SNAP Fashion

Lessons to learn about fashion longevity from Chanel Pre SS14

Fashion is stylish vicious circle. Just as you get your head around one set of trends, another batch come along and there are new rules to learn. So factor in the increasing importance of cruise collections (now known as Pre collections) and voila…extra homework!

But it’s homework we’re happy to do. Especially when dished out by Karl Lagerfeld, who has just shown Chanel’s Pre SS14 collection – yup that’s right folks…NEXT summer, before this one’s even begun. So how is this helpful to us? Well, you can be extra shopping savvy by buying into trends that will go the distance…make tricky transitions into Autumn, work as part of your winter wardrobe (yes seriously – we’re talking monochrome!) and come full (non vicious circle) to still be trendy next summer.

Think we’re crazy? Here are 10 tips to make your wardrobe work harder in the future.

Monochrome Cara style

Monochrome: Timeless and chic. I love the feathered and tweed looks in this collection.  Stock up on a chic pair of cropped trousers and pretty prints to get work wear with serious mileage.

A little bit punk: Take your style notes from the Met ball or tone it down Chanel-style with a quirky fringe.

White on white: It’s everywhere this summer and definitely not just for weddings. White looks crisp and fresh in winter too so feel free to invest in structured pieces – floatiness is just for summer.

Pure style

Stripes: They’re huge at Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors right now in a 1960s way but Chanel’s are broader and more relaxed. Whatever. Stripes ALWAYS rock.

The easiest trend to copy?

White court shoes: Check out our guide and invest now. They’re here to stay!

Blue eyeshadow: We swooned over Topshop Unique’s AW13 bold blue eyes and now Chanel’s at it too – in a more feline kinda way.

True blue

Print on print: is still a big thing. In this collection the prints match for some outfits and also contrast in others. I really like the pieces where the prints match but vary in scale.

Wide leg trousers: are having a moment. These are elegant and movie star rather than 1970s.

Wide girl

Volume: Those supersized slouchy coats at Celine and all the playful proportions of SS13 and AW13? They’re here to stay – check out the slouchy but structured ‘IT’ tee/jacket.

The luxe tee

A little bit Gatsby: There are mixed reviews of Baz Luhrman’s cinematic epic, but Lagerfeld’s homage to Coco, those delicious drop waits and perfect tailoring is incredible.

Oh J’adore it all!

Chanel’s Little Black Jacket Exhibition will land in London!

Get excited! Following massive success in Tokyo, New York, Taipei and Hong Kong, Chanel’s Little Black Jacket exhibition is coming to London!

We’ve read our fair share of articles over the years claiming that Chanel jacket is a wardrobe essential (if you can afford one) and it’s one of those classic lust-have pieces. But recently we’ve been rather taken with the work of various bloggers and fashion journalists who have religiously worn the Chanel jacket and styled it in different ways to prove its versatility and timelessness. If you wore it every day for the next decade it could prove to be affordable on a buy-per-wear calculation…(that’s what we’re telling ourselves).

Of course the project began as a super stylish coffee table book of various models, actors, designers and musos wearing the jacket their way. When the idea is from Karl Lagerfeld and Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld you know it’s a good one and even better when Karl takes all 113 photos himself.

You can get your fashionable mitts on the book this Autumn and visit the exhibition from 12-28 October at The Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY. Admission is free so there’s no excuse – put it in your diary!

For real Chanel anoraks (or should that be LBJs) there will also be some beautiful window displays in Chanel’s Bond Street, Sloane Square and Brompton Cross boutiques. Get more here including an amazing video about the making of the jacket.

Chanel + the Choupette bag rumours

Oh Choupette – the haute kitty so beloved of Karl Lagerfeld. We love @ChouettesDiary and Karl’s obsession with his pretty kitty friend. He kinda reminds us of a very fashionable Bond villain- maybe it’s the gloves and all the leather!

Anyway Karl’s kitty may be the inspiration for Chanel’s new IT bag, if you believe the fashion rumours. The New York Times’ fashion girl, Cathy Horyn tweeted that the Choupette bag is ‘knitted’ and ‘soft’…with  a tail and ears – ok we made that last bit up. But how exciting!

Choupette has acquired quite a following after le Lagerfeld revealed that the cat has two maids and can use an iPad.. It is hard to separate the myth and reality of Choupette but the story goes that Karl was kitty sitting and refused to give Choupette back as she was ‘too cute’.

According to WWD, Karl said: “She has lunch and dinner with me on the table, with her own food. She doesn’t touch my food. She doesn’t want to eat on the floor. She sleeps under a pillow and she even knows how to use an iPad. She has two personal maids, for both night and day. She is beyond spoiled. When I am not there, the maids take down, in little books, everything she did, from what she ate to how she behaved, if she was tired, and if she wasn’t sleeping. In the nine months, we already have almost 600 pages.”

He is certainly smitten with his kitten! We can’t wait to see the bag.

Choupette in a bag – too cute

Ici, c’est la place du chat…bien sur!

On tour (pic: ShowStudio)

Ooh la la!

All pics: @KarlLagerfeld

Food shopping with Karl Lagerfeld

We LOVE a teaser but only if the result is worth waiting for. And it looks like French Elle magazine has got it right…we are excited! (Feeling teased yet?)

The reason for our excitement, readers, is that there is an editorial inside the magazine of Karl Lagerfeld in a rather unusual situation. The man himself took to Twitter to add to our anticipation, telling his followers that he is appearing “as you’ve never seen him.” (So he refers to himself in the third person eh?)

And nope- that’s not with a baguette and beret on a bicycle, riding a giant French poodle or shaking his famous hair loose (more’s the pity), but in a supermarket…*GASP!* Here’s a glimpse.

