Silence & Noise/Coco Chanel WILL Cut a Bitch

Leave it to Karl Lagerfeld to be so random as to resurrect the silent film genre. But of course, talking is apparently so last season. In the clip, Lithuanian (holllaaa) model Edita Vilkeviciute plays a young Coco Chanel, perhaps in response to Shirley MacLaine's laughable portrayal on Lifetime earlier this year. This version has plenty of silly moments of its own (including a Poiret diss! Now that's old school) but it works much better when associated with the typical jaunty feel of silent films. Throughout the course of the film:Coco chain smokes, verbally abuses a delivery man, and participates in a little bit of PDA. And I think we can all agree that it is bad ass. Here's to Coco Chanel, O.G. (original gangsta) Those interested in seeing it for themselves can direct themselves here. (Just a tip: it doesn't seem to work in firefox and you'll have to click the little volume level graphic at the bottom right corner to get the music.)
picture from racked.com

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More Sage Wisdom From Fake Karl

Describe the "impossible smell" of the reporter at your show.
Coke. As in, genuine coke. With sugar. Eww.

Pretend like you're firing me from this blog. What would you say?
You are demode. You filthy demode person. You filthy, rotting demode person. You are DEMODE!

You recently discovered that you have a daughter. Do you have any
plans to discover any more children in the future?
You know, there's this Irish girl who offered...maybe she'll become number 2. We'll see.

Your Cafe Press store is amazing! Who does the drawings?
I do them in my sleep, actually. I don't sleep...which contradicts that, hmm? It's a pity that we have found CafePress demode, and therefore, may shut it down.

If you had a magazine what would it be called? Feel free to give details.
It would not have a name. Cats do not need names; and this magazine would be a pretty chic cat. It would not be made out of "paper" per se, but quilted Chanel tweed (yes, we can do that).

What did you dress up as for halloween?
I dressed up as.....Karl Lagerfeld. People say "you look JUST like Karl Lagerfeld!", and I go "of course, hmmmm?"

What does Martin Margiela look like? I know you know.
A total queen.

I hear you've got a thing for rap music. Who is your favorite rapper and why?
Can I have two? Of course I can; I'm Karl Lagerfeld. Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip. Hilarious; witty; chic.

Give us your trend report. What was the main trend at the spring shows?
Trends? Ugly clothes. Transparency. Transparency to see people's ugliness.

What is your favorite kind of girl scout cookies?
Cookies contain calories. They are PLASTIC.

If you were thinking a color right now what would it be?
Mm....Telephones....to lick.

What do you do to get inspired for your collections?
I don't! Inspiration is a word which only the mediocre designers use. I prefer not to talk about the collections at all; I say: shuttup and work. (More then a few of them need this advice, hmmm?) Read more!

Today in Fashion Week:October 3rd

The shows officially end in two days, and while it feels like forever ago that New York was kicking off, it's starting to make me sad. Luckily, there are still a bunch of shows to get through, so without further ado...

Chanel
At a time when recession is on everyone's lips, Chanel can rest easy. Buzzwords like "staples" "classics" and "timeless" might as well rhyme with Chanel. Nobody knows this better than Karl Lagerfeld, who has taken to simply updating the classics every season. This means that those of us looking for something new and different will have to find it elsewhere (the Chanel runway sets get more and more impressive, for a start) However, Chanel truly is ubiquitous in its appeal, so even the most die hard modernism fan can find their kicks somewhere. For me? The headpieces and the bags were certainly highlights!

To see the rest, including Alexander McQueen & Valentino, click

Requiem

Requim had that ironic elegance feel to it. Like, a young girl who embraces elegance in a way that is still hopelessly hip. Blair Waldorf comes to mind.

Valentino

Certainly the hottest gossip of the season is that of the fate of Alessandra Facchinetti. Now, WWD is reporting that it's just about official. (However, Giambattista Valli will not be replacing her.) Last season was, in my opinion, a success from her. This season was much less of a spectacle. The clothes were pretty but didn't have staying power. They were lackluster, and something with a little more of a kick to it would be more appropriate for the brand.

Rue du Mail

Rue du Mail was dark and downtown. Nothing new from them, but I liked the corset looks!

Alexander McQueen

After last season, Alexander McQueen set the bar pretty high, and I'm sorry to say; I think he failed to reach it. I respect him for not being uninspired, but I found myself flipping through waiting for the moment I "got it." Sometimes I sort of did, but the successes were too far and few between.

