CocoChanel

Chanel: Uncompromising Refinement and Seductive Flair

Known for its sumptuous handbags, elegant dresses, and, of course, the interlocking "C" logo, Chanel has been one of the first names in fashion for nearly 100 years. Its latest honor is a nomination for a Luxist award in the Best Clothing Designer Category.

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, who is one of the most recognized couturiers of the 20th century, started out in 1909 with a single store in Paris store. By 1913, she had opened boutiques in the resort towns of Deauville and Biarritz, France. With the onset of World War I, materials and finances were scarce; it was then that Chanel began to focus on using functional fabrics, especially jersey, in her designs.

In 1924, Chanel went into business with brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer. Though they funded the expansion of her company, tensions occasionally flared as Coco Chanel often felt that her efforts left here relatively unrewarded compared to the brothers. Still, she led a luxurious life, socializing with aristrocrats and political figures, and was the creative force behind Chanel until her death in 1971. Chanel's groundbreaking designs include a jersey dress and cardigan coat during the 1920's. She was a modernist who's designs was always ahead of the time in which she lived. The company is credited with creating many other fashion-firsts, from the quilted handbag and the two-tone pump shoe to the gilt chain belt.

In the wake of Coco's death, Chanel's fortunes fell briefly. Despite the staying power of classics like the perfume Chanel No. 5, Chanel was largely considered a moribund brand among Europe's elite fashionistas by the late 1970s. So in 1983, Pierre Wertheimer's son, Alain, brought in Karl Lagerfeld to revitalize the spirit and identity of Chanel. The flamboyant designer did exactly that, scrapping the brand's traditional restrain in favor of a flashy, splashy aesthetic that made Chanel a gaudy, bad-boy alternative to more demure designs of Prada.

Today, Lagerfeld remains the creative force behind Chanel and the Wertheimers are billionaires. After hiring Nicole Kidman to shill Chanel in the early 2000s, the company replaced her with French actress Audrey Tautou for latter end of the decade. In 2005, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art held an exhibition featuring many of Chanel's designs and accessories. Today, Chanel operates over 200 boutiques in posh enclaves throughout the world. Somewhere, Coco is smiling.

Tags: accessories-award, awards-main, chanel, coco chanel, CocoChanel, karl lagerfeld, KarlLagerfeld, luxist-awards

High Style in Sun-Drenched Climates

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books

Fashion historian Caroline Rennolds Milbank examines the history of warm weather wear in a beautifully illustrated new book called Resort Fashion from Rizzoli. From the first "beach pajamas" designed by Coco Chanel and Lilly Pulitzer and Pucci prints, to sailor stripes and the Kennedys' laid back yachtsman style, to Michael Kors and Tory Burch's beach-inspired designs and of course the evolution of the swimsuit, Milbank crosses continents and generations. The seven chapters break the looks down by category: At Sea, Stripes, Prints, White, Playclothes, Summer Dress and Bathing Suits, with photos from destinations like Palm Beach, Montego Bay and St. Tropez by legends like Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Norman Parkinson, Helmut Newton, and Scavullo.

Tags: beach, Coco Chanel, CocoChanel, fashion, Kennedys, Lilly Pulitzer, LillyPulitzer, Michael Kors, MichaelKors, ocean, resort

The Ultra-Fashionable Chanel Concept Car

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos

Jinyoung Jo, a talented car designer at Hong-ik University in South Korea, has created the Chanel Fiole concept car, branded with the name of the famed French luxury goods firm. The design is "centered on simplicity of lines" and a classic black and white color scheme in the best tradition of Coco Chanel and her tailored suits. The ultra-aerodynamic coupe features Chanel's famed interlocking C's on the front grille and has three seats. It's not an altogether far-fetched idea given that Chanel kingpin Karl Lagerfeld is something of a car nut (he has three Hummers) and recently designed a Chanel version of the Segway.

Tags: Chanel, Coco Chanel, CocoChanel, concept car, ConceptCar, Karl Lagerfeld, KarlLagerfeld

Dunhill Brings Back Elvis' Lighter

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Men's Style

London luxury goods firm Dunhill is offering a new limited edition gold lighter based on a model from their archives that was owned by Elvis Presley in the 1950s.

The slim, elegant 18-karat yellow gold Apex lighter features a classic crosshatch pattern in Dunhill's famed Rollalite style. Only 50 pieces are being produced at $13,000 each.

Dunhill, which dates back to the 1890s, produced its first lighter, dubbed the Unique, in 1923. Noel Coward, Coco Chanel and Frank Sinatra, who also had his tuxedos made the firm, all owned Dunhill lighters as well.

The precious but understated lighter indicates that before he got sloppy Elvis was a man of taste. Some of his later, more vulgar accouterments are currently being auctioned off in NYC.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Alfred Dunhill, AlfredDunhill, Coco Chanel, CocoChanel, Dunhill, Elvis Presley, ElvisPresley, Frank Sinatra, FrankSinatra, gold, lighter, London, smoking

Lanesborough London's Asprey & Verdura Experiences

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags, Jewelry, Luxury Travel & Hotels

London's luxe Lanesborough Hotel (above) has partnered with famed luxury goods brands Asprey and Verdura on a pair of exclusive "design experience" packages through March 31st. The packages available at the 5-star Regency-style St. Regis property on London's Hyde Park Corner in Knightsbridge include an opportunity to personally design a one-of-a-kind Asprey leather bag, and a private appointment and estate consultation at Verdura, one of the world's foremost jewelers. The Asprey experience at their Bond Street flagship is focused on a creative session with one of their in-house designers to create a bespoke leather handbag or briefcase from an extensive selection of exotic skins, including alligator, crocodile, python and ostrich.

