Métiers de Mumbai?

The House of Chanel releases a Métiers d’Art collection annually to highlight the fine work of the seven Paris couture ateliers which Chanel owns. And each year, Uncle Karl gives us a dream – whether it’s the perfect marriage of Paris and London, a journey through time to the Byzantine age, or an ode To Russia, With Love.

For me, these Métiers d’Art collections from Chanel often resonate the most. These are the ones that remain in my visual memory.

Well now, my darling Uncle has decided to take a trip to my Motherland. The Paris-Bombay collection, to be shown on December 6th at the Grand Palais in Paris, will be an ode to Mumbai.

Given Chanel’s rich history in couture craft and India’s equally embellished passion for ornamenting the ordinary, I cannot wait to see the collection.

After all, Karl is the West’s answer to the mac daddy Maharaja, is he not?

The modern maharaja of mode?

The mac daddy Maharaja, Sir Bhupinder Singh of Patiala.

Images: Karl from Getty Images; Bhupinder Singh image courtesy of AGO.

Tweeding

There’s tweeting.

There’s reading.

Then, there is tweeding.

What is tweeding, you ask?

Well, darlings, it’s a tantalizing tome – Chanel, in this case – wrapped in a beautiful tweed. Luxe librarians, Assouline are offering up the opposite of quiet reading, in a trifecta of books on the brand that chainged everything with their perfumes, jewels and clothing – wrapped in the prettiest of packages.

Tweed softly and carry a big book.

It gives a whole new definition to the phrase, book jacket, no?

Only thirty are available at the luxe cost of $2500.

There’s also the “standard” version in classic Chanel quilted, black leather, at a fraction of the cost.

Quilt and quire.

Images: Assouline.

Duality

Life isn’t just black or white.

It’s both.

Chanel embraces duality for Resort 2012.

Embrace the contrasts on either side and wear them well.

Image: Elle.com.

Déjà Vu Danglers, Again

I’ve always loved a dramatic, shoulder-duster earring. (Also, can I just say Stellaaaahhhh.)

Chanel's double-dip danglers for SS11.

Like I said, I’ve always loved a dramatic, shoulder-duster earring. Seen again, in the LV SS11 ad campaign.

And darlings, this isn’t my first dangler déjà vu.

Images: Vogue.com and TFS.

Brolly Dolly

With all this rain lately, a girl needs a stylish way to take cover.

Thankfully, Uncle Karl has already come up with a solution.

Hats off to the man who thinks of everything.

Floral frolic under the brolly at Chanel SS11.

Images: Vogue.com.

Full Length Fairy Tale by Uncle Karl

If you were intrigued by the trailer, you will love the full-length version of Karl Lagerfeld’s The Tale of a Fairy, the short film that premiered with the showing of the Chanel 2012 Resort/Cruise collection in Cap d’Antibes, France a few days ago.

If the foie gras is finis, then get the langoustines and Perrier-Jouet.

Part One:

Part Two:

Collection photos soonish. Promise.

Cruising Karl Does it Again

It’s that time of year again – believe it or not. It seems just like last month that I was writing about Karl’s take-over, make-over of St. Tropez.

Well, today, Cap d’Antibes, France was a-flurry with Chanel Resort 2012 antics – the kind of antics that only Uncle Karl can elicit from his entourage of pretty, young things.

Ze collection, of couss, was shown along wiz a 30-minute Lagerfeld directed feelm – de rigueur at these affairs, by now.

Grab a snack, here’s a preview of the fashion flick. (And by snack, I mean foie gras and toast points.)

Pics of pieces and picks of party people tomorrow, my dears.

Need to sort through the mélange.

Academic Achievements 1: Pixie Dust

Uncle Karl may not have been on the Red Carpet himself, like his pal Valentino, but he sent an ambassador.

Michelle Williams looked gorgeous in a Chanel sparkling column.

The architecture of dressing: a classic column.

Simple sparkler - only it *is* haute couture.

There were far too many nude dresses with sparkles for my interest, but Williams opted for white and thus subtly, stood out.

It was simple but with the right amount of glitz for the occasion, for her personality and for her age.

Plus, that little pixie do is the perfect accessory.

Pixie Dust

Images: JustJared.com, as noted – and NDTV.com.

SAG Awards: Mispronounced

There’s a simple fashion motto I have always lived by: if you can’t pronounce the designer’s name, you shouldn’t be wearing their designs.

Add to that: if you are an actor whose profession it is to – you know – memorize lines, you should really have said skill mastered on a red carpet.

