French fashion house Chanel is putting on display its haute couture creations, dazzling diamond jewelry and the makings of its famed No. 5 scent in a London exhibition unveiling the creative history of one of the world’s most luxurious brands.
The “Mademoiselle Prive” exhibit, which was to open at London’s Saatchi Gallery on Tuesday, showcases the worlds and works of late founding designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and creative director Karl Lagerfeld, at the helm since 1983.
Coco Chanel is brought to life with recreations — both physical and virtual through a downloadable app — of her Parisian flat, first boutique and trips to Scotland, where she was inspired for her tweed jackets and skirt suits.
On display are couture gowns by Lagerfeld and a re-edition of the only jewelry collection Coco Chanel designed in 1932. The diamond pieces were modeled by celebrities such as actresses Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart at Chanel’s July haute couture show, each wearing specially-designed gowns.
“Those pieces look more modern than other pieces of jewelry companies have,” Lagerfeld said at a preview.
“Normally I don’t take care of Chanel jewelry, but they asked me to do something special for this collection.”
Lagerfeld has also written a film where he imagines an encounter with Coco Chanel, played by Geraldine Chaplin.
Also on display at the exhibit are a maze of fabric swathes from the Chanel atelier as well as bubbling cauldrons which open up to reveal the ingredients of the Chanel No. 5 perfume, the first fragrance bearing the name of a designer.
Lagerfeld, who at 82 says he has no plans to retire just yet, is credited with having infused freshness into the label to keep it modern while faithful to its heritage.
“When I started at Chanel, everybody told me ‘Don’t touch it, it is finished’ and that amused me,” he said.
“It was like a challenge and it worked a 100 times better than I could have imagined.”
You probably first heard of Dominique Swain as a very young lady starring in the wildly controversial remake of Vladimir Nabokov’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s film ‘Lolita’. She continued captivating audiences when she became the youngest person to pose nude for PETA and has now solidified herself as a staple in cinema after starring in over fifty films. With the horror film ‘The 6th Friend’ and ‘Skin Traffik’ starring Daryl Hannah and Mickey Rourke, she’s got an impressive lineup to take her through 2016. Swain talks with us about the evolution of her career, a film she’d like to do all over again and what dating is like as one of the sexiest women in the world.
Your career was launched very early in life with your title role as Lolita. Can you tell us what it was like working with the films legendary director?
Working with Adrian Lyne on Lolita was one of the best, and certainly the most life changing events of my life. He is the most creative, compassionate man I have ever met and I felt one hundred percent safe with him. That is paramount on any film because as an actress, one has to feel completely free to look silly and vulnerable. knew he would protect my performance and I could act as big or as loud as I wanted to and he wouldn’t let me get away with anything but the best performance possible. I was so lucky to work with him and to know him as a human being.
Did you know it would be that controversial when you were filming it?
Lolita is based on the book by Vladimir Nabokov and so I knew it would be as controversial now as it was when it was published in 1955. The fact that it didn’t come out theatrically in the United States is criminal and I didn’t think our Puritan ancestors would bite me in the a** like that. Lyne’s films have always been controversial and sexually oriented so while I had a body double, to cut out all the titillating parts would have been silly because the film is about fixation with the sexiness of a minor.
What was it like growing up in Malibu?
Malibu is the most beautiful place in the world and I was lucky to grow up near the beach but I don’t even say that I grew up in Malibu anymore. I was one of the naked, barefoot, hippie Malibuites living three miles up a canyon with five people in two bedrooms so I don’t think I qualify for the stereotype of the stigma attached to the city today of trophy wives, drugs and money.
You’ve got a full slate of films coming out including ‘The 6th Friend,’ ‘Skin Traffik’ and many, many more. Can you share some of the highlights of what to look forward to?
