Chanel No.5 AD... Mocked and Criticized!!

Joe Wright, the director of the Chanel No.5 adverts starring Brad Pitt, has admitted that even he didn't understand the dialogue in the much-mocked ad.

Brad Pitt's Chanel No.5 advert seems to be an endless source of entertainment and bafflement, even now, two months after it was first unveiled.

We've had the spoofs and Brad's veiled admission that he isn't a huge fan of the finished product, now the ad's director, Joe Wright, has admitted that he wasn't entirely sure what Pitt's dialogue actually meant.

One of Pitt's many spoofers, Saturday Night Live cast member Taran Killam, told The New York Times' Vulture section that when he met Wright recently the highly-respected director was "very gracious [about the spoofs], and he said, 'I didn't actually know what they were about either,' because it's just his job to show up, and he's given the copy."

Here's what the dialogue says:

"It's not a journey. Every journey ends, but we go on. The world turns and we turn with it. Plans disappear, dreams take over, but wherever I go, there you are: my luck; my fate; my fortune. Chanel No.5, inevitable."

Meet Karl Lagerfeld's three-year-old Muse

Hudson Kroenig, the godson of Chanel's creative director Karl Lagerfeld, stole the show at fashion house's Métier d'Arts 2013 show last night.

The clothes may have been beautiful and the setting breathtaking, but it was a diminutive little guy that stole the show at last night's Chanel Métiers d'Art show.

Meet Hudson Kroenig, the three-year-old son of 32-year-old male model Brad Kroenig, and godson of Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel's creative director. Dad Brad, who joined him on the catwalk (and who was overheard by WWD telling him to do his best 'Blue Steel' before last night's show) is a long time muse of Lagerfeld's - the designer has even dedicated a whole exhibition and book to photographs of him.

Chanel ordered to pay 960,000 AED in counterfeiting case

Chanel has been ordered to pay the sum to their former knitwear supplier, World Tricot, who accused them of copying one of their designs.

Chanel has been ordered to pay a former knitwear supplier, World Tricot, £161,000 (€200,000) by the Paris Court of Appeal.

The ruling is the latest twist in an ongoing legal battle between the two companies.

In 2009, World Tricot attempted to sue Chanel for £3.6 million: £1.3 million for wrongful termination of the business relationship, and £2.3 million for alleged counterfeiting of a white crochet pattern. Chanel denied all accusations and the commercial court ruled in their favour ordering World Tricot to pay Chanel £161,000 euros for "public disparagement".

However, the court decided on Friday to overturn that ruling and instead ordered Chanel to pay World Tricot.

"This is the first time we have faced this type of situation, although we work with close to 400 suppliers. This very specific case is in no way a reflection of the quality of our relations with our suppliers," Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel fashion told WWD .

Chanel says they will decide "shortly" whether or not to appeal the decision to the French Supreme Court.

Get tomorrow's 'vintage' today at Chanel couture

With elongated silhouettes, skirts cut "a hand above the knee" and slender dresses slashed open or cut low at the back, Karl Lagerfeld dubbed the look "New Vintage" in a nod to the fashionista appetite for collector Chanel.

Models walk the runway during the Chanel Haute-Couture show as part of Paris Fashion Week Fall / Winter 2012/13 at the Grand Palais on July 3, 2012 in Paris, France.

Bohemian belles in feathers and sparkling faux-tweed glided past the white wicker tables of an old world spa as Chanel put its own spin on the vintage craze at the Paris haute couture shows on Tuesday.

Chanel's designer Karl Lagerfeld took over a disused wing of Paris' Grand Palais exhibition hall -- his venue of choice -- with a decor of black-and-white sketched doors and a giant fresco meant to suggest a genteel thermal resort.

British style icon Alexa Chung and top model Laetitia Casta were among the famous faces at the early morning show, with the director Sofia Coppola and the actress Diane Kruger due at a second seating.

