Chanel's Inspiration To The World And Many Decades To Come ......

As you can see Coco Chanel and her revolutionized label has evolved from her humble beginnings to how head designer Karl Lagerfeld has still maintained her values and main designs in the 21st century.Every great idea starts from an intelligent human being,as in for Coco Chanel. She had the love and passion for what she did, which showed in her art pieces and  great intuition. She was never afraid to be the "outsider" because it seems to me that she believed in going against the trends and the "status-quo" to make a change. That change was not only seen in the fashion industries but also  in our everyday society. She was an inspiration for many well known individuals in our society such as ; Jackie Kennedy to Marilyn Monroe, who wore her art pieces daily.

Chanel as we know is known as an exclusive higher end brand name in the world. This is all in result to their marketing and quality selection of art they put out for the world to embrace. The one thing that stands Chanel out of the ball park from the rest of the designers is their timeless designs. That was one thing that Chanel wanted to do, was to create new pieces of style that you could make your own by mixing and matching and that never went out of style(little black dress). This indifference was the mix of practical and elegance in one, which in my opinion we, in the 21st century ,are still trying to do.

In my opinion, her main message that she wanted to convey through her fashion passion was to" take care of your appearance". She loved looking amazingly elegant in her own clothes but that wasn't the point of why she made such prestige ensembles. It was so that when women or men wore her clothes they would be presenting themselves in a way that people from the outside would respect them as powerful people(1).This has been a reality since day one for the label Chanel, as they design for only the best of the best in the industry.

After reading that last paragraph, most of you are probably thinking that yes Chanel is only made for the richest of the richest people in our society today. But in reality I believe you guys are missing the whole point of this exclusive label. I believe successful people like Coco were made as mentors for us middle class society to look up to and to thrive for that same success. Becoming an intelligent and classy person like Coco does not just happen over night. She worked very hard for what she believed in: HERSELF.That characteristic in itself was just an inspiration for Karl Lagerfeld to continue her hard work after she had passed and should also be an inspiration for us to follow our dreams.

 The One and Only; Coco Chanel

In conclusion ladies and gents, Coco Chanel will always be remembered as not only the one behind the iconic little black dress but more as a strong willed women who never gave up. Her designs are still evolving and inspiring the world in the labels extravagant fashion shows and new collections each season. I am very excited to see Lagerfelds's new thoughts for their spring collection. It has been a pleasure to read all of your comments and thoughts on each one of my posts. Until next time, my fashionistas!!

"May my legend prosper and thrive. I wish it a long and happy life.”- Chanel  

(1): http://readingpsychology.com/2011/01/20/7-lessons-you-can-learn-from-coco-chanel-about-success/

     

A Catwalk We Won't Forget !

Chanel Fall/Winter 2010 Collection 

Chanel is known for their amazing fashion show productions, to promote their new collections each season. To be honest, I have never watched a Chanel runway show, but when I came across this headline I could not resist not to watch it. We are all  accustom to the idea that a fashion show consists of a runway,lights, paparazzi and models. But could you ever imagine seeing a 260 ton iceberg on a runway? Is it possible you may ask? Well ladies and gents, yes! Yes it is 110% possible.


On March 9th, 2010, Karl Lagerfeld (head designer of Chanel) showed off his creativity to his audience at the Grand Palais, Paris for his  Chanel Fall/Winter 2010 Collection, as he unveiled a 265 ton iceberg from Sweden on his runway (1). After watching it, I don't know if the people were more interested in the fashion being presented or that huge white box on stage. It was a show stopper. Lagerfeld said his inspiration was the Ice Hotel in Sweden (1).

Ensemble #57

Aside from the show stopping iceberg, I was very pleased with the designs that Lagerfeld brought fourth in this show. All the garments were made from fake fur(2) and unique designs. He followed the color pattern of the whites, greys, blacks, browns and reds. There was a wide variety of tweed jackets, fur bags and dresses. The one ensemble I loved was #57(the photo above). It has that winter white and grey colors that brighten the outfit up with the contrast of black. It is a very classy and elegant piece of art in my opinion.
Surprisingly, this has not been the first time Chanel's Lagerfeld has surprised everyone. In January 2013 for his Spring Collection, he made a forest path as his runway with the ensembles being bright and radiant colors to clash with the backdrop (3). Many celebrities praise Chanel's shows because of the unexpected factor and it's amazing authenticity of true passion for fashion.

