FASHION Magazine

Jean-Roch, the French singer/songwriter/producer, released the music video for his “Saint Tropez” single, and it stars none other than tastemaker supreme, Uncle Karl.

We were surprised that the Chanel helmsman would participate in such a hot mess, but the credits—tastefully done in giant gold letters atop fluffy white clouds—do in fact confirm that this video stars Karl Lagerfeld.  But wait… it gets better.  The video also features Snoop Dogg. That’s correct, the streets of Saint Tropez are apparently a place where couture—Chanel’s 2011 Cruise Collection was shown in Saint Tropez—meets Compton.

The video starts off with Uncle Karl wearing head to toe white and rocking his signature dark aviators. The designer (turned music video prodigy) greets Jean-Roch with standard European cheek kisses, and then says to the singer (who, judging by all those clouds, is presumably in heaven), “You were never told that Saint Tropez is Paradise?” Drop the beat.

It gets confusing as Lagerfeld and Jean-Roch proceed to marvel at the sights of Saint Tropez between shots of Snoop Dogg and Jean-Roch hanging with hot bikini-clad women. Sprinkle in a few dancing children, some wide angle shots and a few split screens, and the result is one confusing mess.  Regardless, the entertainment value is certainly there, and we know that we’ll be watching this video again (and again, and again).

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Crunch, crunch, crunch. The sound of platform sneakers on pea gravel signalled the start of the Chanel Resort 2013 show, with models emerging from a wall of greenery in the sprawling parterre garden of Versailles. A convoy of 300 black cars had chauffeured press and clients from Paris to the former home of Marie Antoinette for the event, which included a punk performance with Alice Dellal thrashing away on drums. The collection had many nods to the past: 18th century panniers, decorative stomachers and frilled sleeves, and cropped court wigs over ribbon-tied ponytails, all blended with cropped jackets and knickers in sugary pastels. Tilda Swinton, Vanessa Paradis and Inès de la Fressange mingled afterwards in a hot house with Lagerfeld, who was laden with jewellery including a delicate emerald pin. Emeralds and punk? Marie Antoinette and Coco Chanel? Quintessential Lagerfeld-style mash-ups.

Amidst the mass hysteria (how else could one describe it?) that was the Dior succession saga of 2011/2012, you may have heard the name of a little-known French couturier, Maxime Simoëns, thrown around. And while those rumours may have been totally unfounded, today’s announcement that LVMH would be investing in his eponymous line has made it crystal clear that his is one name to remember.

In a surprising turn of events, LVMH head honcho Bernard Arnault has invested a significant but undisclosed amount in the 27-year-old’s two-years-young label. And while Arnault is famous for treating the global luxury market as one gigantic game of Hungry Hungry Hippos (hint: LVMH=the hippo, everyone else=the balls), the mogul almost never invests in new labels.

Despite his young age, Simoëns is no stranger to the fashion world. He studied fashion at the famed École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and then apprenticed at Elie Saab, Jean Paul Gaultier, Balenciaga and—get this—Dior under Galliano. Not to mention his Maxime Simoëns line that shows during Paris Couture Week and his bevy of celebrity clients (mostly French) including Canadian Rachel McAdams.

Arnault must think the wunderkind has got some serious talent—and with his track record, can you blame him? This has people wondering if Simoëns is being readied to take the reins at one of LVMH’s more established labels. Could we see Simoëns at Givenchy post-Tisci? Or at Fendi post-Karl? Given this year’s intense, never-ending game of fashion musical chairs (Jil! Raf! Stefano! Hedi!), we can’t help but applaud Arnault’s foresight.

In what may be the best fashion play-by-play of all time, Karl Lagerfeld is set to live commentate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee on June 3 for French television. We’re having flashbacks to last year’s Royal Wedding where the Kaiser let his (totally correct) opinions on some less-than-royal wears be known (think “ugly hats,” “bad proportions” and the like), while pointedly refusing to even discuss the Queen’s sensible buttercream suit. With no Alexander McQueen confections to distract, we bet this year’s commentary will be entertaining, to say the least. As a proudly French citizen with no allegiance to the Queen, we bet the Kaiser’s sharpening his biker-gloved talons as we speak.

There are a few outfits that have had a lasting impact on society. Kate Middleton’s blue Issa engagement dress, for example. Marilyn Monroe’s white dress in The Seven Year Itch. Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl halftime show costume. Okay, maybe not that last one.

Amongst that iconic list, the pink bouclé suit Jackie Kennedy wore the day her husband, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated (she famously refused to take off the bloodstained jacket), stands out. In fact, it was so iconic that Carine Roitfeld told Tim Blanks it was the first Chanel piece she recognized: “The first Chanel jacket that I saw–that I knew was Chanel–was on TV. It was on Mrs. Kennedy–the pink one.”

Sorry, Carine, but it looks like you “knew” wrong. Karl Lagerfeld quickly countered, saying it was a line-by-line fake. Wait, Jackie Kennedy wore fake Chanel?!

Well… not exactly. While the Kaiser seems to think Oleg Cassini made the line-by-line copy, consensus is it was actually tailored at the Chez Ninon dress shop in New York. Apparently, the store had received the OK from Chanel to copy the dress and used Chanel fabrics, buttons and patterns to make it.

