Tag Archives: Chanel

Pop-Up To Covent Garden And Celebrate A Chanel Christmas…

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

What could be more special than a festive pop-up featuring a giant snow globe and offering free flash makeovers – after all, you deserve it after the chaos of all the Christmas shopping, right?

CHANEL are offering shoppers and beauty fans a pep-up at their Covent Garden pop-up located a few steps away from the Chanel beauty boutique at the piazza, which is the temporary space before becoming Chanel’s permanent bigger home next year.

The exquisite pop-up pays homage to the world of Chanel No.5 as depicted in the Baz Luhrmann-directed campaign starring Gisele Bündchen.

In 2012, CHANEL opened its pop-up covering 57 square metres of Covent Garden, inspired by London’s vibrant personality – the first of its kind in the UK.

Featuring some of the world’s leading make-up artists, theatrical artists, nail technicians and models, the Chanel pop-up beauty boutique debuted exclusive products, showcased London’s first ever Chanel nail bar, offered bespoke make-up tutorials and now offer their discerning customers the experience of having a specialist fragrance expert to guide you through the extensive Chanel scent collection.

 “No elegance is possible without perfume” –  Mademoiselle Chanel

With a vintage-inspired décor, the Chanel beauty parlour draws you in from the cold with its giant snow globe, complete with illuminated number five, welcoming you to take part in a variety of workshops and events throughout December.

 Settle down on the plush red cinema chairs for a manicure – using Rouge Noir, naturellement – or pop by for a complimentary 15-minute flash makeover, the perfect shop-to-cocktails refresh.

If you wish to linger longer, book in for a full one-hour makeover for £45 (redeemable against products bought). Whether you want to learn how to master the art of the up-do or perfect your smokey eye, the professionals will be on hand to impart their words of wisdom.

Makeover complete, there’s the irresistible chance to channel your inner Gisele with a photobooth from The London Lightbox – pose in front of the backdrop featured in the campaign and receive a print-out photo as a souvenir of your jaunt into the world of Chanel. And if you can’t resist the temptation to shop, of course there are plenty of little black boxes to take home too.

Offering a personalised gift wrapping service, complete with a hand written message by a CHANEL calligrapher alongside a choice of quotes from Mademoiselle Chanel herself, this delightful pop-up will kick-start your Christmas and indulge your inner ‘me’ time…

Chanel Christmas at Covent Garden is open until the end of December.

To book an appointment please call 0203 077 1198 or email covent.garden2@chanel.co.uk.

Chanel Christmas at Covent Garden

6a The Market The Piazza Covent Garden London WC2E 8RF

www.chanelatcoventgarden.com

 

American Pop Culture & Fast Food Fashion Leaves Brits Hungry For More

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Have a crazing for some fast food? Well, what about some fast fashion: The fash pack’s tastes for food-inspired fashion, sees a super-size demand for delicious designs on eBay

Since Andy Warhol transformed a Campbell’s Soup can and boxes of Brillo soap pads into Pop Art in the 1960s, artists and fashion designers alike, have looked to everyday domestic products and beloved food brands for inspiration. This season has seen an explosion of Brits favourite ‘food on the move’ brands translated into must-have clothing and accessories, like never before.

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From Rita Ora modelling the McDonald’s ‘Golden Arches’ around London, to Vanessa Hudgens gracing the cover of super cool US magazine NYLON, swathed in Coca-Cola sequins, us Brits can’t get enough of all things kitsch and delicious – with sales of similar women’s apparel rising on eBay.co.uk 119%* over the summer months.

Most recently model and red carpet regular Cara Delevingne was seen taking the trend to another level. Whilst journeying home from her wild birthday celebrations she was snapped wearing an outfit inspired by what’s inside your fast food wrappers and rocking a pepperoni pizza patterned onesie. Across the pond, Katy Perry was spotted the week before wearing a similar all-in-one to The Philadelphia Museum of Art.

 

So where did this tasty trend begin?

 

British designer Ashish sent models down the runway for Spring Summer ’14 drenched in Coca-Cola t-shirts and vests, emblazoned with the brand’s unforgettable logo in his signature sequins. Not forgetting his UK roots, looks were complete with sequin shopping bags reminiscent of designs by superbrands ‘Tesco’ and ‘M&S’.

Autumn Winter ‘14 saw Moschino Creative Director, Jeremy Scott, showcase the chicest of McDonald’s uniforms, perfectly paired with ‘french fries’ iPhone cases and handbags, sparking a craze on eBay.co.uk with over 50** types of fast food phone cases available to buy instantly. Not just for ‘McFashion’ fans, Scott also created show-stopping silk dresses with prints taken from beloved food products including: Fruit Loops cereal, Hershey chocolate and Cheetos chips.