The films I have coming out this year are all over the map in terms of genres. ‘The 6th Friend’ is a horror movie, ‘A Horse’s Tale’ is a family Christmas movie, and ‘Hunted’ is an action movie. I like to mix it up. I’m a character actress. In the film, ‘Skin Traffik’ I play a Ukrainian prostitute. Originally, I think the character was supposed to be British, but the director, Ara Paiella was Irish and couldn’t stomach an American doing an English accent. I watched Youtube videos of Eugene Hutz from the rock/ punk band Gogol Bordello [to prepare]. I’ve always had a voice coach and at least someone who was an authority on the dialect I’m trying to emulate, but I realized when I got on set that nobody else knew any better than I did, so I just did the best job I could. I have not seen the film but I hope it worked out. I might have just lost my Eastern European fans by butchering their tongue.
Tell us a little bit about your animated feature ‘Magik.’ How did you end up in the writer’s chair on this project?
For the film Magik, I was given the opportunity to co-write and screenwriting has been something I’ve done since before I started acting. I’m taking a screenwriting class right now to understand storytelling structure better but college is my hobby. I’m also taking a film production class to learn how to direct and a psychology class to prepare me for my next career in early childhood education. I also took French and physics and biology and animation and hair cutting. I’ve been a student on and off for ten years. I don’t see any reason why people shouldn’t keep learning new things throughout their lives.
Do you have any inside tips on how you stay healthy and keep your body in ideal form?
In terms of diet and exercise, I stay fit by running five miles a day and swimming with my dad. I think diet crazes are bogus and if you just don’t overeat, you can eat anything. I’ve always been very healthy but I’m lucky and my mom genetically has the best arms in the universe. For others whose metabolism doesn’t function well, I think that it is strange that this country allows fattist attitudes when other forms of bigotry are so taboo. I have a lot of obese friends and I guarantee that I eat more than they do.
What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever had to do on a set?
Carrying a fake gun in my handbag. I looked at the prop gun and noticed that the hammer was cocked and I like to go to the rifle range so I handle guns all the time. I tried to eject the magazine and pull back the hammer even more, hoping it would get jiggled into place and took a shot at the floor. Then, in the spirit of a big tough man fixing the little lady’s problems with a firearm, my friend grabbed the gun and fired it at the five people who were standing around the camera. Well, it was not a fake gun and it was loaded and I was very shaken up because not only did it go off, we were using full instead of quarter rounds and point blank, blanks can kill, like Bruce Lee. So I said, “Well, at least no one got hit.” And a voice came from somewhere near the camera, and said, “Oh yes they did.” But the
The glow of youth is something that women try to hold onto for as long as possible, and who can blame us? Tight, smooth, blemish free skin, boundless energy and balanced hormones are just a few of the traits that seem to slowly slip away each time we blow another birthday candle. Many companies have tried to bottle it, making promises that we can erase our wrinkles, our dark spots, or even time. Serums, creams, and injections are just some of the ‘illusion of youth’s’ synthetic forms and while some of these do erase a fraction of the harsh effects of aging, we need to look deeper and nourish our bodies from the inside out to not only help reverse damage, but to help prevent further damage.
Studying personal nutrition has given me so much insight about the way that our cells age and how by taking care of ourselves with rest, relaxation and a diet that supplies us the correct minerals and vitamins, we can slow the physical effects of aging. We discussed with the professionals at WebMD the top foods to incorporate into your weekly menus to deliver the best results.
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Water tops the list in being the most vital item to intake to keep your body functioning the way it should and to keep your skin supple and glowing. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that an astounding 43% of adults are drinking less than four cups of water a day. By upping your water intake to equaling half your body weight in ounces, you are giving yourself a wonderful foundation to better rest, better skin and better body function overall.
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
Dark, leafy greens are king when it comes to packing essential nutrients needed to thrive. As a prime source of lutein and zeaxanthin, dark greens are also rich in Vitamin K, helping to prevent fractures and decreasing bone loss. If you have a hard time eating bowls of dark greens, try mixing them into your morning fruit smoothie or egg white omelet to start your day off strong.
