Karl Lagerfeld's Silent Chanel Movie

Where in the world does Mr. Lagerfeld get his inspiration? It is a SUPERB IDEA ! His homage to the founder of Chanel, Coco in a cool and classy screening in Paris on Wednesday night of a Silent Chanel Movie. The film – short in length at 10 minutes, but big in ideas and budget – is entitled "Paris Moscow." He takes it a step further and uses the occasion to show his Pre Fall 2009 Collection!

Lagerfeld designed the stage set for the movie he directed! “There are so many films about Chanel being made this year," Lagerfeld told Fashion Wire Daily. "I thought it only right we make one. And with the Internet and thus people looking at silent images all the time, a silent movie seemed right. No?”

The movie is divided into parts – separated by Great War footage – with the second half featuring many of Karl’s best mates in a 1923 night dance club, whose décor made up the set in the theatre. Thus, the film was also a tremendous in-joke since it featured fetish model Brad Koenig playing the Grand Duke, muse Lady Amanda Harlech, a wealthy client in the film, and favourite DJ Michel Gaubert emoting as a “troubled man” in the night club, as Coco bats her eye lashes at her lover in the artificially scratched and faded short.

There seems to be no end to this man's creative ability. That's why I love him so much. He's always got his eye on the ball and just when you think he can't possibly come up with something to top the last thing he's done, SURPRISE! He's constantly innovating, consistently designing clothes that are simply stunning. I am in utter amazement every time Karl comes up with something new. It all seems so effortless. It is the genius world of Karl Lagerfeld.

Go to FWD to view the entire article

"In the republic of mediocrity genius is dangerous."---Robert G. Ingersoll

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Chanel To Present Paris-Moscow Collection

Though Coco Chanel may be considered the quintessential femme Parisienne, it turnes out that she was fascinated by the near East--and Karl Lagerfeld must agree. Next month, Chanel will debut the Paris-Moscow Collection, a collection using the craftsmanship of the Metiers d'Art. For the yearly fall collection, Lagerfeld has looked to cities like Paris, New York, Tokyo, Monte Carlo, and London; this year, Chanel will take its inspiration from Moscow. The Chanel obsession with all things russe goes back to the days of Coco, who was fascinated by Russian artists like Stravinsky, Diaghilev and Lifar. (She even created a fragrance of Cuir de Russie with Ernest Beaux, the perfumer of the tsars.) The collection will be presented Wednesday, December 3, in the Ranelagh Theatre in Paris.

"Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake."---Henry David Thoreau

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Michelle Obama----Her Style ----Her Way

Of course all the fashion world is a-buzz wondering who Cassandra Bromfield is and why did she get the honor of designing Michelle Obama's inaugural gown and exactly what it will look like. I know it will be one of a kind, I'm not promising anything else. I respect what First Lady-Elect, Michelle Obama is doing here. Ok Ms. Broomfield you're up! Front and center! No pressure. I personally would have been on the phone to Garavani Valentino, Georgio Armani, Karl Laggerfeld. (Sorry about any retirements I may be interrupting) I would have them submit three sketches a piece to me. (Of course the 9 signed sketches would have become my property for later placement in the museum of my choice.) This would be a display of diplomatic courtesy like you've never seen! Heck, America would just have to understand you have to go to VERY BEST there is when you're making these types of decisions. I'm VAIN!!! DO YOU HEAR ME, VAIN!!! When it comes to that outfit that I have just got to get right. VANITY IS AN ASSET!!! These three gentlemen would know where I'm coming from.

Seriously though, I think Michelle's got it under control...I hope she does..we can't afford any slip ups! I'm not worried...ok I'm worried just a tiny, minuscule bit! But she's shown excellent taste with the majority of her outfits. I can truly say I like all of the outfits I've seen her in with the exception of that one.......we won't even say which one because no body's infallible.

Michelle Obama seen here with Jay Leno The Tonight Show October 27, 2008.

Like the outfit. Nice, casual, and most importantly appropriate.
J Crew Ensemble

Here, Michelle Obama wears Narciso Rodriguez from the spring 2009 collection.
I have to tell the truth, I didn't like this dress on Michelle but then again I'm not Mrs. Obama.
I'll keep my personal criticisms to myself however this is the ONLY time I've seen her in an outfit that I didn't like or even go ga ga goo goo over.

*HELLO!!!* I'M HERE!!! I'M CONFIDENT, COMPETENT...AND GUESS WHAT ELSE??? I'M THE FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!
This dress, by Maria Pinto was to say the least...A BRILLANT CHOICE.
Michelle is strong, very stylish, yet very sexy!