Bejewelled crochet snoods on their hair, Chanel's women stepped out in daysuits of glittering faux tweed -- virtuoso creations each some 3,000 hours in the making, crafted from wool, tulle and pearls.

With elongated silhouettes, skirts cut "a hand above the knee" and slender dresses slashed open or cut low at the back, Lagerfeld dubbed the look "New Vintage" in a nod to the fashionista appetite for collector Chanel.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

"My own suits from 30 years ago, you can buy them like vintage now," the German designer told reporters after the show, white hair in his trademark ponytail, black suit and shades, and clutching his iPhone in one hand.

"'New Vintage' is a proposition for something that could last -- at least I hope so," he said. "This is the same attitude, the same spirit, the same name, same concept -- but something for our time."

"Vintage -- but it's not vintage yet. You can have it before it's vintage!" quipped the spirited designer. "Plus, 'New Vintage' has a nice ring to it!"

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

So tomorrow's collector, Tuesday's show suggested, would pair his Chanel suits and gowns with glittery silver tights, metal-tipped heels, leather-like sheaths covering the wrist and cupping the hand by way of gloves.

For the day, Lagerfeld played with shades of grey lifted by touches of pink "but never 'shocking', I leave that to other houses".

Come cocktail time, his palette turned darker, introducing glossy blacks and flashes of mat silver, like on a metallic-looking gown with fuchsia pink highlights at the neck, waist and hem.

Wispy ostrich feathers adorned a sheer white blouse, tucked into wide-leg white pants, the feather embroidery repeated on a full length cape over a black-and-white dress.

The skill of Chanel's craft ateliers was on ample display in feather-light pastel evening gowns, embroidered with fluttering feathers, cupped flowers or in one case dozens of little rabbit-tail pom-poms.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

And for the finale, the bride -- as per the couture custom -- stepped out in a fully feathered gown, a pale pink bow at the back of its sweeping skirts, and a ruff of feathers softly framing her face.

So how long before the new collection can be stamped as vintage, with the prestige and premium that applies? Ten years?

"In fashion the future is six months," Lagerfeld mused.

He also let slip a few comments on the debut collection of Dior's new designer Raf Simons on Monday, which itself mined a retro seam inspired by the "architecture" of Christian Dior's iconic 1950s silhouettes.

While the look "could have done with incubating a little longer," Lagerfeld said Simons was, in his view, the best candidate for the top design job, where he succeeded the disgraced John Galliano.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

"There is simply no one else out there," he said. "So it's a good thing."

Catering to no more than 200 of the world's richest women, haute couture is a protected appellation in France, awarded based on strict criteria such as the amount of work carried out by hand and in-house.

Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld show off 'Little Black Jacket'

If you pride yourself on being a fashionable sort, get ready to don your favorite, well, little black jacket as you check out the touring Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld photo exhibition "The Little Black Jacket." 

Click on the image to view "THE JACKET VIDEO - Making of..."

Unsurprisingly, the photographs on display are of models wearing little black jackets, shot beautifully in black and white. Each model gives an original take on the look, bringing so much personality that as Cécile Cassel puts it, "we almost forget the jacket when we see all the people, so it reveals who you are." 

The events have received a lot of hype as celebrities both in and out of the fashion world have attended the exhibitions and have discussed the project on film. 

All of these videos, featuring some very intense violins, are currently on the Chanel website. The installment has already run for a week in Tokyo, New York and Tapei, and is currently finishing its run in Hong Kong.

Chanel coat that took 3,000 hours to Make

Ever wondered why couture fashion is so expensive? Let Karl Lagerfeld explain...

Paris Haute Couture week is a world of pure fantasy, where the super-rich congregate to have their wildest fantasies indulged by the world's leading fashion designers. 

As the event draws to a close for another season then, leave it to Chanel creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, to explain why couture customers routinely spend upwards of 170,500 AED for an outfit.

"Couture has to be something nobody can do. You know the tweed is not tweed - it's embroidery, all done by hand. There's a coat with no sleeves that took 3,000 hours to make."