Alright! Tomorrow brings Chloe and more!
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Chanel On Screen

Surprisingly enough, that biopic on the life of fashion hero Coco Chanel doesn't exist, well at least it doesn't yet. Already there are two on the horizon, with a rumored third one on the way. Unfortunately for English speakers, Coco avant Chanel, starring Audrey Tatou in the lead role will be completely in French, so we'll have to focus our attention on the two others. The first one is a mini-series starring Shirley Maclaine premiering on Lifetime September 13th, which unfortunately appears to pretty much suck. Oops. Looks like we'll have to set our sights on a rumored but likely fabricated English version with Demi Moore. Or we can just wait for the English subtitles on the French version.
picture from ultrapdx.com

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Chanel Mobile Art

Imagine this: you walk into a building that looks eerily like a UFO. You look around and all of a sudden you see an enormous version of Chanel's iconic 2.55 handbag. Just as you reach out to grab it, someone yells "no touching!" No, this is not a dream sequence, even though it very well could be, it's Chanel's Mobile Art exhibit. And if you live in Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, New York, Moscow, or Paris; Rejoice! It'll be coming to you within the next two years. It all started when that eerie structure I mentioned before randomly popped up in Hong Kong. It turned out it was built by architect Zaha Hadid, and inside of it were works of art inspired by the 2.55. Sadly, I probably won't make it to the exhibit (you're that much closer to finding out where I live), but I did manage to find some pictures, and you can see them too, by clicking












all pictures from iht.com

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A Sort-Of Interview With Karl Lagerfeld

If you aren't familar with Karl Lagerfeld's Guide to Life, make yourself familiar. It's a masterpiece of a blog written by someone channeling Karl Lagerfeld that is generally a horribly offensive view of the normal world. There are very few people that Karl does not find utterly demode, but in my interview with him he revealed these people along with much, much more.

Joey:Hello Karl! It's great to talk to you. How are the Spring collections going?

Karl:Hello. They're going great. I'm ready for next season!

J:On a stranded island which is more important to bring?Chanel weights or the Chanel safety pin?

K:Oh, the safety pin to keep safe.

J:You talk a lot about people who are demode. Who is not demode to you?

K:Anna, Me, Yves, you know....the beautiful ones.

J:Now that you don't want to speak to Lindsay anymore, Who is your next starlet of choice?

K:Mm. They're all so demode now. So boring, so controlled.

J:You said in an interview that you hate all children, did you hate yourself when you were a child?

K:I was never a child. Ever. I came out of my mothers womb in a suit and sunglasses.

J:I know you like Diet Coke, have you ever tried Coke Zero?

K:Are you a spy from someplace to place insidious thoughts in my mind about trying that so-called drink??

...There's your answer. Karl knows best. Remember this.

J:If Claudia Schiffer didn't exist, who would be in your ad campaigns?

K:But, Claudia must exist. It's impossible for her not to, hmmmm?

There is always a Claudia around. So I guess the campaigns would have no one in them.

J:What is your favorite documentary about yourself?

K:I hate them all, equally. Documentaries aren't for watching anyway, hmm?

J:Which line of yours do you prefer? Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, or Fendi?

K:Which me are we talking about, hmmm? Fashion today is for mixing. There is no labels- labels are for fat people, for whores, for rich peasants, you know? No lines. Today we mix a Mozart with a Beethoven, and so on. I don't have a favourite- they are for mixing. Mixing mixing mixing.

J:I hear you're in Mary Kate and Ashley's new coffee table book. How did that interview go?

K:It went well, I feel. Mary Kate is like a little china banana, you know?

J:Will you ever give up any of your lines to another designer?

K:What?

Thank you Karl!

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What Is Couture?

The word couture is one that's been overused to a point that it's become associated with a clothing company that makes most of its profit selling terry cloth sweatsuits. Thankfully that's a trend that seems to be dying out but unfortunately it seems that its association with the word couture is here to stay, at least for now. But the point of this post is to educate and hopefully do its part to rid of all the misconceptions about couture.The word couture itself translates to sewing or dressmaking in French. Thus the phrase "haute couture" translates to "high sewing," or "high dressmaking." According to wikipedia, to be defined as a couture house, you must meet certain specifications

• Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings.

• Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time.

• Each season (i.e., twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.

These shows happen between the Fall and Spring ready-to-wear shows, and just so happen to be going on right now. Potential clients sit in the audience and pick their favorite designs, then come in for a fitting with the design team. It is during this time that alterations and modifications are made to the design, and eventually the client receives their perfect garment, along with a hefty bill.
Alright, now that you understand couture a little bit more, it's time for the fun part! I've picked some of my favorites from the Haute Couture shows so far.


Chanel

To see the rest,
Christian Dior

Christian Lacroix

Givenchy


To see all the looks so far, go to http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/F2008CTR/runwayshows/index.html

All pictures from Style.com
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