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."---Martin Luther King

This Article written by Michelle Hayden, thank you

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VALENTINO---The Last Emperor

The October 20th screening of Valentino: The Last Emperor was shall we say, to die for. Even though it was in the middle of the day.

But then there was free popcorn, and Andre Leon Talley sat in the seat behind me. The movie started, and it was awesome.

The documentary opens with Valentino's Spring 06 collection, looks back on the Dolce Vita days and ends with his three day Roman blowout and retirement.

It's part love story (him and Giancarlo), and part tragic end of an era (of couturiers that simply won't exist again). It's about a man who's wants nothing more than to make women feel beautiful but who can't, or won't, find a way to fit into a changed industry, and I totally cried at the end.

But the best bits, which happen all though the movie right up until that final runway bow and Valentino's heartfelt tears, are all the hysterical Odd Couple moments between Valentino and Giancarlo. They bicker over sets, over models, over pleats, and when Giancarlo asks Valentino why he's using pink for his finale dresses instead of red, Valentino responds, disgusted, "Enough with the red! The red dresses are the most simple, the most stupid!"

Giancarlo says, "To be with Valentino as a friend, as a lover, as an employee - it's all the same. You need a lot of patience." And then he tells Valentino he's too tan, which was, I think, Andre's favorite moment.

Mine? When Karl Lagerfeld congratulated Valentino, "This is how it's done. Compared to us, all the rest are making rags!"

Story By Britt Aboutaleb

"Everyone is a genius at least once a year. A real genius has his ideas closer together."---Georg C. Lichtenberg

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Mr. Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld's Spring 2009 Ready To Wear Collection was eclectic, innovative, and timeless. How is it possible to be all three? Well take a look for yourself. From the very first piece, the black belt which is so eclectic and frankly, I'd wear it with a lot of other things too!. Continuing on the first piece, the arm pieces, I dare not call them gloves, are suppose to give the look of a tattoo end up actually working in that they are innovative. Let's not forget the ankle accessories either. The fitted sheath dress is a definite time piece and goes without further explanation. You do indeed get the feeling that the models themselves are channeling Karl Lagerfeld. Clean crisp lines. Right down to the grey gown he presents. It's Karl at his bad boy best. No wonder all us good girls love him!

Spring 2009 Ready To Wear

Oh, I am so spoiled...I feel like a child who is demanding that Karl Lagerfeld be allowed to design for no less than eternity! That's not ass-kissing either. He is in my book as the undisputed heavyweight champ! The Don of Dapper. He has put the Femme in my Fatle forever. If he's not the best, he's one of the best.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tell you it's going to be a butterfly.---Buckminster Fuller

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Avant Garde Fashion For Sale, Really Retro

After the international fashion week dust settles, those craving a taste of iconography needn't look any further than Christie's. On October 30, the auction house will host a retrospective auction of iconoclastic design. Resurrection: Avant-Garde Fashion, an extensive collection of 20th century fashion previously held in private hands, will be sold in London at the South Kensington saleroom. The auction includes items from designers from the 1960s to the 1990s who challenged cherished norms with new materials and innovative ways of cutting fabric. Pieces by Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, André Courrèges, Rudi Gernreich, Ossie Clark, Vivienne Westwood, Norma Kamali, Azzedine Alaia, Gianni Versace and Issey Miyake will all go on the block.

Whether it's the pop art influence or the revival of architectural couture, the collection offers over 250 pieces of apparel, accessories and jewels. Estimates range from £500 to £10,000. Key items include Rabanne's aluminum riveted plate dress, Cardin's space age bubble cape and a rare gold leather evening dress from Versace. Expect a bidding war.

Highlights include:

• A full-length Chanel coat, featured in the Chanel campaign in 2000 (estimate: £350-£450)

• A group of long-sleeved silk Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen blouses worn in a show and featured on a Telegraph Magazine cover (estimate: £400-£600)

• Two Chanel suede and tweed bags which were gifts from Karl Lagerfeld (estimate: £450-£750)

• A Marni Multi-colour wool dress (estimate: £150-250)

• A Ralph Lauren gold and black jewelled jacket (estimate: £300-500)

• A blue wool dress by Roland Mouret. This was Erin’s own “Galaxy” dress; the It dress of 2005 (estimate: £200-400)

• A red jersey sleeveless dress by Diane von Furstenburg (estimate: £200-400)

• A white fur bolero jacket by Matthew Williamson (estimate: £200-400)

• A Mulberry “Roxanne” large red tote bag (estimate: £300-500)

• A large Louis Vuitton hold-all (estimate: £300-500)

• A dramatic printed chiffon gown by John Galliano (estimate: £400-600)

• A chocolate leather jacket by Celine (estimate: £300-500)

You don't have to be present to bid. What a great opportunity provided you can stand the bidding wars. The catalog for the sale will be available 3 weeks prior to October 30th and you can order it online right now at Christie's.

