CHANEL now, CHANEL then, CHANEL here & everywhere

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My first post on this blog will be about the greatest fashion French haute couture: CHANEL, my personal favourite (does it show?). Not only because the maison itself it’s a synonym of grace and sophistication, but because the founder (Coco) was and always will be one of the best role models for us all and well, she’s sort of my idol.

As most of you know, July is the month when designers present their creations for the fall-winter season. “But we’re in the middle of summer!” you may say; well, yes, but we have to know what’s in and what’s out in order to be ready for when the fall reaches us. There’s a lot to know: colours, textures, types of shoes, heights of skirts, chemises and their sleeves, etc. Though every designer has its very own style (obviously) they all share certain characteristics that dictate the tendency of the season. Who settles them? That’s a wonderful question, I wonder if they have some sort of ultra elite meeting to agree on the basics…

Karl “The Genius” Lagerfeld presented for CHANEL this year’s fall-winter season on July 1^st in 66 wonderful runway looks that include the classic CHANEL suit, coats, baggy pants, scarves tied in XXL bows, belts to the waist, pointy bicolour shoes, lots of squares, transparencies and GLOW. It invites women to feel like a fallen star when walking down the street, I mean, its almost impossible for someone wearing one of these pieces to be ignored. 

    The following are my Top Three from the runway, based on what I call “The CHANEL Basics”:   Equilibrium, chic formality and contemporaneous classicism.

1) Look 13

 1) Look 13. Why? Because it stylizes the figure (equilibrates) making it look curvier and longer, mainly thanks to the four divisions of the body: one below the ribs (the jacket), other one at the hips (the pockets), one approximately four centimetres over the knees (the edge of the skirt) and the last one, at the end of the jacket’s sleeves, what’s there? Another sleeve, more open and in what seems to be leather, which really lifts up the look, believe it or not. Also, it’s important to realise the balance of the composition: the light and smoothness on the second sleeves, the tights and the tips of the shoes, neutralize the opacity and roughness of the fabric.

2) Look 19

2) Look 19. Oddly enough this look reminds me of Ana Karenina, there’s something about the fuzziness it transmits, I guess, which brings to my mind those little round fluffy hats the Russians use when it’s cold. Besides, don’t you love the colour? It’s so bright! That’s important because most designers keep it gloomy for this time of the year, but why should we limit ourselves? Again, there’s this division of the body: one at the waist (the belt), one at the hips (the jacket), and one around ten centimetres over the knees. The stability between dark and bright colours is still there, but now the tights are what calms down the strength of the pink. The same with the texture: furry VS smooth.

Look 45

3) Look 45. This one I just love because, just look at the collar! Isn’t it just sweet? It carries that naivety all women posses, like, it brings me back to childhood; and the palette, so soft, so delicate, it just reinforces the previous idea. The creative thing at the collar is that it’s really open to the shoulders but not into the cleavage, which keeps the poise. The buttons right in the middle of the upper part of the body bring symmetry, and the belt on the waist makes anyone look fitter, because it’s naturally the smallest part of the upper body. Plus, the thing Lagerfeld does with the bagginess at the chemise and the texture of the skirt, makes the waist look smaller than it really is. Also, the open sleeves kind of make us think the body inside the blouse is smaller than it really is, which gives the illusion of being slimmer. Note: if you’re short (As I am) NEVER wear a long skirt if it’s not up to the waist, unless you want to look like a shapeless dwarf (believe me, experience speaking).

As you can see, CHANEL is one of those styles only strong women can wear, because otherwise, the clothes end up wearing you due to the vigour of the textures and the sharpness of the cuts. “But some girls look so naïve and delicate in CHANEL!” Yes, innocence can be very powerful, ask the Disney princesses!

Finally, I’d like to say it’s kind of magic how CHANEL is so European, like, a women wearing CHANEL out of Paris look like a delicate rose in a beautiful jar, but women wearing CHANEL in Paris, look like a rose in an open field: right where it belongs.

I hope you enjoyed reading the post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Any comments (good or bad, bring them on!) will be appreciated.

Shine all over, crazy diamonds! See ya.

A.C.

P.S. The photos were taken from vogue.fr (http://www.vogue.fr/defiles/automne-hiver-2012-2013-paris-chanel-2/6451/diaporama/defile-1789/9283/pag), go ahead and look to the whole collection! The ninth and the eighteenth look blew my mind. Pamper your eyes!