Which detergent will he choose to wash his Chanel?!

So it’s not a budget-busting shoot but an interesting location for a man who is not a renowned foodie (just ask Adele) and apparently said: “I do not need to go shopping because I never eat”.

The shoot features models Caroline Brasch Nielsen and Saskia de Brauw walking the isles (instead of the catwalk) with Lagerfeld, dressed in his ‘value’ Karl collection. Karl will also apparently appear in a car reading a sports newspaper and shopping for washing liquid.

He reportedly told the magazine: “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.”

We’re not sure if he means gaining weight from eating lots of food, or going on a crazy shopping spree Supermarket Sweep style laiden with bags, whatever, we can’t wait to see the shoot.

However, I can’t help thinking they could have taken this concept further. I would love to see Karl’s fantasy shopping basket and thinking about it, what the controversially weight-conscious designer actually eats – he must do, right? I would love it if we spot a supermarket-inspired collection on the SS13 Chanel catwalk – food advertising printed skirts and foil tops perhaps? After all Karl did design a Coke bottle! Maybe not.

Quotes and pic from The Telegraph.

Chanel vs Ke$ha (seriously)

We have got the best PFW round-up coming your way this weekend but until then sparkly eyebrows and some less challenging Chanel deats. The weird thing is, Ke$ha might have beaten Karl Lagerfeld to this trickiest of micro trends. Voila!

Chanel's edgy take on the 'strong brow'

Ke$ha in the 'We are what we are' video

Miranda Kerr debuts the eyebrows!

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Ditto

Pics: Styleblazer, Just Jared and Because I’m Addicted.

Designer jewellery – literally

We’ve seen these before but Stylist kindly put a load of pictures in one place…so for all our followers…behold the wonders that are the mini designers and fashion mogul necklaces by Defiles by Paris. I would like a mini Anna Wintour please.

Prices start at £130 from myflashtrash.com

Anna + Karl

Susy Menkes + Yves Saint Laurent

Sonia Rykiel, Alber Ebaz + Azzedine Alaia

Top 5: Karl for Net-a-Porter

Net-a-Porter has 100% cemented itself as the one-stop-shop for all things high fashion, after the launch of Karl Lagerfeld’s ‘budget’ range. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves- it’s pricier than Versace for H&M but a LOT cheaper than Chanel.

We’ve picked out our five favourites from the first drop, which all scream ‘Lagerfeld!’ Will you be splashing out on anything?

My favourite: Jeren cotton-terry + PVC sweater. Edgy but effortless for £115

Saba faux leather skirt £135 - perfect for the SS12 sports luxe trend

How to 'Karl' any outfit: printed faux leather collar £85

Batya wrap-effect crepe top £155. Because this will never go out of fashion

Classic Karl biker detail- Ordina sequined biker dress £350

1950s dresses + yellow + an airplane: must be couture!

We could spend hours looking at all the couture collections- after all couture is all about attention to detail and superb craftsmanship. But for those a little pushed-for time, here is a mini round-up of the highlights so far.

Chanel typically went OTT on the set front with Karl Lagerfeld showing off a beautifully-blue toned beaded collection in an airplane. It kind of reminded us a tiny bit of the SS12 underwater collection with some nods to Chanel classics past.

Meanwhile, one of the colours set to define SS12 dominated the Armani Prive and Versace shows. We’re calling it sherbet lemon. We love the mixture of 1950s shapes (such as structured tops and pencil skirts) and futuristic fabrics and space-age detailing- also created in a retro-style kind of way…think the 1950s Festival of Britain Skylon.

Meanwhile, Christian Dior is still playing the classic card (much like its SS12 show) but we like it and it’s super glamorous. Regarde!

No need for emergency exits - fly Chanel!

My fav Chanel dress

Amazing and classic Dior. J'adore.

1950s London + the futuristic Skylon tower (wish it was still there!)

Reminds me slightly of Armani Prive

Spacey and super strong (no frills here!) at Versace Couture

Alice Dellal x Chanel handbags

The rumours are true, model Alice Dellal (known for her punky part-shaven hairstyle) is the new face of Chanel’s Boy handbag collection.

Alice in Wonderland (or Chanel freebie-land. The dream.)

Chanel has leaked pictures of the one-and-only Karl Lagerfeld shooting the campaign, where Dellal is perched on an old-style desk in a lush frilly Chanel dress.

Ooh secret - shhh!

The super-brand told WWD: “[Karl Lagerfeld] had a crush on this unique, charismatic young lady, who is both a model and musician, during a photo shoot several months ago. This previously unforeseen alliance finally became self-evident. Alice Dellal represents the perfect incarnation of all that is unique about the Boy Chanel handbag collection, which strives [to be] far from conformist notions of femininity.” So there you have it.

You might have seen Dellal modelling for Mango and Agent Provocateur but this is definitely the biggest brand yet.

Oh and have you seen the Boy bag? J’adore!

Oh Boy!

Being Karl Lagerfeld – new Net-a-Porter app

One can only imagine what fun it is to be Karl Lagerfeld, but now you can at least experience how much fun it is to look like the man himself.

To celebrate the launch of Karl, (the budget Lagerfeld range available via Net-a-Porter in 38 days) the online designer super store has launched a Karl app, including 2 games.

If you can find Karl in a maze-like game, or you can try Karlified, where Lagerfeld facial features are superimposed over your own photo. All you have to do is upload you as Karl to Facebook or Twitter to be in with the chance of winning a mystery prize.

Find Karl!

...or BE Karl!

Perhaps more exciting though is a sneak peek of the new line (say ooh!)

Karl preview