FASHION Magazine

Karl Lagerfeld’s famous kitty just clawed her way to her first beauty contract. Japanese brand Shu Uemura will release the Choupette Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura collection just in time for the holidays and it’s sure to cause quite a stir. The collection, called Shupette (a clever fusing of the brand and cat name), will be unveiled […]

The post Cool cats: The Choupette Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura collection is seriously happening appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See Chanel’s craziest handbags »

For the past few years, Karl Lagerfeld has made sure each new Chanel collection (and there are many) is cemented into fashion history—first, with stellar clothes, and second, with bags so cheekily out of the box that we can’t help but be spellbound. In addition to the brand’s iconic 2.55, Boy and classic quilt, Chanel has created a tongue-and-cheek handbag ode to pop culture with each season, his latest being the wildest of all.

Tipping his hat to Dubai’s economic past and present, the Chanel designer debuted a quilted, golden, double C-incrusted, oil can handbag. The bag was responsible for its fair share of commentary, offending some while resonating with others. It’s no secret that oil was, at one time, a pillar in Dubai’s economy. Was Lagerfeld alluding to a connection between oil and wealth in the main city of the emirate?

See the Chanel photos from Dubai »

Talk about an oasis. Over the course of eight weeks, Chanel turned a completely barren, man-made desert island off the shore of Dubai into a party venue for the unveiling of its 2015 Cruise collection.

“This probably cost more than any film I’ve made” remarked Tilda Swinton, one of 1,000 guests who boarded a wooden “abra” launch for the 5 minute journey across the placid Arabian Gulf. A sand pathway led to a lattice facade of stylized double Cs.

Photography courtesy of Chanel

Photography courtesy of Chanel

Photography courtesy of Chanel

Photography courtesy of Chanel

Photography courtesy of Chanel

Photography courtesy of Chanel

Photography courtesy of Chanel

Photography courtesy of Chanel

Photography courtesy of Chanel

Photography courtesy of Chanel

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

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Chanel Cruise Dubai

Inside the air-conditioned hall, built just for the night, sunken banquettes surrounded low tables topped with ornate lanterns and tiers of savoury pastries. The crowd was a veritable United Nations, from Asian men with Chanel Boy bags slung around their suits to cloaked ladies with violet and emerald croc 2.55 purses popping against their black abayas.

See Kristen Stewart’s Chanel ads »
See our Kristen Stewart style gallery »

Photography by Karl Lagerfeld

Photography by Karl Lagerfeld

Photography by Karl Lagerfeld

Photography by Olivier Saillant

Photography by Olivier Saillant

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Kristen Stewart Chanel Ad

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Kristen Stewart Chanel Ad

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Kristen Stewart Chanel Ad

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Kristen Stewart Chanel Ad

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Kristen Stewart Chanel Ad

In a post-Wikileaks world, everybody’s gotta watch their back…even in fashion. After a series of fuzzy photo leaks, Kristen Stewart’s much-anticipated ad campaign for Chanel has yet again been released before its official launch date later this week. Earlier today, Grazia published the photos in their sepia toned glory. The ads feature the actress in Chanel’s Metiers d’Art Paris-Dallas collection. Fringe, feathers, stars and stripes look pretty bangin’ on the alt A-lister. So good in fact, that all I can think about is a modern remake of Annie Get Your Gun with her in the starring role. Outlaw staples like gun holsters and ID-obstructing bandanas are also pictured, which she describes as “I can’t use the word bad-ass but there is something about it that is fun… fierce.”

Chanel has released a Q&A with Kristen Stewart in regards to the ads, which we’ve dutifully pasted below for your enjoyment. After all, with KStew it’s all or nothing.

There’s also a video, cause heyo!

See the latest from Paris Fashion Week Fall 2014 »

Photography by Peter Stigter

Photography by Peter Stigter

Photography by Peter Stigter

Photography by Peter Stigter

Photography via Instagram/FashionCanada

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Chanel Fall 2014

1. The top spot goes to Chanel, no question. Everything from the faux shipping boxes that we sat on, to the shopping carts, themed accessories and Supercentre pop soundtrack had us eating out of the palm of Karl’s hand. Takeaway boxes of gummy candies in the shape of No. 5 perfume bottles, tweed jackets and camellias were icing on the cake.

