HC: Blend of Two. Chanel AW14

July 9, 2014July 9, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Like the dying embers of a baroque world, a gilded mirror hung in a modernist white space above a digitally-flamed fire, at the Chanel Haute Couture show yesterday in Paris. For this collection, Karl Lagerfeld thought of his vision of modernism. White neoprene gowns with baroque embroideries; curvilinear forms of a Le Corbusier building, the cloth moulded in an egg shape around the body, without any side seams; 21st Cinderella dresses; and a strange blend of the famous Paris-Edinburgh & Paris-Dubai collections Karl did earlier this year. The collection in my opinion is a bit normal. And somehow, I prefer couture on heels. Please, no more gladiator sandals! P.s. The last look was shown by Ashleigh Good, the seven month pregnant model. She wore a white cape with splendorous, gold, embroidered back. That moment was the most special in the whole collection.

Dubai. Chanel Resort’15

May 14, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Making it big for the shows is pretty natural for Karl Lagerfeld, who already took us to St.Tropez, Miami, Antibes and Singapore for his Resort collections. This time, we travelled to Dubai, the city of United Arab Emirates, that’s full of gold, petrol and luxury. So, no wonder… the collection was presented on a special Chanel island, that had a carved double C all over it! However, the collection itself was one of the worst, unfortunately. It didn’t have that Dubai opulence I wished of! It had flowers, moons, Scottish checks, blond version of Diana Ross curls and a lot of strange themes that seemed to be useless. I suppose Dubai summers are so cold you need to wear socks-up-to-knee… I certainly loved the camel gown that Joan Smalls wore with flats and trousers trousers. Oh yeah, trousers- I see Arabian harems are bag in beige! And I am a little bit disappointed that we didn’t see Sebastien Jondeau in a Chanelized sheikh costume. That’s it!

About the artist: Abdul Qader Al Raes is an artist from Dubai made famous by his monumental art works in palaces and distinguished public spaces.

Coco’s Intermarche. Chanel AW14

March 5, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Karl Lagerfeld definitely starts to have more fun at Chanel than serious work process. Maybe that’s good… But this time the Grand Palais changed to a huge super market, full of Eau de Chanel, Jambon Cambon ham, Coco cereal, Pink Tweed champagne and CC rugs… the models wearing sporty sneakers and bright clothes, were simply wandering around the market, buying food, ketchup and other daily stuff. But of course wearing Chanel! The idea is really funny! If every women could afford Chanel, then they would buy it even in grocery stores… talking of the clothes, nothing new came across the runway. Strong pink verses gray tweeds. Embroideries looking like camellia flowers and of course the shoes. That were in reality embroidered Chanel trainers that looked like Nike… and let’s not forget the bags. Packed in foil to be 100% fresh or carried in shopping basket? Your choise.

Dallas Baby! Chanel Pre-Fall’14

December 11, 2013 | Design & Culture by Ed

Everything that happens in Dallas, is big. Just as Chanel. The capital of Texas state in USA inspired so much Karl Lagerfeld, that his Metiers d’Art collection for Pre-Fall literally took place in one of the Rodeo barns. It’s been a mutually beneficial match since way back in 1957, when Neiman Marcus’ Stanley Marcus, having embraced Coco Chanel’s 1954 comeback collection even as the French rejected it, gave Chanel the store’s Award for Distinguished Service in the field of fashion.
Saskia de Brauw… Fantastic!
I want this men poncho, now.
In reality, 900 people came to the “Fair Park, home of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition and a National Historic Landmark” in Dallas city to see what Karl prepared for us. In American-English I would simply write: Oh gosh. This was amazing! And now normally- Yes. It was amazing. The Chanel collection for Fall was full of ponchos, chunky knitwear, cowboy hats and Rodeo chic (obviously). It seems that for Karl, fashion at Chanel is not a show after show, but it’s always a whole performance! Models phreshed down the runway in beautiful clothes, all in warm colours… Models like Erin Wasson (who is natively from Texas!) and Stella Tennant looked ‘gorg’ in their mustang jackets and cowgirl prints! But the star of the evening was definitely Miss Caroline de Maigret who was an Indian bride, wearing a feather made bonnet and white outfit… This closing of the show said one thing- Coco would be proud!
Stella Tennant and Caroline de Maigret… So Dallas!
This outfit at Jamie Bochert is the most beautiful of all in this collection!

Gallery. Chanel SS14

October 1, 2013October 1, 2013 | Design & Culture by Ed

The Chanel SS14 was a big surprise for everyone. Maybe not from the clothing side (tweeds, bags and jackets are as always in the collection) but from the venue selection. Well… The Chanel collection happened in Grand Palais, but in a pretty original setting. It was a modern art gallery. The catwalk was in the middle, and on the sides were artistic installations and oaintings, all designed of course by master of Paris fashion- Karl Lagerfeld. There was a naked man, a double C sculpture made of No5 perfume bottles and even a trash bin full of. Chanel bag chains… In other words, only CHANEL. And the collection was simply amazingly, kawaii-cute, super cool. It felt Karl was still into the Shanghai topic like on his Resort collection, but in a more tweeted and Coco accentuated way. The collection was all about female artists and one colour- pink. Pink, pink, pink. This cute colour was like everywhere- on dresses, on jackets, on bags! Plus there was this paint-brush print on last looks- maybe it’s kind of trivial, but not for Lagerfeld. Theme of this Summer collection was moving the sense of fashion and art, about how they meet and full fill each other. In the Chanel edition, every piece of art is amazing (while most of it… Is fashion!).