Ensemble #4 

This fashion show was the 'tip of the iceberg'! The Chanel team came together to make a bold statement in the fashion history and that is what Chanel is known for. Runway shows are how high end brands expand the demand of their products and gives the brands a chance to present the face of their label anyway they want. To be honest, I think the city of Windsor should have more fashion shows for the higher end brand names that we have here. I know it wouldn't be as extravagant as Chanel's shows, but I think it would give a boost of inspiration for higher end brand names to invest here.


Question of the week : If you could design and put together your own fashion show, what would be your theme or color scheme ? What season collection would you be promoting?

*** To see more ensembles of Lagerfeld's creativity click the link below and scroll to the bottom of the page!! Happy looking!!
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2010/ready-to-wear/chanel







(1):http://www.ecouterre.com/chanels-karl-lagerfeld-unsure-about-global-warming-prepares-for-ice-age/
(2): http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2010/ready-to-wear/chanel
(3):http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2013CTR-CHANEL/      

Chanel's Little Black Dress: Dare To Wear Black?

Chanel's first design of the LBD

In the old days, the color black was only to be worn in the effect of mourning or surprisingly by Widows, who were supposed to wear it to show their " bereavement and marital status" (1). Some people today still think of the color black as a sad  and unattractive color to be worn as a simple little black dress. Well let me just say times are different now, and the color black is seen as a classic and timeless color. I couldn't agree more with that statement. In my opinion, the color black matches with anything. It is a perfect mysterious color for an evening outfit and an accent color for daytime wear. Frankly, I had the same thoughts as Coco Chanel did back in the day. It is funny how fashion truly evolves in a circle.

Gothic Style

A timeless example will forever be Chanel's Little Black Dress (LBD). This iconic item all started by the one and only Coco Chanel herself back in 1926. In this year, she came out with her first design of a Little Black Dress known as "Chanel (Module T) Ford"(1). It was a very elegant dress with slim v-cuts and unique outlines. The color black soon became an accent color for accessories and shoes.  In 1962, this style dress was promoted by Vogue Magazine which than was a must have in every women's closet. Also, Chanel's LBD was used in "Dior's New Look" promotion in the 1950s, as a significance of richness and dangerous women fashion statements (1). People of that era started wearing more risky ensembles, which helped evolve this item in time. In the 50's and 60's, the color black was interpreted as "the old dangerous and rebel style" (1), which as still stuck in our time today with Punk rock bands and Gothic fashion senses.

"Little Black Skirt Era" worn by actress Hayden Panettiere  

The LBD inspired by Chanel has evolved in so many styles, shapes and forms. It has been an inspiration to all women in the world who dare to wear black as a bold statement in the fashion world today. It has also evolved into men's fashion as well. This means that BLACK has become a nation wide fashion sense, which makes sense because have you ever walked into a store and not seen the color black as an option for a shirt or skirt color? I do not think so!! In this day and age, we are living in the "Little Black Skirt Era", where women throw on a colorful shirt tucked into a timeless black colored pencil skirt. This is just one of the many ways the LBD has evolved.

 In my opinion ladies and gents, I'm all about the classy look.  You will not only find one black shirt in my closet, you will  find about 20 of them ! I am a firm believer that black is timeless and matches with anything. And, yes I do own a little black dress that comes out on those fancy evening nights. I believe every woman should have one LBD to show their youthfulness and to travel back in time in style.


I'd love to hear your take on this topic........ Is the color black a must-have or a no-no in your closet? Add your opinions in the comment box!! Till next time fashionistas!!  








(1) : http://www.cocktailrevolution.net.au/more/your-say/90-2013/145-the-little-black-dress         

What Makes the Brand Name Chanel So Valuable?

