Monday, June 23, 2014

Chanel Haute Couture.

Tues. 01/21/2014.










Chanel Haute Couture.

The Cambon Club. The place where all the Chanel Acolytes want to be! A Sparkling, Streamlined, Space Age 22nd Century Boite existing for the sole reason of showing off One's Chanel Finery in the most Rarefied and Majestic space possible! That was the idea being conjured Tuesday morn in Paris when The Kaiser Himself, Karl Lagerfeld showed his indefatigable Brilliance at continually hitting the "Refresh" button on the Laptop that is Chanel and coming up at each new turn with something so Addictively Desirable that one would think the man in League with the Forces of Nature themselves! There is something Slightly Mesmeric, Merlin-Like about Uncle Karl... He Seduces, He Entrances, He Enthralls and all with a Deliciously Sharp and Bitter Wit and Insight that is at equal times Hilarious and at times as Prescient as any of the greatest thinkers history has had to offer, Part Stand Up-Part Philospher... All Magician! That's Lagerfeld in a Nutshell.

The set was... Glorious! A Intergalactic Space Station of Shimmering White and Mirrored Glass, Radiating from the center of the back of the set a Column of the same Glass that was as Inscrutable as it was Lofty, It positively promised something transformative, and Transform it did. The column began to rotate smoothly and the highlight of any good club slowly began to reveal itself... The Band! In this instance, it was French Pop Crooner Sebastien Tellier with a Mini Orchestra to back him up in the Center. Behind him, A pair of Staircases as sweeping any Gloria Swanson or Vivien Leigh might have Glided down in some 40's film. It also was giving as much Busby Berkely Musical as anything else! Standing astride the Balcony connecting the staircases was Karl Muse De Moment, Cara Delevigne, as ready for her closeup as Norma Desmond ever was! The fresh Silhouette that Cara was wearing was the signature of the show, An embellished (RICHLY) Tweed suit with a cropped jacket showing off the Wasp-Waist midriff created by the usage of a fully boned and laced Corset. Attached to the corset bodices, skirts that were articulated to look as if they were separate pieces but were part of the Corseted dress under the Jackets... Ingenious!

Now, This isn't the first time Karl has played his hand with the Corset being the central conceit of a Haute Couture Collection. anyone remember Fall 1994 Haute Couture? Lagerfeld back then coined the term for the Mini Corsets in the collection the "Wundercorset" a play on the at the time mega selling "WonderBra" and were worn under EVERYTHING in that show and as Karl explained back then, the jackets and dresses were sewn so small that if the women did not wear the corset underneath them, they would never be able to button them. He played with the Corset underneath the Coatdresses of the Fall 1995 collection as well, they just weren't as severely shrinking, more as in just limning the body. So, In essence, this is not the first time Karl has applied the Squeeze to his Silhouette Chez Chanel, But it is the newest reinvention of that idea and is one his most finely executed ideas in the history of the house!

The Cavalcade of Couture beauties began on Cara in a White and Pink Tweed and careened on from there into Multiple variations from that opening look. The collection was Rife with Miraculous examples of Lagerfeld's Craft through his Incomprehensibly talented Ateliers at 31, Rue Cambon. Take Exit No. 8, The most Chanel of all Chanel Signatures, The White Tweed with Black Piping. Without doubt, the most BRILLIANT Piece in the Daywear Section of the show. It was one of those pieces that will be as salient now as it will be decades from now! It was unadorned, save for a simple bow at the neck, and overflowed with Chic! That was one of the best moments of this show... The Suits/Day Wear relied on nothing more than execution of cut to show off the Skills of the Atelier. Whilst in the past Lagerfeld has made it a point to show Suits/Day Wear in his Couture Shows, the clothes in those collections were more examples of Lagerfeld's artistic and technical skills, laden with embroidery and fabric effects and manipulation, here... it was all precision cut and fit!

Other Gems... Exit No. 18 in Texture embroidered Lilac Tweed, Exit No. 21 in Coral unembellished Tweed with a Black Crystal encrusted Waist, or the Daring Do of a Slim fit Pink Tweed jacket with a pair of Slim matched legging pants at Exit No. 27! These were but a few of the standouts. It also begs remarking that save for Gym Shoes (as we in the Midwest Call them) which were quite a revolutionary turn of events at the House of Coco, Karl and his team showed virtually NO Accessories... EXCEPT Elbow and Knee Pads and Yes, Karl has Revived.... THE FANNY PACK! And never was it more Luxurious! These Added a Dash of Quirkiness to the show and an earthiness that the grounded nature of the Trainers bespoke of at first look! The Ethereal of Haute Couture brought down to Earth by the Trainers!

As for evening, Chanel Haute Couture is always a Playground for some of the most Fantastical Offerings in the Oeuvre... and this collection was no different, in fact it was better than ever! A soap bubble Pink Embroidered dance dress at Exit No. 38 was Entrancingly Pretty especially with the colourful Crystal Flowers encrustation! Exit No. 57, on Ashleigh Good in Champagne Pink was equally Impressive, but the Best was saved for Manuela Frey at Exit No. 60... a little Nothing of a slender column in Chiffon and Beads and Ostrich Feather Fronds! Mesmerizing!

When Cara reappeared at the end with Karl's Little Dauphin, Godson Hudson Kroenig holding the train of her Mariee gown... It was Adorable and Whimsical and also Luminous! The Gown was Spellbinding and Chic with a nod to the past and the future!

In the annals of Chanel Couture, This was one of Karl's most overwhelming efforts! It Overwhelmed with Creativity, Beauty, Innovation, Wearability and Addictive Clothes. Clothes that women are going to Dream about owning and aspire to Acquire! It was Damn Near Perfect! Well... Wait A Minute....??? What The Hell am I saying, Damn Near!? Perfect!











That's All.











Bye4Now!













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