"Thank you Nola Weinstein and "Michelle" for contributing to this story"

"Art is a fruit that grows in a man, like a plant , or a child in it's mother's womb."---Frank Auerbach

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On The Campaign Trail: K by Lagerfeld

**Image courtesy of K by Karl Lagerfeld

So it's been a while since I have done a "Campaign Trail" post. So for my triumphant return I present to you an image from the K by Karl Lagerfeld ad campaign for Fall/Winter 08/09. The images were taken by the Karl himself, who released a book of photography earlier this year in May. This campaign features models Jeisa Chiminazzo and Brad Kroenig both of whom Lagerfeld has used for his previous campaigns. I hope you all enjoy.

Designer Fashion Islands - Karl Lagerfeld To Design Homes for Isla Moda

Karl Lagerfeld and Samira Abdulrazzak, CEO Dubai Infinity Holdings

Legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has officially been named the first designer to collaborate with Dubai Infinity Holdings to design residential homes in the World’s Isla Moda.
80 haute houses will be designed by Lagerfeld on Dubai’s fashion island.
The revolutionary designer is reported to be the first of five designers to sign a deal with Dubai Infinity Holdings.
Dubai Infinity Holding’s collaboration with the fashion icon is an important business move for the company as his involvement will surely shape the island into the ultimate fashion destination.
Lagerfeld is excited for his new business venture.
“Dubai is a fashion bud on the verge of blossoming into the next fashion hub of the world,” Lagerfeld says. “The city is alive with culture and rich in personality, making it a perfect place for aesthetic, fashion and design to flourish. Isla Moda has tremendous potential to be the style icon of the future and I intend on driving the island to high style stardom,” the designer shares.
Due to open in 2011, the island will also feature boutiques, a 250-room Hotel Moda, and a style concierge.

Dubai's Fashion Island - Isla Moda

About Isla Moda: Isla Moda, the world's first dedicated Fashion Island. A mixed use development set in the iconic development The World, Isla Moda will combine a fashion resort, haute couture residential villas, bespoke retail offerings and luxury hospitality facilities in a drive to establish Dubai as a paradise of style. World renowned fashion designers from each continent will be instrumental in designing each element of the development.
Isla Moda will include a fashion hotel and a variety of luxury residential villas. The Hotel Moda will have approximately 250 rooms and serviced apartments, along with boutiques representing the world's most prominent designers, many of them exclusively. There will also be design studios and dedicated areas to service world renowned fashion events. Each area will be designed with the needs of the fashion industry and fashion connoisseurs in mind.
Near the residential collection will be the stylish Beach, Royal and Water Villas. All villas and villettes will offer a unique living experience while the limited edition villas will offer one of kind views, private beaches, pools and other unique residential accessories. As a first-of-a-kind project in the world, fashion conscious residents will select from the world's most recognized designers to create their own couture homes.
Isla Moda will also host exclusive international events, featuring high profile-designers and attended by the fashion world's crème de la crème. Fashion shows and limited edition product launches are a few of the events that will take place on the island.
Moreover, Isla Moda will offer first-class service in the form of a personal concierge for guests and residents alike ranging from a style concierge for clothing, perfumery, personal style makeovers, as well as design concierge to create one of a kind living environments with bespoke furnishings, art, and technology. Hotel guests and residential owners will also receive VVIP access to exclusive events, services, and products globally.

WOW---What wonderful times we live in!

"The key question isn't "What fosters creativity?" But it is why in God's name isn't everyone creative? Where was the human potential lost? How was it crippled? I think therefore a good question might be not why do people create? But why do people not create or innovate? We have got to abandon that sense of amazement in the face of creativity, as if it were a miracle if anybody created anything."---Abraham Maslow

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Story from ASDA'A Public Relations Press Release July 8, 2008

Like We Didnt Already Know

So this weekend Mitchel Winehouse, Amy Winehouse's father decided to go public and let the world in on his daughters battle with emphysema. Now all things considering that she is 24 {I know girls that have chain smoked for years and emphy-free} and currently battling something that's normally contracted by elderly people at 85 should be a wake up call to the world on the dangers of drug abuse, in addition to smoking.