THE ANTI-OXIDANT SUPERSTARS
Berries, berries and more berries. Dark berries such as blueberries, blackberries and currants are high in anti-oxidants that help combat free radicals and decrease inflammation. They are also beneficial for promoting a smooth complexion with their natural inclusion of Vitamin C. Top probiotic rich yogurts with fresh berries or freeze a few for a cool summer treat.
LEAN, MEAN ANTIAGING MACHINE
Protein is a key component in all stages of life, but it is vital once a man or a woman hits their forties. After age forty, muscle mass begins to decline at a rate of up to 1% every year. Thereby slowing down the body’s metabolism and making it easier to store fat and increase risk of disease. Aim for lean sources of protein and include rich sources of Omega 3’s, such as oily fish, eggs, poultry and beans and limit red meat to an occasional treat
LOW-GLYCEMIC WHOLE GRAINS
Though one should aim to pack their plate with vegetables, fruits and lean proteins, whole grains offer protection against diseases such as colon cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Steer clear of refined grains, which can actually increase inflammation, and opt for gluten-free oats, wild rice and organic flours. Serve your grains with lean protein and vegetables for a well-rounded meal, and try to intake fruit separately as a snack for easier digestion
Taking care of our bodies is a simple task that has been made complex by today’s society of alluring photographs, commercials and sugar-laden confections. Aiming to consume the recommended five servings of vegetables a day, along with plenty of water, is the perfect first step to take on a new road to health, recovery and beauty. One that is rooted from the inside out.
Karl Lagerfeld’s exhaustive efforts in the fashion will be recognized on November 23 when the German designer picks up the prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Fashion Awards.
Lagerfeld, 82, is best known for his work at Chanel, where he has held the position of creative director for over thirty years. Additionally, he helms his own eponymous brand and also Italian fashion house Fendi, for whom he has worked in various capacities for some 50 years.
“Karl Lagerfeld defines outstanding. He is the champion of excellence, the master of the exceptional and one of the most iconic figures globally from our industry,” said Natalie Massenet, chairman of the British Fashion Council. “His life’s work for his own and so many extraordinary brands has written the language of fashion. He is the ultimate visionary and we celebrate not only the decades already passed but those yet to happen. In Karl’s hands the future of fashion will be an exceptional one.”
As well as the world’s most famous designer, Lagerfeld is an accomplished photographer, often shooting the campaigns for the three brands he heads up.
The epic pace at which he works – for Chanel alone he designs seven collections annually (two ready-to-wear, two haute couture, one pre-fall, one resort and one Metiers d’Art) – has often been commented on. He recently revealed that scientists had asked if they could test his DNAbecause they believe he is “not normal”.
“But I flatly refused. Unique pieces are unique pieces,” he told Vogue. “But I think very flattering, huh? And also I was asked for skincare for men because they think I am remade. But I am not remade. I am all fake but not remade.”
Previous recipients of the award include Anna Wintour and Manolo Blahnik. The event, held at the London Coliseum, will also see Victoria Beckham fight it out with J.W. Anderson and Christopher Kane to win the night’s top award, Womenswear Designer of the Year.
Hussein Chalayan has always been a master of innovation — and this season was no exception. As the audience entered his show, two models in white lab-like paper coats stood stoically in the middle of the runway. Midshow, a shower of water rained down and dissolved the coats — revealing beautiful crystal dresses. Magic on the runway!
2. Life in Plastic, It’s Fantastic
Plastic popped up everywhere in Paris. At Margiela, cellophane came wrapped on sweaters and models’ legs; at Loewe, held in the Unesco building, towers and concrete stools were wrapped in plastic. And it tied into the collection: The opening look featured transparent pants.
3. The Row Came to Paris
This season, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen took their collection to Paris instead of New York. They gave editors a chance to see the collection at the Row’s beautiful showroom in the Marais — but the real treat was the show itself, which was presented only to private clients (no press allowed!) at a chateau outside the city.