Whilst over in Paris, Lagerfeld’s Chanel runway was converted into a high-end luxury supermarket, with grocery aisles constructed in the iconic Grand Palais. Models including new face Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne and pal Rihanna, shopped the aisles with Chanel wire baskets and trolleys, and sported a range of tongue in cheek grocery ‘accessories’, from Chanel egg tray clutches to Chanel milk carton shoulder bags.

 

 

Statement Jewellery | Fashion

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I love statement jewellery. Why buy a new outfit when you can brighten up an old one with some statement pieces that convey your personality ad style?

This season is all about oversized jewellery, so make sure you stock up on statement pieces for spring/summer.  With designers such as Chanel, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana showcasing shoulder-length earrings and embellished cuffs on the catwalk, bigger is definitely better this season.  Stay on trend with this gorgeous selection of gems, available exclusively at QVC.

I have chosen some of my favourites. Let me know what you think.

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Over 1 in 5 UK adults openly admit to buying counterfeit fashion

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22% of people have knowingly bought counterfeit fashion items, with a further 10% saying they may have bought a fake item but can’t be sure. Only 34% of people say they know for sure they have never purchased fake fashion. The results were taken from an online survey of over 2,000 UK adults commissioned by luxury fashion resale site VestiaireCollective.com and YouGov* to ascertain the nation’s attitudes towards counterfeit fashion.  According to ECCIA (European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance) counterfeiting in Europe has grown by 5% in 2011, totalling losses of over 14 million euros.

 

The most popular counterfeit items those surveyed admitted to buying were ‘designer’ handbags, with 31% of respondents who had bought fake items saying they had picked up some replica designer arm candy. The second most frequently purchased fashion items were fake designer sunglasses and watches (24% respectively).

 

The most common reasons why UK adults buy fake fashion were to avoid paying designer prices (20%), and when they unknowingly purchased items online which appeared to be genuine but were actually fake (17%). Only 2% said they would buy fake fashion to emulate the style of a celebrity or someone they admire.

 

Younger people in the 25-34 age group were the most likely to knowingly buy fakes, with 24% saying they had bought counterfeit items. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 55+ age group were the least likely to shop for fakes, with only 13% saying they had bought something they knew was not genuine. Men and women were just as likely to be culprits (18% vs. 17% respectively).

 

Sarah Bush, UK Marketing Director of Vestiaire Collective said: “Some people are complacent about buying ‘fake fashion’, seeing it as a chance to get an expensive look at a cheap price. But fake items can’t match the real deal for quality and craftsmanship – with a designer item you are investing in something which will look great and last for years to come“

 

She continued: “Instead of buying fake items, we encourage anyone who is set on picking up a designer item to buy authenticated pre-owned fashion. Pre-owned is an affordable way to experience real luxury items, and you can even resell items at a later date. We have over 8000 designer handbags for sale at Vestiaire Collective, with average prices ranging from 50-70% off RRP.”

 

In February 2012 Vestiaire Collective signed a charter against the sale of counterfeit goods with luxury brands including Céline, YSL, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Hermès. Vestiaire Collective employs a team of counterfeit experts at their Paris headquarters who verify each and every fashion item bought and sold on the site, working closely with designer fashion brands to analyse the correct stitching, materials etc.

 

How to Spot a Fake Fashion Item – Top Tips from Vestiaire Collective’s Counterfeit Spotting Team:

 

1.       Only look at reputable websites. Shop at recognisable sites – all of your well-known favourites – for straight discounts. Don’t be tempted to shop sites you are unfamiliar with, especially those with ‘discount’ or ‘cheap’ in the URL.

 

2.       Familiarise yourself with your favourite brands. Don’t be shy to check out items at a brand’s shop or concession in a department store. Inspect the item carefully and you’ll have better instincts as to what may not be right with a product.

 

3.       Look at the hardware. On items such as handbags, the zipper should move smoothly and the pull should be heavy in feel. All other hardware should be similarly heavy and not hollow. There shouldn’t be any discolouring or signs of the metal flaking off.

 

4.       Check the handles and look inside. The stitching should be in a straight line and the thread should be strong and not frayed or pulled. The leather should be smooth and match the bag in the way it does on the product you saw in the store. The same is true inside; if the fabric looks strange or exceedingly cheap, it’s likely a fake.

 

5.       Logo. If the logo on a handbag, shoe or garment is upside down, sideways, cut off or somehow not right, again, you are likely looking at a fraudulent product.

Vogue On Designers | Book Review

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VOGUE ON

Elsa Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Alexander McQueen

Out Now, £15 each, hardback

 

 Sometimes I love my job, and the opportunity to review these books was one of those times. These books are as beautiful, elegant and enjoyable as the designers the books are about. I love the layout of the books and each one has great quotes from the designer.