Here is a look from Chanel’s “HOTE” Couture line.

Dianna Agron in Chanel - not so haute, in my humble opinion.

And another one from “Terry Mooglurr”.

Kyra Sedgwick in "Terry" cloth.

Ms. Sedgwick, this is not just vintage. This is not just Thierry Mugler. This is not something you have to “try and remember to get right”.

This is an iconic dress that you should be able to recognize instantly by the neckline alone…from a distance…with a set of binoculars.

A little respect, SVP.

Images courtesy of JustJared.com and the LA Times blog, respectively.

Couture with a K

And no, I  don’t mean the anti-couture label by you know who.

I mean K as in Karl and K as in Kristen.

He designed it. She wore it.

So nice to see the Ks connected via couture.

Kristen McMenamy - au neutrale in Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2011.

Image courtesy of WWD.

Kaleidoscope du Coco

Vanessa Paradis graces Interview Mag’s November 2010 pages.

Photographed by Mikael Jansson wearing Uncle Karl’s Resort collection for Chanel, the current face of Rouge Coco and Coco Cocoon handbags is a vision in kaleidoscopic colour.

Va Va Va Voom, Vanessa.

Vixen Vanessa in Interview Magazine, November 2010

Read the full Interview piece. Did I mention it’s written by Patti Smith?

Images courtesy of the mag.

METaphors and Similes

Red carpet fashion at the Met’s Costume Institute Gala last night included everything from the sleek to the oblique, the shine to the divine, the delightful to the frightful.

In addition to Diane Kruger’s reign of the red carpet, there was a woman who can be compared to no other. She rules her own kingdom.

Queen Anna, in Chanel Haute Couture

The silver was a perfect choice and the ruched gown and glitzy Chanel jacket just reminded us that we are not worthy. You just bow down to her choices. They are impeccable. Her daughter, Bee also looked lovely and age-appropriate in printed Balenciaga.

Mother and daughter mode - Anna with Bee Shaffer in Balenciaga Edition

Don’t you love it when people wear something suited to their personalities and their body type? These two were a dream.

Like the top of a delicious wedding cake - Diane K + Josh J

Francisco Costa and his lovely ladies of the night

Francisco Costa must have had a great night. He dressed two of the best dressed women at the soirée.

Zoe Saldana's sleek one-shoulder Calvin Klein Collection sparkler

I am liking the return to simplicity and curated accessories. Amber’s blonde locks and fair skin were well-matched with this chalk blue Mouret. The necklace complements the neckline so well and I like her choice of shoe – a strappy sandal would have been predictable and boring.

Amber Valletta in RM by Roland Mouret

And there’s this woman – who could arrive in burlap and we would all still be envious. That dress would have been so much less without that hair…and you know I am a sucker for burgundy lipstick!

Iman in Prada, looking divine.

The column was the way to go – Jessica Stam opted for an indigo Rachel Roy, accented by golden tresses and jewels.

Jessica Stam in Rachel Roy

Ms. Roy was a popular choix and she of course, wore her own design – preferring a dash of frou.

Rachel Roy and Fabiola Bercasa

Also loved this black, white and red ensemble on Dree Hemingway. Is anyone keeping a scorecard? Another tick for Mr. Costa.

Dree Hemingway in graphic Calvin Klein

It seems the classic labels are back with a vengeance. Look at Donna in this lust-worthy gown. I’m going to need this.

No one does drape like Donna - Ms. Karan in her own design (with Russell Simmons)

Grace, personified.

Karan is one of the best examples of women who dress age-appropriately. She works her curves and stays true to her organic style.

Tina Fey – one of our modern-day heroes is still trying to find her way when it comes to style. She tried to rock the jumpsuit trend last night, but her stylist should look for other work. It didn’t fit her well and she looked uncomfortable and awkward. It’s all wrong – the suit, the bag, the shoes. There are so many things I could have put her in that would have accentuated her brilliant personality and poise.

No way, Tina Fey. No way.

It’s all about being comfortable in your own skin – whatever the age. Look at Brooke Shields – solid style in Michael Kors.

Liquid assets on Brooke Shields, in and with Michael Kors.

I also liked the slightly different story told by the Chanel Haute Couture gown that Elisa Sednaoui wore. It also helps to have Uncle Karl as your date for the night – gives you a je ne sais quoi factor. Love that dress.

Elisa Sednaoui in Chanel Haute Couture with Uncle Karl

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Why are the young Hollywood starlets dressing like old ladies?

Couture doesn't always work - Kristen Stewart also in Chanel HC

Why is Kristen Stewart letting couture wear her instead of looking like Emma Roberts?