4. Vetements’ Designer Got a Big New Appointment
The chatter at shows this week was dominated by one thing and one thing only: Who would be the new artistic director at Balenciaga. When the brand Vetements showed its second collection in a large, brightly lit Chinese restaurant earlier this week, it was clear that its creative director Demna Gvasalia was a strong contender for the job. The rumors were put to rest when Balenciaga announced that indeed Gvasalia would take over at Balenciaga — and now, surely, everyone will try extra hard to get their hands on the Vetements spring/summer 2016 collection.
5. Rick Owens Defied Gravity
Rick Owens is always one of the must-attend shows of the week. This season, the designer recruited local gymnasts to make an appearance, and sent them down the runway fastened together with straps. “I was hesitant about showing women under strain, but we show women as sugared dolls enough,” Owens told T. “Women can also be athletes that go to another physical level to achieve an aesthetic ideal. And these women did that with a powerful serenity, which is something we can all hope for in ourselves.”
6. Courrèges Came Back to Life
This week marked the revival of the iconic 1960s brand Courrèges at the hands of the talented young designers Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant. When the show began, much to the audience’s surpise, the designers came out with microphones and introduced the collection personally. It was an intimate and unexpected move and — coupled with a strong collection — certainly made their future seem bright.
7. French Vogue Celebrated Its Big 95th
Happy birthday French Vogue! Who would have thought at 95 a girl could throw a party like this? And what a night it was: Designers and editors flocked to a private mansion to celebrate the magazine — for a night that felt like it was straight out of Studio 54.
8. Chanel Took a Trip to the Airport
The Grand Palais was transformed into what seemed like a terminal at Charles de Gaulle — for Chanel Airlines. With airport desks and signs listing flight destinations, models decended in layered, laid-back plane looks and quilted wheelie bags. Airport culture made its way into the collection, too, with lit-up chunky sandals that glowed like an airport runway and clutch bags in the shape of neck pillows.
9. Olympia Le Tan Honored Tokyo and The Hotel Okura
For her spring/summer 2016 show, the designer Olympia Le Tan offered up an homage to Tokyo and her favorite hotel: the soon-to-be-demolished Hotel Okura. It was a playful — but moving — tribute to the city and the classic building.
10. Céline’s Perfect Beauty
The red lip seems to be the beauty takeaway from spring/summer 2016 — but no one perfected it quite like Phoebe Philo. The beauty look at Céline evoked the ’80s icon Sade: slicked-back hair in a braid, a simple matte complexion, cherry-red lips and hoop earrings. In all, a perfect complement to the collection.
The first retrospective in nearly 20 years of the beloved photographer Irving Penn’s work opens this month at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where it will be on view until March and then followed by a national tour. The accompanying monograph — which includes an essay by the curator Merry A. Foresta — provides a comprehensive look at the true range of his work. The book includes everything from a striking image of a 1926 Chanel sequined suit to a still life of blocks of frozen fruits and vegetables and close-ups of decomposing cigarettes. There’s also a look back at Penn’s early street photography in New York and Philadelphia, as well as portraits of Le Corbusier and Truman Capote.
“The Belgians: An Unexpected Fashion Story”
Published in conjunction with a recent survey of Flemish fashion designers at the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels, “The Belgians,” edited by the curator Didier Vervaeren, traces the emergence of Belgian fashion as an international phenomenon — from Norine (a now largely forgotten pioneer of the Belgian avant-garde) to Martin Margiela and Raf Simons. Filled with iconic runway photos, the tome pays particular attention to the subversive legacy of the Antwerp Six — including Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten and Walter Van Beirendonck — and highlights the enduring influence of their gender-bending, punk-inspired approach to fashion.