Vogue on: Coco Chanel, by Bronwyn Cosgrave. Vogue on Chanel may be a short book but it is incredibly comprehensive. The book is full of pictures and quotes. It is hard to read the story of Coco Chanel’s life and not be inspired by what an amazing business women she was. To Vogue’s credit it does not brush over the rumours about Nazi collaboration (Chanel had an affair with a German officer during World War II) and the book is well-researched and beautifully written. The Vogue archive pictures are to-die-for and I learnt a lot from reading this book. Coco Chanel managed to leave her mark, not just fashion, but also the world. An excellent businesswomen she built an entire empire by creating a signature look.

Coco Chanel’s private life was as interesting as her business. She dated the Duke of Westminster and traveled in high society. She was backed by Kitty De Rothschild who stated, “I shan’t buy a thing without showing her. That child’s got more taste than the rest put together.” After this stamp of approval the elite of the day bought her clothes in droves, and still do.

I loved this book. It is a triumph for Bronwyn Cosgrave. A perfect gift for Christmas and beyond.

 

Vogue on: Alexander McQueen,  by Chloe Fox. This book is different from the others as I actually remember Alexander McQueen, and was very upset when he tragically took his own life. He is the most modern of the fashion designers and I remember some of the collections. For 15 years the mouthy, East-End, working-class boy-did-good, McQueen was deliberately controversial.

Talented beyond belief, McQueen was also arrogant, likable and visionary. He knew how to be quotable and work the press as much as he knew how to design beautiful, wearable clothes. This book has a ting of sadness as both McQueen and Isabella Blow committed suicide. Blow had ovarian cancer and McQueen killed himself not long after Blow, and then his mother died

McQueen’s label lasts and the mantle has been handed to Sarah Burton, who designed the wedding dress of Kate Middleton. Burton talks fondly of her former boss in this book.Burton says, “He was my inspiration everyday. Everything I know, I learnt from him.”  In fact, the book has access to all of the main players in McQueens life. A must have for fashion lovers and McQueen fans.

In this book Plum Sykes says, “The fact was, Alexander created a new silhouette for a generation. When you look back at the history of fashion, the only designers with any longevity – from Balenciaga to Dior to Yves Saint Laurent – are the ones who created their own iconic shape.” This quote is what you learn from Vogue’s series of books on designers: they all created their own shape.I really hope there will be more books in this series.

 

Vogue on: Christian Dior, by Charlotte Sinclair. Dior was such a visionary that he completely changed how women dressed. The ‘New Look’ he invented stunned the fashion world and had a cataclysmic effect. The truth is, Dior did more than create a look, he created a revolution. When Dior showcased his new range so many people would come that even the staircases would be filled. There is a wonderful picture of Marlene Dietrich in this book, clutching her ticket as a child would hang onto candy. This book, and indeed all of the others, is not just a book on fashion, but a book on history. Vogue on Christian Dior is a fascinating read, I could barely put it down. I could also stare at the pictures for hours.

All of Diors couture clients had their own mannequin that was made to their own measurements. Upon reading this I rather longed to be incredibly rich and that Christian Dior was still alive, as it sounded so romantic and wonderful. One of the reasons Dior was so successful was because he gave women what they wanted. “I brought back the neglected art of people pleasing.” He said.

Of course, all of the designers these books are about are dead now. An era ended. Even Alexander McQueen, sadly gone too soon. I hope Vogue do more books in this series. Yves Saint Laurent would be an obvious, and much deserved, subject.

Vogue on: Elsa Schiaparelli, by Judith Watt. Like the rest of the books in the series, Vogue on Elsa Schiaparelli is well illustrated, picture perfect and wonderfully written. Schiaparelli may not be as well known to the wider public as the other designers but she remains influential.

Schiaparelli was also a rare thing, even today: a female fashion designer. She had a lasting rivalry with Coco Chanel who was dismissive of her. Schiaparelli was born into high society but lost all of her money after her husband spent her dowry and then left her and her young daughter. She went to work and managed to open her own label. She said: ‘Poverty forced me to work, Paris gave me a liking for it.” Schiaparelli  not only managed to design her own “look”, she also made designs for different types of women, no matter what their body shape or personality. She was also an artist, collaborating with Salvador Dali and Man Ray,

This book is a brilliant story of flair, tenaciousness and perseverance. A wonderful book.

“Life on the dotted line was of no possible interest.” Elsa Schiaparelli

 

Vogue On is an influential and covetable series of short books from the fashion bible Vogue, celebrating the defining fashion designers of the last century.  The first four books in the series illuminate the significance of Elsa Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Alexander McQueen, each pioneers of their time, and draw extensively on the Vogue archive, the definition of portraiture and fashion illustration. 