All over the media and advertisements we see promotions and ads for various brand name clothing. Usually, companies use celebrities to promote their label. This is just one of the many strategies of labels to “up” their value in society, which leaves the buyer with higher expectations for the end result product. But have you ever wondered why these higher end brand names are so valuable? Is it the brand name itself or is it us, the consumer, who make it valuable?

Well, when I think of the brand name Chanel  three words come to mind; quality, uniqueness and professional talent. I believe these three elements are key to any company to be held so valuable in our society today. As I said in my last blog post, we as human beings feel happier and have more self-confidence when we wear higher end brand names. Most of the time we buy these products because of their quality, which comes from the professional talent behind the face of the company. You spend more money on each item one time, rather than re-buying that same item more frequently.

Chanel is known for their unique designs that are timeless. If you are wearing Chanel, you’re set for life in the fashion department. The label Chanel wouldn't have their unique fashion styles without professional designers and leaders. They take the time to consider what the buyer wants and would fall in love with. They want to make every piece of art of the best quality and look as possible. Which means more time and effort has been put into each art piece to have its own signature design. In other words, there is more of a selection for everyone’s style in higher end brand names compared to Walmart selections. Walmart is known for their “cookie-cutter” selection; one style, just different colors for everything.

Chanel’s designs for purses, clothing and perfume bottles have global recognition which makes it more valuable than other leading brands already. Having sales internationally means there styles and designs are accepted by most cultures, countries and races in the world. To me, that’s what every company’s goal should be and Chanel has already succeeded that and more. I would have to say Chanel is at the top of my list for most valuable influenced fashion label.

Question of the week :

Is there any brand name that you value in your life or you think is valuable in society today ?    

Why Are We So Addicted to Brand Name Fashion Clothing?

I think we could all agree that most of the time we would rather wear brand name clothing like Chanel and Louise Vuitton rather than Walmart or no-name brands. But have you ever asked yourselves why you or society prefers to wear the best of the best in the world? After doing a recent study in a grade 12 English class, I have come to the conclusion of 3 reasons to answer this question, which I am going to explain in this blog post. 

So in other words, the more high end fashion you have,
the more weight you lose? 

For starters, who likes to feel good about themselves every time they walk out of the house? Believe it or not, dressing in nice designer fashion makes you be more confident in yourself. In other words, it builds your self esteem just to know that you are wearing  the "cream of the crop" of this century. People in my study have repeatedly brought up the point that they feel more happier and "on top of the world" when they are wearing nicer clothes. So the question I'm asking is....is everyone a materialist in some way or another? How can we control our love and passion to look and feel good at the same time and get recognized for it ? I guess that is why the fashion industry will always be one of the most growing industries in the world. 

Hilary Duff shows off her
Chanel handbag

With the growth of a huge industry also comes the influences of the media on buyers in society. As we know the media in our century basically runs everything in our lives, so the influences of celebrity's fashion is part of our culture  and our everyday life. It becomes our "status quo". One of the main reasons why people dare to by 300$ pair of jeans or a handbag that costs just as much as a diamond ring is to live up their status in society. In today's day and age, everyone is looking to catch the eye of society or to be known for what they have and wear. This brings up the point that there is a fine line between "showing-off" what you have or genuinely having a passion for fashion. So what type of buyer are you?

Lastly, people could just have one plain reason why they are addicted to brand names. It's as simple as appreciating the finer things in life. People with this trade always see the beauty and quality in better and known brand names. A quote that I always follow is; "There is a difference between being rich and appreciating the finer things in life." You don't have to be rich to appreciated such beauty of the best pieces of art fashion out there, you have to have the passion.   

   

How To Tell If Your Designer Chanel Handbag Is A Knock-off Or The Real Deal !

We often tend to overlook the quality of many fashion items for the price we have to pay. In many big fashion industry cities like Paris, Milan, and even resales online  tend to trick the buyer into purchasing knockoff designer handbags because they bring the cost down so low that people just can't resist to buy them. The price of an authentic Chanel bag varies from 500$ to 4,500$ depending on the size ,etc. For this edition of my blog, I will educate the fashions gurus out there on the 4 main differences of a true authentic designer Chanel Handbag compared to a knock-off. What are these differences I'm looking for , you may ask ? 