“Bottega Veneta: Art of Collaboration”
Since 2002, Bottega Veneta’s Creative Director Tomas Maier has collaborated with a different artist for each season’s campaign. “Bottega Veneta: Art of Collaboration”presents a comprehensive look at the fashion house’s stunning — and varied — 14-year portfolio. Among work by fashion mainstays like Annie Leibovitz and Steven Meisel are many more unexpected collaborators: Nan Goldin, Larry Sultan, Tina Barney, Philip-Lorca diCorcia and Alex Prager, among others. “I like to think about how Bottega Veneta exists in the real world, once the bags or the clothes have been bought and become part of someone’s life,” Maier told T. “Looking at the campaigns together, they give me a sense of this, because the images have narratives and scenarios that go beyond the typical fashion image.”
“Philip Treacy: Hat Designer”
“A hat can completely change the personality of the wearer, make him stand differently or walk differently,” the milliner writes in his new book, “Philip Treacy: Hat Designer.” “Most people gain their confidence from a hat. Hats are empowering.” Featuring editorial shots by legendary fashion photographers including Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon and Herb Ritts, the luxurious monograph celebrates Treacy’s most fantastical, innovative and iconic creations — including a bird made of twigs designed for Alexander McQueen, his iconic “ship hat” worn by both Grace Jones and Isabella Blow and a Warhol-inspired fascinator resembling a can of Campbell’s soup, modeled by Naomi Campbell.
“Art and Fashion: Collaborations and Connections Between Icons”
Over the past decade, collaborations between fashion designers and artists have become increasingly ubiquitous — from Takashi Murakami’s work with Louis Vuitton to Damien Hirst’s partnership with Alexander McQueen and Jeff Koons’s with Stella McCartney. “Art and Fashion” examines the historically contentious relationship between the two fields through the lens of 25 collaborations, including Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí’s iconic lobster dress, Cecil Beaton’s 1951 Vogue editorial (featuring models in ball gowns posing in front of Jackson Pollock paintings) and Vivienne Westwood’s Keith Haring-covered textiles. “Collaborations are risky. They involve egos and can often be reminiscent of disastrous grad-school group work,” fashion historian E.P. Cutler, the book’s co-author, told T. “But when creatives speak the same language, the result is not only capitalistically appealing, but also ennui-shattering and genuinely inspiring.”
Seventeen years after Britney Spears released “…Baby One More Time” and catapulted into the national consciousness, it seems we still can’t get enough of the pop icon.
Onstage in a sheer body suit with some strategically placed vinyl, Spears recently confirmed that her residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas has been extended for an additional two years, with a new closing date set for December 2017. Two years in — and with two more years added to the contract — the show is also prepping to undergo a major overhaul.
Spears initially announced her Vegas residency, Britney: Piece of Me, with an early morning helicopter flight over the desert outside of town, where a schoolgirl-clad crowd held up panels creating an oversized sign for the Strip show. Piece of Me is a tour through the singer’s hits and career, a full-scale spectacle that includes elaborate costumes and the intricate dance numbers for which Spears has long been known.
Vitalii Sediuk, also known as the Red carpet prankster, reportedly decided to make an appearance at the Louis Vuitton Paris Fashion Week show last week.
After targeting many stars on the Red carpet, including Kim Kardashian and Kayne West, Sediuk decided that his next target would be model Miranda Kerr, according to Yahoo News.
Sediuk was reportedly seen kissing Kerr on the cheek as she was walking down the Red carpet. The mother of four-year-old Flynn Bloom reportedly remained calm and walked away from the scene.
Kerr wasn’t the only one that was targeted by the Ukrainian media personality. Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour also encountered Sediuk during the Chanel show in Paris on October 5, according to Us Magazine.
Sediuk was reportedly seen giving Wintour “bunny ears” before being rushed away by her bodyguards.
Sediuk has reportedly previously crawled underneath America Ferrara’s skirt and received assault charges from Brad Pitt. That clearly hasn’t stopped him from being a nuisance at media events.
What may have previously been seen as a joke has become a serious issue.
