghai Metiers d'Art Collection (it's full name) and Lagerfeld's first visit to the city, was still a success. With models, dressed in leather trousers, velvet jackets with embroidered sleeves, elegant tiered sheer dresses, structured caped-shoulders, rice-paddy hats in tomato reds, oacres, greens and navy blues, Lagerfeld made it clear that the show wasn't about the real city, but instead, ".....About the idea of China, not the reality.... It has the spirit of, and is inspired by, but is unrelated to China. It is not authentic like a Peking Opera or something. " To see a slide show, check out style.com, but of course we couldn't resist sharing some of our favourites with you.
Karl Lagerfeld is fast becoming a designer-come-film director to b reckoned with. Following the success of his first offerings for last year's Chanel Pre Fall ten minute (silent) film to mark the "Paris - Moscow" collection, Lagerfeld yesterday showcased this year's film to mark the release of the Paris-Shanghai Pre Fall collection. The footage was projected against the Shanghai city scape for added Chanel elegance of course, and sees Edita Vilkeviciute reprising her role as the young Coco Chanel in the 22 minute film. Starring alongside Edita will be Freja Beha Erichsen, Heidi Mount and muse of the moment, Baptiste Giabiconi. To see more, head to http://www.fashionologie.com/6510987.
The latest style to invade our wardrobes this season is the menswear trend. From boyfriend blazers and tailored suits, to classic shirts and brogues, it is all about the boy. The easy glamour takes it cue from the laid back style of mens fashion. Chloe's creative director, Hannah MacGibbon says ''the focus is on an effortless and uninhibited attitude with luxurious fabrics borrowed from men's wardrobes.'' Stella McCartney is also known for her love of masculine tailoring, with classic cut blazers and elegant suits being her signature styles. She says ''I like to play on the masculine and feminine and try to find ways to modernise it.''
Come Thursday 3rd December, a 5,160-square foot boutique, brimming with art and hosting a luxurious pre-fall collection will mark the opening of the new Chanel boutique in Shanghai. Placed in the Peninsula Hotel on the famous Bund river frontpromenade, and designed by architect Peter Marino, the Shanghai boutique promises an interior filled with the finest hand picked antiques, site-specific work from commissioned contemporary artists, and giant strands of glass beads, aimed at reflecting Coco Chanel's original necklaces.
