Giles FW 2008 RTW

Back in April, M.I.S.S. gave you the dish on the ANDAM Paris Fashion Award and how to apply. Just to recap, ANDAM awards the €160,000 International Grand Prize, the largest prize in the fashion industry, to one up-and-coming designer, which gives that designer the chance to show in Paris during fashion week. On June 24th, ANDAM chose British designer Giles Deacon as the recipient of the International Grand Prize. ANDAM also awarded young  Swiss jewelry designer Ligia Dias their new Young Fashion Designer Award worth €20,000.

Giles’ 2008 and 2009 collections have garnered attention for having a variety of unique design elements such as meticulously handcrafted ruffles, laser cut stars in sheath dresses, and his use of large graphic prints incorporated into feminine silhouettes which are featured in his notable Spring ‘09 Ready-to-Wear “Pac Man” collection.

Giles SS "Pac Man" 2009 RTW

Ligia Dias‘ jewelry is best described as a combination of industrial materials like rope and chain with luxurious pearls, gems and satin ribbon. Dias has worked along-side Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz as an accesories design apprentice and her jewelry can be seen in Lanvin’s collections as late as SS 2004. More recently, Dias’ has collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld in designing ballet flats and was commissioned by Phillip Lim to create necklaces for the Phillip Lim 3.1 SS 2008 collection. Dias’ own line of jewelry can be seen at Yoox.

Ligia Dias

SOURCES:

[photos] Style.com, Yoox.com, NYmag.com

Chanel Métiers D’Art Pre-Fall 2009 Paris-Moscou

A few months back we showed you the indulgent Chanel Métiers D’Art Pre-Fall 2009 Paris-Moscou collection and the coordinating Paris-Moscou nail colours, and now we dug up some more photos of the collection to share with you.  If you know me, you know that I love all things Chanel, but this collection is one of the best I’ve seen.

Karl Lagerfeld is a master and staying true to the roots of the house of Chanel, while also injecting youth, fun an creativity into everything he does.  I love that he really digs deep into the inspiration behind a line, researches all of the nuances, and translates them into elaborate, whimsical clothing and accessories.

Chanel Métiers D’Art Pre-Fall 2009 Paris-Moscou

The Paris-Moscou theme stems from Chanel’s connections to exiled Russian royalty and her relationships with them influenced some of her collections.  I’m not sure if the timing of this collection was intentional, but this year also marks the release of a film detailing the love affair Mlle. Chanel had with another famous Russian, Igor Stravinsky.  Coincidence, or not, the Paris-Moscou collection has a fairytale quality to it - they seem the perfect pieces for a young czarina.

Ballet Costumes Designed by Coco Chanel for "Le Train Bleu" 1924 (Chanel & Her World, Edmonde Charles-Roux, p.214)

In the 1920s, Coco Chanel was a rising star in the cultural scene and her social circle included people like Pablo Picasso (cubist painter), Sergei Diaghilev (founder of the Ballet Russes), Jean Cocteau (writer/playwright) and Igor Stravinsky.  Her social relationships transformed into working projects, and because of her illustrious friends, Chanel designed costumes for several ballets.

Now, Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld designed an exclusive costume for Senior Principal Dancer Elena Glurdjidze of the English National Ballet.  The costume is for “The Dying Swan” and took 3 women over 100 hours to make.  The tutu is made of a variety of feathers and is truly a work of art in and of itself.  The costume will make its stage debut on June 16th in London before making its way to Barcelona.  Watch the video below of Elena Glurdjidze gliding down the stairs and performing at the the Chanel Haute Couture Salon…

"The Dying Swan" Ballet Costume Designed by Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel) for the English National Ballet

"The Dying Swan" Ballet Costume Designed by Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel) for the English National Ballet

Chanel Cruise Collection 2010

Last week, the Chanel Cruise 2009/10 collection set sail in one of the most romantic and unique cities in the world - Venice. Coco Chanel was apparently instantly swept away when she visited Venice and Karl Lagerfeld apparently was too, as this resort collection was a reflection of understated seaside glamour. The show began at sunset on Lido Beach where the models walked on a wooden boardwalk/catwalk that twisted and turned, while editors dug their feet in the sand.

The collection is in the signature Chanel black and white with pops of red and gold. Traditional nautical motifs running the range of French nautical sailor stripes and collars for the ladies and looks borrowed from gondoliers for the men, played a significant part in the collection. Another motif - the lion - a favorite of Coco Chanel’s, made an appearance as the symbol of Venice and also the symbol of Leo, Chanel’s astrological sign. Lace pieces that were ethereal and sophisticated along with chiffon wispy dresses reflected the sensuality of the Chanel woman. A Chanel collection wouldn’t be complete without its share of tweed jackets and little black dresses and there were plenty signature elegant styles to choose from.

One of my favorite aspects of the runway show was the hair - reminiscent of the wavy bob of the flappers of the 1920s these bobs had a bit more volume, depth and angles than the bobs of the 1920s could ever hope for. Together with a smokey eye and the right accessories the look was very modern and chic. I can’t wait to see what nail colours we’ll see come out of this collection. All in all, another beautiful collection that stayed true to the brand’s heritage without replicating the past.

I thought this collection was especially beautiful because Coco Chanel’s first clothing collections were developed and sold in the seaside town of Deauville, where she revolutionized how women dressed at the beach. I felt that Uncle Karl took this into account when designing this collection and you could see that he was inspired by the looks that Chanel made popular at the time - from the hair, to the locale, to the jersey pieces it was all a nod to Mademoiselle. Bravo!