“People thought it was funny when he streaked at New York Fashion Week, but this was something beyond entertainment reporting. He’s gone too far,” Sediuk’s former publicist, Christa Scherck, told PEOPLE.
“Vitalii’s behavior and antics have become increasingly disturbing. It’s apparent he has real issues that need to be dealt with.”
Each year, the Victoria Secret Fashion Show boasts beautiful new lingerie, some of the most famous models in the industry and even big names in the music industry to take the stage during the unique underwear runway show aired on national television. This year’s lineup and musical guest list, announced Tuesday, proves to be no different.
The 2015 annual event will host the most famous Victoria’s Secret angels, including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Behati Prinsloo, Candice Swanepoel and Lily Aldridge. The cast of models will also include some of the lingerie brand’s newest faces, like Elsa Hosk, Jac Jagaciak, Jasmine Tookes, Kate Grigorieva, Lais Ribeiro, Martha Hunt, Romee Strijd, Sara Sampaio, Stella Maxwell, Taylor Hill and Rachel Hilbert, a Victoria’s Secret PINK model, according to CBS.
Victoria’s Secret PINK model Rachel Hilbert (right) will be one of the newest additions to the 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.Source: Johnny Louis/Getty Images
The show will also feature three musical artists this year: Selena Gomez, the Weeknd and Rihanna, who made headlines when she performed her breakout single, “Phresh Out The Runway,” from her Unapologetic album at the 2012 show.
The annual event will be held in New York City and will air on CBS Dec. 8 at 10 p.m. ET. Check out the latest details on the upcoming event, as well as videos from last year’s performances, here.
Pigtails and high-fashion may not sound like they go together, but this season, they became BFFs in a major way. At shows like Miu Miu, Chanel, Marni, and Mara Hoffman, hairstylists send the models down the runway with two tails flopping off either side of their shoulders — with interesting accessories and textures that made the little-girl style all grown-up.
And even better, they also happen to be the perfect weekend hair inspiration. Greasy roots? Miu Miu’s interpretation calls for one of the coolest headbands from the back of your closet. Flat hair? Chanel likes you just the way you are. Dying to finally channel your country icon Willie Nelson? We’re telling you, there’s a version for everyone.
Chanel
If Karl Lagerfeld’s charming sketch of the le double catogan (or double ponytail) at Chanel’s spring show isn’t inspiration enough, consider this: the style works on whatever texture you woke up with. Make two low ponytails and clip them together with a cool, oversizedbarrette. (These Chanel ones, featuring double clips, were made especially for this look.)
Marni
Designer Consuelo Castiglioni sent colorblocked, ’70s-esque pieces down Marni’s spring runway, so hairstylist Paul Hanlon created graphic, sleek pigtails to match.
To create the layered look seen here, divide each pony into three parts, secure the center one with an elastic at the nape of your neck, then cross the side sections over it and secure with pins. Finish with a heavy coating of shine spray.
Walmart Rubber Black Hair Tie Elastic Rubber Bands, $4.74, available at Walmart; OribeAprés Beach Wave and Shine Spray, $37, available at NET-A-PORTER.
Mara Hoffman
Calling all country fans: The plaits at Mara Hoffman were inspired by Willie Nelson. In fact, models even walked the runway to the iconic singer covering Ella Fitzgerald’s classic, “Blue Skies.”
To score the look, keep your part sharp and elastics invisible. Then, neatly tie a folded scarf around the back of your head and over the plaits.
YS Park 339 Fine Cutting Comb, $20, available at YS Park; Blax Snag-Free Hair Elastics, $4, available at Smoothies.
Miu Miu
Miu Miu’s show was all about unexpected touches: Lingerie over clothes, an inky ombré lip courtesy of Pat McGrath, and slightly messy, classic pigtails adorned with metal flower crowns.
Lightly mist your low pigtails with dry shampoo or texturizing spray to get the full aery effect. Then, finish with your favorite metallic headband.