Emma Roberts dons Marni

Why does Anne Hathaway insist on nude-coloured sparkly princess dresses?

Fairy princess Hathaway in Valentino

She would look so fantastic in a short, jewel-toned dress like the one Blake Lively rocked.

Blake Lively in Marchesa

Work what your mamma gave you, girls. You can’t dress like a 25-year old at 45 so why do it the other way around? Live a little!

Gisele Bundchen in Alexander Wang

Be yourselves. Look at Miuccia’s look. It’s elegance, elevated.

Ms. Miuccia

Look for my final thoughts on the Met’s red carpet soonish.

Photos courtesy of WWD, Style.com and JustJared.com. Fabiola and RR image courtesy of Rachel Roy.

Excessories, Too

So, where were we? Oh yes, we were talking about the poetry and the balance of life.

While fashion’s minimalism in recent years has dominated, the past few seasons have also showcased a curious case of excess.

When it comes to accessories, ‘the bolder the better’ has been the bon mot of the bejewelled and bespectacled set.

Christian Siriano studded specs for FW10

Rocking out with Karl Lagerfeld SS10 specs

Was everyone inspired by Devo? Guitar arm shades and funny hats?

Take me to your leader. Givenchy's cone topper

Imagine if a blogger wore one of these to a fashion show and sat in front of you. You’d be a bobble-head, trying to get a good view.

Or you could be a bauble-head instead…

Chanel's deco cuff from FW09. Fancy that!

Totally tribal arm adornment at Sabyasachi FW09

Keeping beauty at arm's length at Dior Couture SS10

If the dangling jewels weren’t enough for you at Dior, there were the beyond-elbow-length gloves in cerise, contrasted with a sheen of olive green. Delicious.

But if daring is more your style vibe, there was plenty of that, too, courtesy of gothentic Gareth and Manish Arora.

Drool-worthy and dramatic at Gareth Pugh FW10

Is it a glove or a bracelet at Manish Arora FW09?

It’s all a chain reaction, you see. The economy tanks. We minimize. We get bored. Fashion rocks and shocks us into the land of the living, once more. It shows us that our lives can shine on, again.

Retro excess, circa 1947. Photo by Nina Leen.

Fashion has always told us to toss our troubles aside…

Valaya Base feather boa FW09

…to let the fun flourish!

Nicholas Kirkwood's plumed prancers for SS10

There is incredible beauty in appreciating each step in life.

A beautiful mess of mesh at Valentino SS10

Alexis Mabille climbers

Be viny - not whiny. Alexis Mabille FW09

So, don’t let your troubles creep up – take a stand and stomp out the drama.

Another Mag 9 showcases YSL's solid stompers

Happiness is a precarious balance.

An extreme wedge for extreme situations at Givenchy

You’ve got to toughen up and believe in your power.

Givenchy sandals FW09

Wear armour, if necessary – to battle the brash.

I'll gladly wear these babies from Christian Siriano FW10

Shin-tastic at Manish Malhotra FW09

Luxury and necessity - wrapped up at JPG Couture SS10

What’s that old saying? Dress for the life you want.

Dress for excess, darlings.

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Image sources: Siriano shades, Sabyasachi, Gareth Pugh and YSL images courtesy of Another Magazine, Nina Leen image, Valaya and Manish Malhotra images courtesy of Vogue India,  Kirkwood and Valentino images courtesy of Obsessed with Shoes, Mabille, Siriano sandals. All others from Style.com.

I Sea, Aussi

I see sea-Chanels by the seashore.

Helloooo Sailor! Chanel's Resort 2010 Collection

They are calling me to a bygone era…

Sweet sea breeze and spectators

…a carefree one, by the ocean, where perhaps Gatsby and his darling Daisy once walked…

"There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams - not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion." - The Great Gatsby

Gatsby would have gasped, seeing Daisy in such a delightful ensemble.

Mademoiselle Chanel would also have been pleased with Monsieur Lagerfeld’s Resort 2010 collection. After all, she fell in love with the sea – and the striped shirts of sailors – on her visits to Deauville, in the Basse-Normandie region of France. It was a place she visited often with lover, Arthur “Boy” Capel.

Audrey Tatou in Coco Avant Chanel

Sea-soned stripes strut down the boardwalk runway

If you haven’t seen Coco Avant Chanel, you must. Audrey Tatou becomes Coco and director Anne Fontaine’s subtle use of Chanel’s aesthetic in the art direction and visual vocabulary of the film left me with a rich view into Chanel’s world.