Original Chanel Flap Handbag :Take much detail in the leather peddled pattern  

1. The Quality of the leather and stitching:

 True authentic leather has a soft touch to it and if you look closes it contains a peddled grain imprint throughout the design. Most Chanel Handbags are made from Calfskin and Lambskin. Lambskin has a fine and butter soft texture while calfskin is tougher and very durable. The leather used for replicas (knock-offs) has a repeated dull color grain pattern, which makes the bag look uneven from one end to the other. Lastly, if we really want to get technical authentic Chanel handbags should have 10 stitches per inch on every seam of the handbag, compared to 7 bigger stitches on fakes.

2. Quilting Design:

Fake Chanel : Diamonds do not follow a pattern

This is a major detail that buyers tend not to notice till after the purchase is made. The quilting on every handbag should be aligned perfectly with every diamond shaped quilt aligned with every pocket and seam. The rule of thumb is you should be able to take a ruler and have perfect diagonal lines going from one end of the handbag to the other. If not it is a knock-off.




3. Hardware:

On authentic handbags the CC logo should catch your eye right away, with its bright gold color and perfect outlines. The CC logo should be placed on the front of the handbag as follows: the right C passes over the left at the top and the left passes over the right at the bottom. On knock-offs the hardware is usually disproportional and tend to bend easily. Also , the "bright gold" coloring tends to turn a burnt yellow color after a while.

4. CC em-boarded inside the bag:

Authentic Chanel

Fake Chanel

There is usually the CC logo always em-boarded on the inside of the top flap of the handbag. The width of each C should be the same and should have a thin core to them. Knock-offs usually have the em-boarded CCs with a thick and uneven core.





Before I let you readers go, there is one last very important thing that defines an authentic Chanel Handbag. Inside the inner pocket of the handbag should be an authenticity card and a hologram sticker of the CC logo. This card has everything you need to know about your handbag like , the ID # of the bag, the materials used and care warnings.

Well that's all for today fashionistas! Remember these 4 signs of authenticity the next time you want to be the one with that hot handbag on your shoulder!











Sources: http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-To-Spot-Fake-Chanel-Handbags-/10000000175729320/g.html
          
  

Devonshire Mall VS. High End Boutiques

Our home town Windsor, ON is known for its back to back OHL  Memorial Cup Champions, the Windsor Spitfires and also for its automotive industries. But have you ever heard an "out-of-towner" say "hey, I really want to go shopping at Devonshire Mall?". To be honest, none of my friends or I have been pleased with our selection of fashion in this city. But could Windsor ever afford to bring in anything more than the "no-name brands" stores like Urban Planet, Sirens and Aeropostale?

Devonshire Mall, Windsor

I think a lot of us could agree that it doesn't matter what season you go shopping for, Devonshire Mall always has the same style of sweaters, shoes, jeans and dresses.Most of the time I have come out from a 3 hour shopping  hunt bare handed. The only exposure we have to high end fashion boutiques is if we go shopping in Detroit, Michigan, USA. That is one of the advantages to being a border city! Wouldn't it be nice if you had designer stores like Chanel, in your own backyard?

Chanel Boutique, France

Why don't we have these luxuries you may ask ? It seems to always come down to the one and only cause of not having enough market sales for these companies to invest in , in the city of Windsor. Those market sales come from us , the citizens in the city which as we can say is more of an average class lifestyle, than upper class. These companies aim to catch the eye of the higher class more than anything else. When you buy these brand name clothing, you are buying for the name not the quality or style of the accessory, which in some cities like Windsor could turn the average citizen to buy less expensive brands.
Another fact is that the unemployment rate in Windsor is at a 9.2% as of June 2013. In other words, we could have all these luxury boutiques but most of the population would not be able to afford it.

Higher brand names tend to also strike in bigger and known cities in the world to better promote their company. In a town of just around 217,000 citizens, people say there is no demand to bring in these stores.
Not having this fashion right at our finger tips, is  what makes these brands so exclusive in our community and maybe it is just another market strategy towards buyers to always have the want of something they can't have?

Stay tuned for my next blog which goes deep neath the sparkle and ruffles of Chanel....