It appears Kennedy wore the “knockoff” (though with Chanel’s approval, it probably can’t be classified as one) suit to show patriotism and support American clothiers. And considering all the fuss that was made when Michelle Obama wore Alexander McQueen (not American) to the Chinese State Dinner, we think we can understand why she went in that direction.

Either way, the iconic suit will be locked away in a vault in Maryland until 2103. Chanel or not, this is one piece of fashion history we’d love to have seen.

In today’s edition of WTF Karl Lagerfeld, the designer has dished to WWD from Tokyo about the apparent junk food diet that has changed the way Japanese people look: “I noticed that people became bigger than before because now they eat more cake and sweets and things like this that they didn’t do in the […]

The post Quotable: Karl Lagerfeld on Japanese people and junk food appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Karl Lagerfeld, king of taste-making (or just sharing his unwarranted opinions), has decried “pedestrian-chic” as the new cool in an upcoming shoot for French Elle.

The eight-page spread features the Kaiser tête-à-tête with his model crushes of the moment Saskia de Brauw and Caroline Brasch Neilsen (both clad in the designer’s new, more affordable line, KARL). The fashionable threesome are photographed doing all kinds of normal things: reading a sports paper, driving in traffic, shopping in the supermarket. Of course one can’t expect to push the Kaiser’s cart unless you’re runway gold.

And because he just can’t resist providing a ridiculous sound bite, Lagerfeld took to the accompanying interview to dish on his normal life (or total lack thereof):

On driving: “I haven’t driven since I was 18, and that’s a benefit to society because I ended up in a ditch, without knowing why!” Oh Uncle Karl, one would think your giant collars might prevent you from checking your blind spot!

On le supermarché: “It’s the first time I’ve stepped into a supermarket. It’s crazy—fascinating what one can buy. There’s enough here to easily gain 20 kilos.”

Frankly, we’re not too surprised given Karl’s feelings on food: it’s not allowed! This is the man who will only eat Nobu whilst in New York, who lost 60 pounds just to fit into super-skinny Slimane’s, and who famous declared that food was like plastic to him.

But, we have to ask—what’s next? Karl tying his shoes? Using the ATM? Taking the *gasps* subway? We can hardly wait!

From pop stars to puppets, Jean Paul Gaultier has proven he can dress ‘em all. Diet Coke has appointed the eccentric designer to take over Karl Lagerfeld’s position as creative director, and the first commercial has him giving a tiny marionette a couture makeover.

We never thought we’d feel puppet-envy, but the ad—the first of three in a series entitled The Night & Day Serial Designer—features Gaultier (sporting serious Dr. Seuss-esque hair) creating a punk ensemble for the miniature Diet Coke-girl.

JPG is the first designer to appear in the brand’s films, and will be lending his eye to create a limited-edition collection of show-stopping bottles and cans along with developing online content, ad campaigns, and retail concepts. We’re sure the brand has high expectations for the designer’s version of the bottle, given his knack to create curvaceous perfume bottles.

The second and third installments of the series will premiere on March 9 and 10.

Watch the Skittles commercial »

We’ve speculated before on the connection between high fashion influences and mass-market advertising, but usually the former debuts months before the latter. However, it seems like the Don Drapers over at DDB LatinWorks are following the same trends as Karl Lagerfeld. Released on Monday (that’s a full day before Chanel’s Fall 2012 show!) the newest Skittles commercial revolves around some pretty familiar eyebrows. Sure, they aren’t hand embroidered by Lesage, but we find it a rather delicious coincidence nonetheless.

View our Chanel picks »

The crystals rising from the gravely floor of the Grand Palais were the first clue that today’s Chanel show was going to be about shine—and was it ever. Fabrics and trims literally glistened from top to toe—from the models crusty brows to the crystals on their Lucite heels.

In between, amethyst bits covered the shoulders of a jacquard top, sequins lined the hood of a crisp bomber, and wide metal collars like small breastplates were tucked under suit jackets. Prism motifs included jewel-tone prints, seaming on a grey flannel coat, plastic-y appliqués on another coat, and geometrics carved into shearling. Reflective fabrics included a blue crinkly foil blouse, crushed-velvet stovepipe pants, and some sort of silver weave, probably lurex, for pantsuits.

Just three days after the Raf for Jil swap, Yves Saint Laurent has announced that creative director Stefano Pilati will leave the company’s helm following the collection’s Fall show later this week in Paris.

Pilati’s ride at YSL has been a bit of a bumpy one with critically inconsistent collections. But despite a lack of support from YSL heavyweights (Yves Saint-Laurent himself once told WWD, “Some of what he does is good. Some of it is not so good.”), Pilati has rocketed the house towards considerable commercial success (though not quite at Gucci-era Tom Ford levels) with his conception of hit accessories like the Muse bag and Tribute shoe. More than a feat in these financial times, right?

Best in show: Prada. The moment the first look (head-to-toe noir with glittering embellishment) hit the graphic purple plush carpet/runway I was in love. It felt classic—very old school Prada (mixed-up prints, clean lines, slick structured bags).

The new suit for fall: Prada’s tailored jacket and cropped trousers. Regardless if you prefer the jumble of mix-and-match prints or the screaming solid orange version, at some point you’ll want them all.

Hottest shoes off the runway: Anna Dello Russo’s Prada Spring 2012 flame shoes.