 

Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue, comments “Vogue On offers an authoritative overview of the work of the 20th century’s most influential designers. Unique access to the treasures of the Vogue library combined with concise, elegant and informed writing ensures that this series is an unmissable addition to any student or enthusiast of fashion’s library.”

 

Vogue, the international fashion bible, has charted the careers of designers through the decades. Its unique archive of photographs, taken by the leading photographers of the day from Cecil Beaton to Mario Testino, and original illustrations, together with its highly respected fashion writers, make Vogue the most authoritative and prestigious source of reference on fashion. No magazine is better positioned to present a library on the most influential fashion designers of the modern age.

 


 

 

Magazine Round-Up Part 2: Rihanna Takes Vogue Cover

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British Vogue has Rihanna on the cover. She is interviewed inside and says ‘Whatever my mojo tells me, that’s what I’m going to do’.

Tilda Swindon is interviewed.

Scion of the fashion dynasty Maxmara, Maria Giulia Prezioso Maramotti is interviewed by Vogue and she tells them that ‘my mother impressed on me that to be elegant you have to avoid overdressing’.

Articles on Coco Chanel, Jean-Paul Goude, Bryce Dallas Howard on her, and her characters, style, director Martina Amati, Sylvia Plath’s daughter Frieda Hughes, Dolores and Carmen Chaplin, Miss V covers Mark Ronsons wedding, David and Serena Linley, Hannah Rothschild on Leonardo da Vinci, the new breed of entrepreneurs, Vogue dons white coats and learned how to give good facials, Norma Kamali – and doesn’t she look amazing! Katie Holmes gives her Style File.

Most magazines this month had at least one article on perfume.

There is a rise in vegetarians, but Vogue has a good article on people rediscovering meat.

Marie Claire has Reese Witherspoon on the cover. ‘I didn’t realise how anxious I was about being a single parent’ she tells Marie Claire.

There is a new column from writer Lindsay Kelk; a Northern lass turned New York singleton who will be charting her journey to find Mr Right.

Marie Claire reports on a beauty pageant for men to become the cover stars of romance novels, yes, really.

There is a really good article on the inspirational Mary Portas. Make your wardrobe fashion editor fabulous. Jamie Oliver, Are you the new Type A? , DNA Dating, Is it time for a career shuffle?, Martin Daubney gives it all up to become a full-time father, Dolly Parton, Gossip Girl Stylist Eric Daman, Tali Lennox, Nicole Roberts.

My life in books by Caroline Aherne.

Lionel Shriver, Rachel Evan Woods, perfume, save your skin facials, Christina Aguilera, curb your cravings. 12 reasons you’re tired all the time, Pixie Lott’s food heaven.

Marie Claire have a special sex section, ahem. No comment from me.

Vanity Fair has Johnny Depp on the cover. ‘Basically if they’re going to pay me the stupid money, I’m going to take it’ he says.

Florence Welch, Mario Batali, Amber Heard, Bobbi Brown, Tinie Tempah, Moby Dick, The Tea Party, Tailor’s Anderson and Sheppard, Marisa Berenson, Haruki Murakami, Michael Lewis asks if California will sink the US, Elisabeth Warren, gossip columnist Liz Smith, Milton Gendal, Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher, Courtney Love unravels, Woody Allen, Ethan Coen, Elaine May, Desmond Tutu.

There is a free supplement: Vanity Fair On Couture with Rebecca Hall on the cover. Catherine Middleton is on their best dressed, Giorgio Armani, Nicky Haslam, Giambattista versus Azzedine Alaia, Karl Lagerfield, Chanel, Ann Bonfoey Taylor, Elie Saab, Daphne Guinness, Amanda Harlech, Lucy Birley.

Lily Allen Married and Pregnant

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Lily Allen is celebrating a double dose of good news, she’s married and pregnant. After two miscarriages, Allen is on her way to domestic bliss. Allen’s vintage Chanel 1920’s wedding dress had a resemblance to Kate Middleton’s wedding dress.

The singer, 26, married decorator and business owner Sam Cooper at St. James the Great Church in Gloucestershire, England, on Saturday.

Actor Keith Allen proudly gave his daughter away and Cooper revealed that Allen was pregnant, seven months after her tragic miscarriage

Cooper popped the question over Christmas and the wedding took place in the village of Cranham in the English countryside.

Frost wishes them all the best.

Jessie J at Teenage Cancer Trust

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Gorgeous singer Jessie J turned up at the Teenage Cancer Trust wearing some gorgeous jewelery. See below for where you can get your hands on the pieces.

1980s Escada Dramatic Charm Necklace £395 Susan Caplan Vintage Collection www.susancaplan.co.uk
1990s Chanel Hoop Earrings £695 Susan Caplan Vintage Collection www.susancaplan.co.uk