That's right, 3,000 man-hours by the world's most skilled couturiers - known in Paris as Petites Mains - embroiderers, button makers and weavers.

If we imagine for a moment that these craftspeople are working a regular eight hour day, that's a total of 375 days - to make one coat.

Here it is in all its glory and we have to admit, if we had the money, we so would...

UK officially the most Designer Handbag CRAZY country

Britons are the most voracious online seekers of luxury bags as new research reveals the most searched handbag labels in the world.

Research carried out by the World Luxury Index™ showed that Britons accounted for 422 searches per 1000 internet users of most searched-for handbag brands, with home-grown label Mulberry as the most popular brand of choice.

The company examined over 130 brands, through 130 million searches across eight countries with American luggage label Coach coming out top. Mulberry came in eighth in a top 10 which features luxury heavyweights, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermès.

The iconic Hermès Birkin is the most searched for model across all markets, with crocodile most sought after in the US, UK and France. Research also showed that Americans prefer their Birkin in orange, while Britons favour tan and the French, black.

The US also has the largest share of searches for Chanel's classic 2.55 style which is toted by Kate Moss, Diane Kruger and Linda Evangelista.

The study also noted that in Japan, consumers have somewhat fallen out of love with Louis Vuitton goods. The brand is ranked ninth in Japan - making it the only country where it does not rank in the top five.

The top 10 most searched luxury handbags globally:

1. Coach 

2. Louis Vuitton 

3. Chanel 

4. Gucci 

5. Longchamp 

6. Prada 

7. Hermès 

8. Mulberry 

9. Marc Jacobs 

10. Michael Kors

Chanel names bag after Karl Lagerfeld's cat, Choupette

Remember when our FG10 post on Karl Lagerfeld's cat Choupette?? Well.... 'New York Times' journalist Cathy Horyn tweeted that she had just seen the "Choupette bag" in Chanel's Paris studio yesterday.

Choupette in a photograph from Karl Lagerfeld's Twitter page Photo: Karl Lagerfeld/Twitter

There's nothing new about creating a handbag inspired by your muse - Mulberry do it every season, Hermès created one in honour of Grace Kelly and another for Jane Birkin - and now Chanel are following suit, except their muse is more feline than female style icon.

That's right, it seems Choupette - the fluffy white kitten belonging to Chanel's creative director Karl Lagerfeld - has bagged herself a namesake in the form of a sure-to-be must-have bag.

New York Times journalist Cathy Horyn paid a visit to Chanel's Paris HQ yesterday and tweeted that she had just seen the "Choupette bag" and it was "knitted" and "soft".

YSL to change its Name, dropping the 'Yves'

Yves Saint Laurent's new creative director Hedi Slimane will rebrand the iconic fashion house as Saint Laurent Paris.

Yves Saint Laurent will drop the 'Yves' from their name, the brand has confirmed.

Newly-appointed creative director Hedi Slimane is keen to "thrust Saint Laurent into a new era modern", reports WWD , and thinks removing the founder of the brand's first name from the famous moniker is the way forward.

The house will be rebranded Saint Laurent Paris, although the iconic YSL logo will remain the same. The move is not be an entirely new one, the majority of the major fashion houses go by a singular surname - Versace, Gucci, Chanel, Prada.

When appointed, Slimane - the former creative director of Dior Homme - was given "total creative responsibility for the brand image and all its collections" and is said to be focusing on "recapturing the impulses that inspired the founder to launch the Saint Laurent Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line in 1966 - among them youth, freedom and modernity."

Slimane, who is also working on a new store concept for the brand, will show his debut womenswear collection during Paris Fashion Week this September, and the new branding is reportedly set to be unveiled shortly beforehand.

As yet, Yves Saint Laurent have not released an official statement regarding the change, while Pierre Berge, Saint Lauren't lover and business partner of 50 years, is yet to comment.