Mitch told the Daily Mail, that "she's covered in nicotine patches from head to toe... The only thing that can go into her lungs are fresh air. She faces a stark choice - either she sticks to it or she won't sing again."

The 50's inspired bouffant that inspired everyone from Cavalli to Lagerfeld {so much so until the Chanel Fall 2008 campaign looks like Winehouse did the hairstyles herself} is currently undergoing treatment outside of London. My question to my readers are: Do you think she will kick her habit this time or not?

Karl Lagerfeld's Metamorphoses of an American

One of my favorite fashion icons, the larger than life Karl Lagerfeld has released a new book entitled Metamorphoses of an American. The book features five years worth of photos of model Brad Kroenig (born in 1979) that were shot by Lagerfeld himself. Metamorphoses “traces the physical and emotional development of Brad Kroenig … the world’s most sought-after male model.”
Maureen Orth Vanity Fair shared this insight about the Lagerfeld/Kroenig relationship: “‘Have you met Brad?’ Lagerfeld asked. Brad Kroenig, a top male mode who, at 6 foot 1, looks vaguely like Matthew McConaughey, was sparkling in the same silver sequined jacket he’d worn to the Met Costume gala the night before. He and Lagerfeld attended New York’s ‘party of the year’ together, and they had just arrived in Paris the afternoon I saw them, none the worse for wear. Kroenig, an easy-going 29-year-old with the uncanny ability to transform himself to look like everyone from James Dean to Errol Flynn, is the American whose ‘metamorphoses’ Lagerfeld has been documenting for the past five years. ‘I thought it would be interesting to follow the physical evolution of someone,’ the designer told me in his rapid-fire German accent. ‘Without him knowing it, he has an unbelievable range. It’s a kind of gift. He knows nothing about these things. It’s fun for somebody to skate on these images and interpretations without being an actor—the characters, the situations, the attitudes, while at the same time to stay a completely modern all-American.’”

"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up."---Paul Valery"

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Take A Bow

Ribbons. Bows. Now matter what you call them, they come in all different shapes and all sizes. Some are cute and dainty, perfect for decoration while others are demand attention as if they are the only thing that matters in a room. You see, now more than ever before I am noticing them trickle down to just about every other facet of life. {other than for the purpose of keeping certain shoes on your feet and decoration}Ever since Lagerfeld created a giant bow on set to showcase his s/s 2008 collection {which detailed stars and stripes forever} bows have been getting bigger, brighter and have become more of a fashion statement than staple. Even world renowned artist Maria Pergay has created a sculptured chair in the shape of the bow.

All the pretty Bows @ Net-A-Porter

Two different colored versions of Pergay's sculpture

**Some images are courtesy of artnet.com and Style.com

Guess Who's Influential

Are you still guessing?... Artist Takashi Murakami {who most recently collaborated with Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton}, French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld... AND Karl Lagerfeld! The trio has managed to grab a spot in TIME Magazines 100 Most Influential edition.

All three known for their unique edition to the worlds of fine and fashion. Lagerfeld who has been creating the epitome of style long before the majority of us were born has been hailed for years as a creative genius and of late is using that insight at Chanel {as well as his own respective fashion house}.

"Before Karl, we all looked to couture for inspiration and direction," Zaha Hadid says in the issue. "Now, through his work, fashion originates from the street, the media - anywhere. This has resulted in exciting collections that are provocative and sensual."

Roitfeld, much like Largerfeld, has been known for her sense of style ever since her modeling days. With her at the helm of French Vogue, the magazine has soared to new heights as she utilizes her keen fashion sense as well as the street style that is elegant, yet simple which is known to the streets of Paris.

**Image courtesy of TIME Magazine

Animated Fashion Icons - Karl Lagerfeld in Grand Theft Auto

Just a note....

The much anticipated fourth installment of Grand Theft Auto, due out 29th April, features non-other than fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld.
The larger than life fashion guru features as part of the game’s soundtrack, where he plays as one of the radio DJs at K109 The Studio station.
Catwalk Queen reports that, “Lagerfeld didn’t hesitate to star in the game’s forthcoming edition, after he was introduced to them via friend Daphne Guinness.”
Lagerfeld said, “I prefer to be in a video than to play with it. I would love to be a very nasty, politically incorrect character.”

"A good example is the best sermon one can preach."---Anonymous
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