Fitzgerald’s protagonist, Nick in The Great Gatsby said it best: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

See more of the 2010 Resort Collection in Red or Dead,  Resorting to the LBD and Flappergasted.

Images from Style.com.

Excessories

Writing about joy and sorrow, poet Kahlil Gibran said “the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”

Life is all about balance. There is no yin without yang.

In recent years, minimalism in fashion has been much more widespread and mainstream. The practical economy (read: recession) has had us stock up on basics.

Well here’s where the yang comes in. There can be no minimalism without excess. Each is needed to make us appreciate the other.

Over the past few seasons, I’ve noticed a number of over the top accessories on runways the world over.

Gone are the dainty, sweet necklaces – replaced by bolder, statement pieces.

Colossal crystals at Dior Couture SS10

The crystals were colossal at Dior Couture and tribal rings reigned at the Tahiliani show – fit for urban royalty, no doubt.

Tarun Tahiliani FW09 - Photo by Vinod Kumar

Remember when Madge wore all those gold necklaces? Well, that look was from Givenchy back in Fall, 2008 – and as usual, they got there first.

The necklaces that started it all at Givenchy FW08

Amanda Assad Mounser's Not Couture necklace

Usual minimalist Anamika Khanna always adds an embellished twist or two. I loved her waterfall cascade of chains for Spring, especially with the tattered jacket. It would be wonderful with a pair of white skinnies and flats.

A tattered waterfall at Anamika Khanna SS10

There was tattered – and then there was the shattered. Glass. Around your neck. Over slinky jersey. Not so practical, but oh, so pretty. Just don’t trip on that gown, dear. Could be très dangereuse.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? A look from Greta Constantine FW10.

Last year’s Armani Privé collection was lackluster, apart from the sparkly hair and baubles to offset a black and white look. Obviously you are not going to crystallize your head for a work day, but a chunkier, bolder piece of g’Vellerie (pronounced in a desi accent!) will add a little drama to your work basics. Perfect for managing the work drama all around you, no?

Simplicity, accelerated at Armani Privé

I’m not quite sure what this next piece is – whether the gold chain was part of the jacket or an added accent piece. My go-to with black and white (and with most things, actually) is silver. I am going to try this colour combination for Spring…just got a crazy, noisy, gold-coloured necklace.

Givenchy Couture FW09

I love the simple mixed with the traditional – it’s always been a part of my look. Love the pulled-back hair and simple makeup with this elegant choker at Sabyasachi, who always gets it right.

All choked up at Sabyasachi SS09

So as you’ve figured out by reading this far, accessories have changed face. No, really, they have. Case and point at Dolce and Gabbana.

Dolce & Gabbana Face Wedges FW09

The international fashion set have been photographed in these signature pieces from the design duo.

Dolce & Gabbana Face Bag FW09

Jingle bag, jingle bag, jingle all the way… Why be discreet, when you can be heard coming – blocks away?

Manish Malhotra's FW09 jingle bag

Or, just sparkle all the way. The coveted Swarovski-covered clutch at McQueen. Hauntingly beautiful.

Alexander McQueen's crystal-studded skull clutch

The decadence of Chanel's chain-drip box clutch and finger-less elbow gloves, as captured by Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil.

The clutch of my gothic dreams, at McQueen.

Any of the above would be perfect for me – or Daphne G, my fairy goth mother. That’s a woman who understands how to excessorize.

Daphne G at the Chanel mobile art opening, October 2008.

Daphne G in what looks like an Alaia corset belt. Anyone know for sure?

My goth dreams included the swirled McQueen clutch and this piece of waist-art from Ms. Demeulemeester.

"Hold me now. Warm my heart. Stay with me. Let loving start." Ann D FW09 belt.

Hanging bits were everywhere. Evan Biddell showed thick scarves, worn dupata style.

Canadian designer Evan Biddell showed cushy scarves, perfect for Canuck winters and the frigid fashion set. Photo by Angela Y. Martin.

And then, there was the infamous scarf from Mr. McQueen. Who else could pair houndstooth with the Union Jack, mixed lettering and binder clips and make it work?

God Save McQueen - through whom excess was ever eloquent.

With 20 pics, I thought this post was getting excessive (!) so I’ll continue it in part two later this week… [Update May 2: Excessories, Too is now up!]

Images courtesy of Style.com, Vogue India, Givenchy, The Cut Blog, Fashion Magazine, Telegraph UK, China Daily, alexandermcqueen.com, JakandJil.com, LIFE Magazine, Angela Y. Martin Photography.