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Alexander McQueen Fall 2014

2. Last night’s Alexander McQueen presentation left everyone blown away without distracting from the complexity of the clothing. As Bjork’s “Bachelorette” played, the models walked through a barren landscape with billowing smoke that set off the dark, Icelandic inspiration.
FILENAME IS DESIGNER NAME
FALL/WINTER 2014

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Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2014

3. Jean Paul Gaultier is never one to shy away from upping the ante on presentation value. Decking his show staff in silvery one-piece spacesuits was an easy way to get into the theme from the get-go.

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LAURENT

4. Hedi Slimane already knows how to draw a crowd—the lineup to get into his Saint Laurent show space snaked down the street and around the corner. A custom commissioned soundtrack, blinding stadium lights and massive gold bars that crisscrossed the runway will only have us coming back for more.

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Charlotte Olympia Fall 2014

5. Special mention goes to Charlotte Olympia, who transformed her entire showroom space into a Far East fantasy. Black lacquered bamboo chairs, carved cabinets, paper lanterns, incense and a full tea service laid her shoe and handbag message out loud and clear.

Over lunch today with the team from Chanel‘s Canadian press office, we couldn’t help rehashing the extravagant spectacle we’d just been lucky enough to witness from the front row. The full grocery store set up included fresh vegetable and cheese stands, along with aisles and aisles of canned goods, cleaning products, cupboard staples and bathroom essentials. More than 400 different products had been assembled and branded with the double Cs and Karl’s witty bon mots (only Chanel can get away with “sacs plus belle” garbage bags and 50% markup posters). This house in particular, has always led the pack with its devotion to creating a lasting impression through a full sensory experience. More and more designers are jumping on the bandwagon, hoping to have editors, buyers and shoppers create emotional attachments to their brands. In a week devoted to clothes, theatrics aren’t necessary, but a fun way to stand out from the pack and further promote your seasonal message. Here are this week’s top shows that pushed the envelope with memorable antics:

Wander the aisles at the Chanel Supermarket » 

Only Karl Lagerfeld could turn a supermarket into a destination spot. Today’s Chanel Fall 2014 show transformed Paris’s iconic Grand Palais into a full-fledged Chanel Shopping Centre, complete with rows upon rows of  double-C branded canned goods, condiments and more. Given that this was a Lagerfeld-designed grocery store, the aisles were immaculately styled and featured a towering pyramid of coconuts that would make any Whole Foods shopper jealous.

Among the editors and fashion elite in attendance were Rihanna and Chanel ambassador Keira Knightley, who both wore mock crop tops and skirts from the Spring 2014 Couture collection. Keira stuck with her go-to black and white palette, pairing her look with feminine metallic pumps, while Rihanna was in pale-purple and donned matching lavender sneakers and fanny pack. Take note, the mock crop top is the new crop top.

While there was plenty of fun to be had before and after the runway presentation, here’s our rundown of the top standout moments from the Chanel Supermarket:

See the street style shots from Paris Couture Fashion Week »

Yesterday’s Chanel show went from the runway and beyond on the streets outside Spring 2014 Couture Fashion Week. Outside the Grand Palais, Karl Lagerfeld’s preferred Paris venue, Chanel was the label of choice for models, editors and just all around It girls striving for new and improved takes on those famed double Cs.

Model of the moment Soo Joo, fresh of the Chanel runway, bravely showed some leg in knee high socks, a black fur shearling coat, and sculpted Chelsea boots. Joan Smalls, happily fresh faced, looked the part of a stylish ‘80s rocker in a chic denim, leather and fur combo.