Despite the change we think it's unlikely that fashion's most famous acronym will ever disappear.

Chanel shoes that might just ‘DESTROY’ your Feet

Beautiful? Check. Blood-inducing? Check. As desirable as they look, Chanel's newest shoes caused even the most experienced of models' feet to bleed. Yep!

The offending choes from the Chanel Cruise 2013 show, which go on sale in November

The decadent Cruise 2012 show which Chanel staged in the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles last month looked like the ultimate fashion fairytale. With elegant gazebos for guests and fountains splashing water as the models strutted past on the crunchy gravel in near-like couture creations, what was not to love? The shoes apparently!!

Model Meghan Collison, pictured below, has revealed that the plastic-and-leather heels she modelled "destroyed" the back of her feet. "I was bleeding afterward" she told WWD.

Brave face: Meghan Collison in the Chanel show at Versailles in France. Photo: Getty

The Canadian clotheshorse is no newbie to the catwalk scene. She might only be 22, but is described as a 'seasoned vet' and has walked for the likes of Miu Miu, Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin since starting out five years ago.

She continued: "Hard plastic with no socks on? Not fun! Especially because we had rehearsal three times. I walked around for the next week with the backs of my moccasins folded down to let them heal!"

Still tempted? The styles will be available from Chanel stores in November.

Style Tips from the week's Best Dressed

FG10 gazes through the week's Best Dressed selections to give you the juice of some fresh styling tips!!

Channel your boyish side

Clemence Poesy ticks the box between androgynous dressing and unflattering boyish attire just perfectly. Trench coat, bowler and brogues in tow, bring your locks over your shoulders to accentuate the feminine side of your look.

Get sporty

When Diane Kruger visited the French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros, she took the opportunity to embrace the athletic spirit set to rampage the high street with the coming of the Olympics. Look out for luxe sportswear with feminine lines and add converse for an old-school, classic touch.

Time for trousers

Forget the image of trouser suits as a cover-up manoeuvre for office ladies not so fond of their legs. Designers have been pursuing somewhat of a love affair with the masculine tailoring option and fashionistas, like Hanneli Mustaparta , are (pardon the pun) following suit. The neon pink colouring, statement lapels and side panels on the ensemble are merely plus points.

Convert eveningwear to daywear

Looking sartorially insouciant, Kate Bosworth proves that dapper dresses don't have to be banished to nighttime soirées. Team your frock with ankle boots, shades and an apathetic attitude, for ultimate style points.

Go heavy on the footwear

High-top wedge trainers and flatform boots are akin to catnip among the fashion pack this season. Forget dainty summer sandals, the British downpour requires a sturdy lace - or Velcro - up. Karolina Kurkova looks smug in the sunshine in her black booties, proving that the season can have a dark side too.

Bare some skin

Crop tops are no longer exclusive to cheer leaders, belly dancers or teens sporting newly pierced midriffs. Seen on the likes of models at the Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Pucci and Preen spring/summer shows, models oozed class while flaunting a little extra torso. Team with a high-waist, A-line skirt, like Karen Elson, for true elegant exposure.

Learn to travel lightly

The burden of the bulky 'It' bag is temporarily over, with the arrival of a new, compact carry case on the block. Essentially a wallet-sized holdall on a strap, the mini bag is set to take the shoulders of the fashion pack by storm. Solange Knowles leads the way with her monochrome cutie.

Embrace festival chic

The boho look has a lot of potential for fashion faux pas. Even Sienna Miller may have worn one gladiator belt too many. Done well though bohemian chic can look whimsical and fashion-forward at the same time. Try a flowing skirt, pumps and a smattering of gold jewellery, like style maven Olivia Palermo , for the upcoming festival season.

Reveal your crowning glory

Floral crowns and headbands have been having a bit of a moment, ever since Bora Asku and Dolce & Gabbana decked out their spring/summer catwalk models with headwear of the finest flora and fauna. Look to Poppy Delevingne for natural, leafy inspiration in the garland department.

