A few weeks back we posted about a Douglas Kirkland exhibit featuring his photos of Coco Chanel, as well as his book on the same subject.  In addition to taking personal portraits of Coco Chanel, Douglas Kirkland has worked with a virtual who’s who of Hollywood including Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Jack Nicholson and Elizabeth Taylor.  He’s one of the masters at capturing a person’s essence on film so we were happy to stumle upon a short feature on him on Fine Art TV.  The short film includes photos, interviews with people who have worked with him and an interview with Douglas Kirkland himself.  Portrait - Douglas Kirkland, Living Legend was great because you actually got to hear Kirkland speak about his craft and it’s very rare to hear someone with so much talent talk about his work.  Portrait - Douglas Kirkland, Living Legend was very inspiring and you can view the film online here.

Photo: Julien de Rosa / Starface

A while back we reviewed Lifetime’s Coco Chanel made-for-tv movie, and it was clear from our readers and from our search engine results, that the ladies love Olivier Sitruk, the French actor who played Coco Chanel’s amour, Boy Capel.  When we saw how much the ladies liked Mr. Sitruk, we did a small story on him.  Little did we know that it would be our most popular story ever, with women from all over the country making M.I.S.S. the unofficial spot to get together and share their Olivier Sitruk discoveries.  This got us thinking, why don’t we contact him and see if he’ll do an interview?   To our surprise and delight, not only did Olivier get back to us, he gave us the honor of interviewing him.  After several emails and weeks, we are happy and excited to present our interview with Olivier Sitruk. . .

How did you get your start in acting?

I got my start in acting by studying! In NICE, the place where I was born, and after in PARIS. Of course I was not already paid for acting but my passion and destiny start at this time. I start on stage, I work in prison or with handicap people and make my first movie in 1992. In this movie, I was dying after 5 minutes, in the second one after 30 . . . now I die at the end!

Did you know about the man ‘Boy Capel’ before you auditioned for his part?

No, and not a lot about COCO CHANEL also, but there is so many book about her!

Read the rest of the interview after the jump!
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http://www.mcny.org/exhibitions/current/paris-new-york-design-fashion-culture-1925-1940.html
One of my favorite periods for fashion, architecture, design, art and culture is 1925-1940, the height of Art Deco, from Coco Chanel to the Chrysler Building, many of my favorites came out of this movement.   Now, the Museum of the City of New York is hosting an exhibition entitled: Paris/New York, Design/Fashion/Culture 1925 - 1940.  The exhibition explores not only the art and culture of the time, but also film and performing arts.  It explores the cross-national dialogue of designers and members of the Art Deco movement as a culture of community rather than one rooted in isolation.  Key figures of the movement are explored including our beloved Coco Chanel, Josephine Baker and Salvador Dali.  The exhibit runs through February 22nd, but if you won’t be in NY before then, you can purchase the exhibition catalog here.  I am definitely going to check this exhibit out (and get the book) and if you are in NY, I would definitely recommend checking this out.

http://www.mcny.org/exhibitions/current/paris-new-york-design-fashion-culture-1925-1940.html

Museum info after the jump.
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Last Friday, I attended the opening of Westwood Gallery’s exhibition of Douglas Kirkland’s intimate and never before seen photos of Coco Chanel at work taken over 3 weeks in 1962. At the young age of 27, Douglas Kirkland, at the time a staff photographer for Look Magazine, and who is best known for his famous photographs of Marilyn Monroe, spent an unprecedented amount of time behind the scenes with Mademoiselle Chanel capturing her intense daily routine of designing, fitting models, seeing clients and meeting friends.

This exhibition will be open until November 29th, 2008, and I highly recommend seeing it in person if you would like to experience the passionate inner workings of the process of the one and only Coco Chanel.

The photos are also available in this book by Douglas Kirkland, Coco Chanel: Three Weeks 1962.

All photos are copywritten in 1962 by Douglas Kirkland, and printed in 2008. Most of the following photo descriptions came from the gallery, when I could capture them.

Westwood Gallery
568 Broadway, NYC
212-925-5700

Coco Chanel at her private apartment at the House of Chanel

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“Look at all these rumors running me everyday”

It looks like Coco Chanel is not the only iconic designer with a biographical film in the works. Rumors have been swirling around the interweb about a film about Dame Vivienne Westwood in development, with Kate Winslet set to star as the mother of punk. Soon after there were denials, confirmations, rebuttals and approvals from both camps. All I know is the word on the street is that Kate Winslet may play Vivienne Westwood, and from Kate’s performance, as herself, in Extras, makes me think she’d be a fine choice. Check out the hilarious Extras clip after the jump - and let us know - who do you think should play Dame Westwood??
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A little while back we told you about the release of photographer Douglas Kirkland’s book, Coco Chanel: Three Weeks/1962, that features never before seen photos of the fashion icon in some of her most intimate and public moments.  To commemorate the release of the book, the Westwood Gallery in NYC is showcasing 40 of Douglas Kirkland’s photos of Mademoiselle Chanel.