The Verdura experience involves viewing the jewels of the house's legendary founder, Duke Fulco di Verdura, as well as a consultation to evaluate your collection and advise you on key "estate" additions. Verdura designed jewels for legendary figures from Coco Chanel to Babe Paley and Princess Di. The Asprey experience includes accommodation in an Aspley suite and costs about $1,600 per night with a three night minimum stay; the Verdura package includes accommodation in a Junior Suite and costs about $1,000 per night with a three night minimum. Back in November we reported that the Lanesborough's posh library bar was offering the world's oldest cognac at $6,000 a shot.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Lanesborough x Asprey x Verdura

Tags: Asprey, Coco Chanel, CocoChanel, Hotel, Lanesborough Hotel, LanesboroughHotel, London, St. Regis, St.Regis, Verdura

The Coco Chanel Coin Designed By Karl Lagerfeld

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Coin collectors and fashionistas can now have the same object of desire. To celebrate Coco Chanel's 125th birthday, Karl Lagerfeld has designed a €5 coin. The coin is a limited edition which features a Coco Chanel portrait on one side and the iconic Chanel quilting on the other. Lagerfeld's signature appears on the front of the Coco coin. It has been approved by the French Mint and is offered in gold and silver. The gold version costs €5,900, and there are only 99 of them in existence. The silver version cost €45 and there are 11,900 of them. The coins go on sale in December.

Source

Tags: coco chanel, CocoChanel, coin, euro, karl lagerfeld, KarlLagerfeld

An Intimate Look at the Legendary Coco Chanel

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books

In 1962, photographer Douglas Kirkland was sent to Paris on assignment for Look magazine to photograph the legendary couturier Coco Chanel. Kirkland, 27, ended up living with the elegant 79-year-old Chanel for three whole weeks, photographing her in public and private. The complete collection of never-before-seen photographs is being published this week in book form - Coco Chanel: Three Weeks / 1962 - by Glitterati to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Chanel's birth.

Included as well are Kirkland's reminiscences. He recalls for instance that as Chanel prepared for the show, omnipresent cigarette dangling from her lips, she snapped, "Fashion has become a joke. The designers have forgotten that there are women inside the dresses." In addition to the regular edition which costs $50, Glitterati will publish a deluxe limited edition of 100 in a slipcase with a signed and numbered Kirkland print for $500.

Tags: Chanel, Coco Chanel, CocoChanel, Douglas Kirkland, DouglasKirkland, Fashion photography, FashionPhotography, French fashion, FrenchFashion, Paris

Riviera's Famed Proven�al Hotel to Re-Open as Apts.

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

A famed Art Deco hotel on the Côte d'Azur that's been derelict since 1973 is being turned into a luxury apartment building catering to the bon ton. Developer Cyril Dennis is relaunching Le Provençal, on the border between Juan-les-Pins and Cap d'Antibes, where the likes of Coco Chanel, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald once frolicked.

The London Telegraph reports that Dennis is transforming the 45,000-sq.ft. beachside property, built in 1925, into 56 luxury units with 360-degree views, indoor / outdoor pools, private gardens, Porsche kitchens, marble floors, Turkish baths and aquariums. He describes the Provençal as "the last jewel in the Cap d'Antibes," an area where top-drawer villas now go for over $200 million thanks to an influx of superrich oligarchs such as Roman Abramovich.

Gallery: Le ProvenÃ§al

Tags: Art Deco, ArtDeco, Cap dAntibes, CapDantibes, Coco Chanel, CocoChanel, Cote DAzur, CoteDazur, Ella Fitzgerald, EllaFitzgerald, F. Scott Fitzgerald, F.ScottFitzgerald, French Riviera, FrenchRiviera, Le Provencal, LeProvencal, Riviera, Roman Abramovich, RomanAbramovich

The Classicist: From the Queen to McQueen

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style, The Classicist

The history of the illustrious London luxury goods maker known today as Swaine Adeney Brigg goes back over 250 years. They've been supplying various items to Britain's Royal Family for 200 of them, and as those monarchs tend to be a traditional lot, the firm has basically remained unchanged in all that time. However, even this storied, not to say stodgy, company has decided it's time to freshen things up a bit. They recently brought in Alexander McQueen's former accessories chief Dominic Laurelli as design director to give SAB a much needed facelift.

Laurelli's first creation is the new St. James luggage collection. Laurelli tells us he drew on the understated elegance of 1920s luxury travel and the great Coco Chanel for inspiration, and says the St. James line is intended to be "synonymous with both traditional English leather goods and contemporary, modern style" (two words seldom heard around SAB). The collection is made from a durable anthracite tweed-like fabric with a water resistant backing and bridle leather detailing.

Gallery: Swaine Adeney Brigg