Perfect pleats

Sarah Jessica Parker spruces up a khaki tank top with some dark, sharp knife pleats. Sashay along in a skirt that has a bit more sway than its pencil and mini companions. And add a pop of colour, like SJP, for good measure.

Karl Lagerfeld's Cat "Choupette" is now on Twitter!!!

A Twitter account for Karl Lagerfeld's cat, Choupette, has been set up following the deisgner's admittance that his beloved pet has two maids and eats at the table.

Following on from Karl Lagerfeld's revelations that his Siamese cat Choupette is possibly the world's most pampered pet, the fluffy feline seems to be building up a following that could soon rival that of her enigmatic father.

Yesterday a Twitter account was set up using the handle @ChoupettesDiary , and in less than 24 hours it has garnered almost 2,000 followers.

With such gems as "In my 9 months I have pawed at more Chanel than most women will see in a lifetime. I bask in your envy" and "Today's Goals: Bat my kitten lashes for catnip, knead the tweed, contemplate how to dye my white locks pastel.", Choupette's tweets are the talk of Twitter

The as-yet-unknown tweeter behind @ChoupettesDiary also undertook an interview with fashionista.com in which she described her now infamous two maids as "just like every other human: useless and easy to manipulate" and said she slept "in piles of last season's Chanel, which are no longer of use to Daddy."

It is not known whether the Twitter account was set up by someone associated directly with Karl or Chanel (we're guessing not) or an opportunistic Choupette fan, but either way, Karl's wish to publish a book documenting Choupette's daily routine is looking more and more likely with each new Twitter follower.

Other celebrity pets to have featured regularly on Twitter include David and Victoria Beckham's French Bulldog Scarlet and British Bulldog Coco (remember those painted claws that caused a furore?) and rapper 50cent's dog, Oprah, who has a page of her own. - Telegraph

Karl Lagerfeld sketches the Queen

Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld got busy with his pastels this afternoon to sketch Her Majesty's flotilla outfit - with a few 'modifications'.

That Karl Lagerfeld, he's a busy man and no mistake. Between preparations for his upcoming haute couture show Chanel's creative director found time in his diary to resume commentary duties for French TV channel France 2 's coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - a role that he first undertook for last year's royal wedding with characteristically cutting results.

But why have two jobs when you can have four? Voraciously tweeting his thoughts about the royal fashion to his social media fans all the while (sample: "For her role, for who she is, it is hard to imagine a different outfit that the Queen could have sported better"), his third hand - the one that wasn't holding the microphone or his mobile - got busy sketching Her Majesty in said outfit.

Lagerfeld, a confirmed royalist who admitted asking his parents to buy him his first television to watch Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, then proudly posted the result, complete with Union Flag background on Twitter.

It's a lovely pastel sketch in Lagerfeld's distinctive style, but we can't help but think he's played a little fast and loose with the Queen's senior designer Angela Kelly's designs adding a few fashionable 'flourishes' of his own.

Nor is it trimmed with all manner of gothic rufflery and frilly underskirts. And where are Her Majesty's trusty black handbag and crisp white gloves? Off with his head!

Read full article at the Telegraph

A Couture Feast- Harpers Bazaar US

Karl Lagerfeld takes over the camera for Harpers Bazaar US October issue. Couture heaven for model Candie Swanepoel who posed for Lagerfeld. A black & white fairytale of couture gowns from Givenchy, Valentino, Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel and more.

images sourced from frontrowview

Paris Spring/Summer 2012 Fashion Week- Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld goes under the sea for Chanel spring/summer 2012. Inspired by what lies under the ocean Lagerfeld created dresses that had shells, and everything else from corals to seaweed all we needed was Ariel from Little Mermaid to appear. There's no escaping signature tweed jackets for Chanel's collections, quite like how it literally goes with everything. Lagerfeld has outdone himself again, only he could create a set that resembles 'under the sea'...

images sourced from fashion.telegraph