In 1962, Douglas Kirkland spent 3 weeks with Coco Chanel following her every move and documenting her routine and her work.  When Kirkland approached her about the project, she was hesitant and asked that he submit photos of models wearing her collection so that she could get a sense of his work.  She was so taken with his photography skills that she allowed him full access to her and her private rooms.  They even went to Versaille to photograph the Grand Dame there.  These photos are definitely going to be something special because they will show Chanel in her most intimate moments as never seen before.  And, to see them enlarged, all together in one room will surely be breathtaking.  The exhibit runs from October 18 - November 29 at Westwood Gallery, 568 Broadway, NY, NY.

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I’m infatuated!  While many ladies are crazy for Olivier Sitruk, the actor who played Boy Capel in Lifetime’s Coco Chanel, I’m obsessed over the Chanel tights that are white in the front and black in the back with interlocking C’s at the ankle (pictured above).  I want them so badly that the other night I had a dream about them:  I was at the Chanel store and they didn’t have my size - gasp!  I was relieved to find it was only a dream but I still woke up sans Chanel tights.  Luckily, the Chanel Fall/Winter 2008 Collection just released and is in stores now.  Check out more pictures from the Fall 2008 campaign and my favorite pieces that I would get “if I were a rich girl.”

I love the black cuff!  And the charm bracelet with black and white pearls and shoe, Cs and purse charms is insane!

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The most famous fragrance of all time, worn by iconic women from Mlle. Chanel herself and Marilyn Monroe, is still one of the most worn fragrances. Today, Chanel is launching Chanel N°5 Eau Premier, “[a] decidedly lighter, fresher, softer interpretation of N°5.”  In true Chanel style, to celebrate the launch the website has been updated with new features celebrating Chanel N°5 such as new music and video - you can watch here and purchase the new fragrance here.  I can’t wait to give this a try!

Check out more pictures from the beautiful site after the jump.

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It seems that it wasn’t just Barbora Bobulova who stole the show from Shirley MacLaine in Lifetime’s Coco Chanel made-for-TV movie. After I wrote my review, I have received LOTS of requests to find out more info on the mysterious and handsome actor who played Boy Capel, Chanel’s love of her life. The man in question is Olivier Sitruk, a French actor with piercing brown eyes and Mediterranean complexion. It’s your lucky day ladies, if you want to see more photos of the dashing actor check out his site here. Unfortunately it’s in French but click on “galeries” to view photos. For a listing of his past works check out imdb here. I hope that helps and quenches the thirst you have for Olivier Sitruk! Hopefully the French man will play more U.S. roles.

Last night I tuned in to Lifetime’s Coco Chanel, the story of the rise of one of the greatest fashion designer’s ever. Not only a fashion icon, Gabrielle Chanel is an inspiration to women and is the embodiment of the “modern woman,” a woman fiercely independent with a strong will and desire to achieve her dreams. I had expressed some doubt as to the casting, Ms. MacLaine as the grand dame of fashion was a bit of a stretch for me, but I tuned in nonetheless. If it’s about Chanel, I’m there! The film was about Mademoiselle’s youth and her rise from orphan to successful, independent designer. Barbora Bobulova played the “young chanel” and I think she did an amazing job. She had a believable French accent, resembled the young Gabrielle and gave life to Chanel’s struggles and emotions. I wish they aged Ms. Bobulova with make-up (as they did her cousin Adrienne) rather than cast Shirley MacLaine as Chanel. In a word, she was awful. Somehow, with age, Chanel lost her French accent. MacLaine didn’t even attempt a French accent - if she did it was barely noticeable. She sounded like a “hat check girl” in a Chanel costume and her lines were Chanel quotes strung together as “dialogue.” Thankfully, the film actually starred Barbora Bobulova and not Shirley MacLaine as the film was promoted. The film concentrated on Chanel’s youth with bits of older Chanel (MacClaine) telling her story. Though I detested the parts with MacLaine in it (I swear, it was really that bad), I actually did enjoy the film and it was wonderful to see Chanel’s early rise brought to life. I would definitely recommend viewing this, though you may want to plug your ears for the MacLaine lines, and if you missed it last night, tune in tonight to Lifetime at 7 pm.

P.S. - It seems like a lot of ladies are wondering who played the handsome Boy Capel - we’ve investigated for you and it’s Olivier Sitruk.