Back in May, Chanel confirmed that it had managed to snap up Brad Pitt to serve as the first male face of Chanel No.5 and since the news was announced, not much has been said about it but with two weeks to go before the TV commercial is released, more information about the partnership is slowly trickling in.
As always, Chanel has remained pretty tight lipped about the details but from the above sneak peak still from the campaign shoot suggests that we can expect Pitt to look very natural in the shots. According to the president of Chanel Fragrance and Beauty Andrea d’Avack, the actor will speak 'in a way that the viewer assumes he's speaking to a woman,' before we realise that he's actually talking about the fragrance. Well it better be good. Considering that the brand dropped $10 million on US advertising on top of Pitt's $7 million fee, expectations are definitely high.
The last time we saw Keria Knightley she was everywhere and her celebrity had reached a saturation point. Over the last few years, though, she's laid low so when it was confirmed that she would make her big return last night at the premiere of her new movie, 'Anna Karenina', I was really excited and she didn't disappoint.
The actress arrived at the London premiere wearing a stunning pink gown from Chanel's Fall 2012 couture collection, marking the first time that the piece has been seen on the red carpet. While I'm a big fan of Chanel couture, the dresses don't always translate well onto the red carpet but here it definitely did. The delicate sheer sleeves perfectly break up the floral appliqués, which creates enough drama to get us all excited about what else she has in store for the rest of the promotional tour.
With September around the corner, just about all of the major September issues have already dropped but Interview magazine's all-important issue was the only one we hadn't seen. That all changed yesterday when they unveiled the cover for the first time with Emma Stone as the star of choice.
The actress, who was shot by Mikael Jansson and styled by Karl Templer, sports one of the statement necklaces from Chanel's Fall 2012 collection in what is definitely her edgiest cover to date. Her most recent shoots have steered within the safe and familiar feminine kooky territory so it was nice to see the team shake things up and style her in strong, bold, masculine pieces.
Say hello to Nicole Kidman's latest cover for V. Before you get any ideas, this isn't a fake circulating the Internet. The Oscar-winning actress did actually agree to go along with Carylne Cerf de Dudzeele's sexed up styling for the Mario Testino-lensed cover shoot.
The belt that she wears on the cover, which makes Britney Spears' 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' skirt look like a kilt, is by Chanel but quite frankly, that doesn't make it any better. There's no doubting that Kidman looks incredible for her age but like Madonna who, can (at times) looks equally as good, something about the whole shoot feels a bit off, much in the same way that Tom Cruise's recent cover of W magazine did.
In the accompanying editorial Kidman touched on the fact that she regrets not letting go when she was younger, which might a long way in explaining her sudden frivolity. 'I would be more outlandish if I could,' she explained. 'A lot of times you just don't get the chance,' and by the look of things, 45 is a good a time as any to start.
Karl Lagerfeld has taken Chanel's 'The Little Black Jacket' exhibition to Tokyo, New York, Taipei and Hong Kong and now it's finally coming to London. Yesterday Vogue UK confirmed that the installation is set to arrive at London's Saatchi Gallery in October.
Just in case you unfamiliar with it, the exhibition includes images taken for a book the brand will launch later this year baring the same name. Stars like Kanye West and Sarah Jessica Parker to Anna Wntour and Carine Roitfeld posed in their signature black jacket to illustrate the timeless quality of the iconic piece and its ability to transcend generations and styles. 'The special event underlines the brand's values of creativity, modernity and excellence,' says a statement from Chanel. 'The public will discover the versatility and timelessness of the iconic Chanel jacket through Karl Lagerfeld's photographs.'
And that's not all. To mark the opening of the exhibition, the Chanel stores on Brompton Cross, Bond Street and Sloane Street will all have their windows dedicated to jackets from the most recent collections.
The exhibition will run from October 12 to October 29, 2012.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Chanel's pop-up shops are like no other. The concept isn't new. Luxury brand have all embraced them but just like their show productions, Chanel are always ahead of the pack. In the last twelve months they took over a whole area in Harrods and played host to a hugely successful one in Collette and this week, the brand opened a new temporary boutique dedicated to make-up in London's Covent Garden.
As much as I love Covent Garden for the food and general atmosphere, over the last few years it seemed to have lost its way as a fashion and beauty destination but with the help of the new Burberry Brit store, the new Opening Ceremony pop-up (which is located just around the corner) and the new Chanel space, that's changing.
The pop-up, which is scheduled to run until December but may be extended, will host a series of special in-store events with Chanel's artists in the coming months and by autumn, the shop floor will feature vending machines full of beauty products. My favourite feature, though, is the brand's first ever nail bar located downstairs. My colour of the moment is Diwali from their Bombay Express collection but considering the wide range available, I'm sure I'll be stocking up on new shades very soon.
Throughout the day Victoria has been tweeting from Chanel's couture salons on the Rue Cambon but hasn't revealed what she was doing there. A Chanel spokesperson has since confirmed that Lagerfled is shooting her for an upcoming fashion story and cover for French ELLE.
When Blake Lively was announced as the face of Gucci's new fragrance, it raised some questions. As she is still a handbag ambassador for Chanel many began to ask whether her new gig would be a conflict of interest.
At the time the news was announced Chanel decided to keep quiet about the matter but the fact that the actress didn't turn up to the Chanel couture show recently, which she usually attends, only ignited the rumours. As a result, the brand released a statement today to quash the reports tell the New York post that, 'Blake is still an ambassador to Chanel and regularly keeps in touch with designer Karl Lagerfeld. She was invited to the couture sow but couldn't make it because she was promoting 'Savages'...She still wears Chanel whenever she can.'
Just like the clothes, the beauty looks at the couture shows are known for being elaborate and decorative but at the Chanel show yesterday, the beauty looks were a lot more low-key and accessible.
At the couture show last season it was all about inky blues and silvers and this season that was developed but instead of continuing the blue, eyes were lined with a black kohl intense eye pencil and lashings of mascara teamed with a silver metallic eyeshadow on the lids and underneath. The dramatic punk-like hair that Sam McKnight created last season gave way for a more every-day achievable look, as models came down the runway with bone straight here that were left to hand down loosely.