Chanel Cruise Collection 2010

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Lux Eyewear - Sunglasses by Tiffany & David Yurman

When the going gets tough, the tough go…shopping?  People are talking about the recession incessantly but some of the luxury brands aren’t taking notice - even Chanel, whose own Karl Lagerfeld said “luxury is dead.”  Maybe over-the-top luxury is gone but, people are still buying investment pieces.  And, when it comes to sunglasses - apparently people want more than some flattering frames - they want some jewels on them!

Jewelry has been really making a splash as of late - whether it’s gold chains lacing up your shoes (Upper Echelon Shoes), or gold faux nails (Bijules NYC), jewelry is expanding into other categories and spicing up everything from shoes, to hair to nails and now, sunglasses.  My favorites of this new breed of sunglasses are made by Tiffany, Chanel and David Yurman.

My picks from the Tiffany collection are the Tiffany Jazz Shield sunglasses and the Tiffany Bubbles Shield Sunglasses because they relate back to the jewelry that Tiffany is known for.  The Art Deco motif of the Jazz sunglasses was found in the Tiffany archives and the Bubble design is based on the Bubble jewelry collection.  Simple, refined, and very elegant.

I love the Chanel sunglasses because the styles also reference Chanel iconography - in this instance - pearls.  One style is a simple, black over-sized frame with a cultured pearl set in on each arm next to an understated Chanel logo.  The other style, comes with a pearl lanyard going from one arm to the other. These two styles are instant classics - big black frames never go out of style - especially when they’re Chanel!

The last pair that caught my eye are made by another jewelry company, David Yurman.  The Waverly sunglasses are a true representation of the brand with the iconic cable design on the arms of the sunglasses.  One look at these and they are unmistakably David Yurman.

Though these glasses are expensive as far as sunglasses go, they are definitely statement pieces that will stay with you from season to season.  They are also great ways to start buying luxury - not everyone can buy a Chanel 2.55 bag, but you can start your way into the Chanel world with a pair of sunglasses - one accessory at a time.  Just make sure you use those fancy cases the glasses come in and don’t sit on them!

Lux Eyewear - Chanel Sunglasses

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A few weeks ago, CNN aired a feature on Carine Roitfeld, the Editor in Chief of Vogue Paris. If you weren’t able to catch it on television (like me) you can watch the 3-part interview below. CNN followed Carine Roitfeld from Chanel to Givenchy during Paris Fashion week and gave you an inside glimpse to the Vogue Paris office while Ms. Roitfeld selected the next cover of the magazine. In addition, CNN sat down with some of Carine Roitfeld’s closes colleagues, a virtual who’s who of fashion, including: Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Mario Testion, Hedi Slimane, Antoind Arnault and Francois-Henri Pinault. Carine Roitfeld is a fashion icon, and her career is an example of how doing what you love and believe in can only lead to success. It’s also inspiring to see a woman who so elegantly balances family and career. Learn more about this intriguing woman by watching the CNN segments below.  It’s worth watching just to see what she’s wearing - those shoulder pads are incredible!

Not everyone can rock a tutu successfully, in fact the last time you probably saw someone wear one that wasn’t remotely tacky was Carrie Bradshaw in the opening sequence of Sex and the City. Come April 9th at noon, you’ll have the opportunity to don a tutu, but be warned, it won’t be a regular lace and tulle number, in fact it’s not made out of either of these materials. And this tutu won’t even be worn around your waist. Curious?

We thought so. The Kaiser himself, Karl Lagerfeld, has collaborated with Repetto, a brand started by Rose Repetto who created the company’s first ballet slipper over 60 years ago. Lagerfeld put his design skills to work and has created the ‘Cabaret.’ One version of the shoe will be heeled, while another pair are flats. The ‘Cabaret,’ in true Lagerfeld fashion, will be available in black or white (both in patent leather). The shoe is adorned with a patent leather tutu, which can be removed as you see fit (or just depending on your mood that day). On April 9th at noon, the shoes will be available at Paris style staple colette.

The Lagerfeld collaboration with Repetto is by no means the brand’s first high-fashion partnership. In 2000, the brand completed a stint with Issey Miyake, followed soon after by a partnership with Commes de Garcons. If we’re accurate in predicting the success these shoes will have, you can look forward to more Repetto designer collaborations in the near future.

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If you’ve been around these parts then you know that I’m very excited for Coco Avant Chanel, the biopic of Coco Chanel.  I was snooping around the web and found film stills and they are lovely.  I knew from the start that Audrey Tautou was an excellent choice to play Mlle. - she looks so much like her - down to the way she holds her cigarette.

One can tell from the stills that the creators of the film went through great lengths to make sure the costuming was accurate:   Karl Lagerfeld is overseeing the re-creation of the costumes and accessories.  And, who better considering he is one of the few people with access to the Chanel archives?

The film is set for release in France on April 22nd and a U.S. release date is not yet set.  To see the trailer, check out my previous post.

Source
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Openhouse is a venue in SoHo NYC that hosts pop-up shops, events, and fashion shows. The folks at Openhouse will be sharing their love for fashion this Thursday, March 26th by hosting the Save On Style sample sale! You’ll find dresses, tops, tees and more from major designers like Gucci, Ungaro, DSquared and good ol’ Uncle Karl.

SOS SAMPLE SALE @ OpenHouse Gallery in Soho, NYC
Thursday, March 26th - Sunday, April 5th.
The sale runs from 12pm - 8pm each day.