See the Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2014 images » Oh, Karl. We loved you before. But now that you have given the signal that it’s okay to wear sneakers with gowns, our hearts swell. At this morning’s Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2014 show at the Grand Palais in Paris, every outfit—from sparkling romper to feathered […]

The post Chanel Haute Couture shows sneakers and fannypacks for Spring 2014 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, born on Aug. 19, 1883, was a true Leo. Bronze and marble lions litter the interior of 31 Rue Cambon, where she spent her life; in Lausanne, where she now lies, five lions sit etched on her tombstone. Beginning in the 1920s, the buttons of her soft tweed suits often bore symbols, including lion’s heads, and, as befits her leonine birthright, those suits won her king-sized fame. And yet, in the ’30s, Chanel found herself eclipsed by a Virgo.

Elsa Schiaparelli, born on Sept. 10, 1890, spent her childhood surveying the heavens. Her uncle, Giovanni, was a well-known astronomer, and it was he who pointed out that the moles on her face formed the constellation Ursa Major. In Schiaparelli’s 1938 Zodiac collection, the constellation glitters over the left shoulder of a blue velvet jacket that’s as lushly bizarre as Chanel tweeds are classic. Together, she and Chanel set up fashion’s organizing dichotomy—high art or expensive habit?—and they remain the century’s most important couturiers.

They loathed each other. Schiaparelli referred to commercial, streetwise Chanel as “that milliner,” while Chanel called the surreally cool Schiap “that Italian artist who makes clothes.” In fact, besides talent and mutual disdain, the only thing these two had in common was a belief in the very system that best explains their differences.

See photos from the Chanel event in Dallas »

Last night, all eyes were on Dallas as the nouveau riche home of the high end hosted fashion’s elite for Chanel’s latest Métiers d’Art a.k.a. Pre-Fall collection show. Everything is bigger in Texas, a sentiment which Karl Lagerfeld certainly shares, so what better place to host his latest extravaganza and announce Kristen Stewart as its face.

Though Stewart currently fronts Balenciaga’s Florobotanica fragrance campaign, Chanel has clearly courted her over the past few years, dressing the actress for red carpet events and hosting her at several shows. Known for her adherence to un-mussed style, she’s the perfect front for the Western-inspired collection. It’s also the perfect thing to lift her aesthetic association out of Twilight territory, placing it back where she belongs: On the Road.

See all the Christmas luxury gift ideas »

Finding the perfect Christmas luxury gifts for the ornamental men and women in your life can be complicated. Fear not, we’ve compiled a list of 32 ideal Christmas luxury gifts for the extraordinary person in your life.

If lipstick is the gateway to the runway, then impress the lady in your life, with the limited edition Marc Jacobs Beauty holiday set featuring 13 Lovemarc Lip Gels encased in a luxe lacquer box. Or how about boosting your best pal with a shiny new Nespresso Espresso Machine? Surely everyone will need a hit of caffeine after the holiday rush.

Backpacks are back and bigger than ever this season; thrill the It girl in your life with a covetable and ultra chic Kenzo backpack. For the particularly fashion minded: Grab her a classic black Alexander McQueen scarf complete with Schiap-coloured (read: hot pink!) skull scarf. Perhaps the luxury Christmas gift lover on your list is more of a technology lover, and with that, a shiny new HP Chromebook with a Nexus 5 smart phone to match.

Scheduling a photo shoot around Courtney Love’s schedule is no easy feat. The music and fashion icon was in the thick of writing her upcoming autobiography, recording her next album and sketching a spring collection for her clothing line, Never The Bride, when FASHION asked her to pose for the Winter 2014 issue. Love’s flurry of activity is all part of an ongoing comeback plan—one that is clearly winning over a number of fashion houses who have named her a major inspiration.

After wrapping up her cover shoot at Canoe Studios, FASHION’s features editor Elio Iannacci was invited to Love’s home in the New York’s West village to talk about her 30-year-plus career and her next batch of projects. Chatting in front of the same fireplace Hedi Slimane photographed Love in front of for Saint Laurent’s current ad campaign, the pair were surrounded by neat piles of books ranging from classic literature, philosophy and chick lit—titles including The Devil Wears Prada and Valley of The Dolls. Here is a sneak peek of our cover story, which hits newsstands nationwide on November 11, 2013.