Chanel: Short film and Fashion Show

   Coco Chanel has always been a huge inspiration to me. The story of her life is so provocative and oddly very down to earth. She is the typical rags to riches story but even with the riches came controversy. Recently I came across “The Return” a short film by Karl Lagerfeld. It tells us the story of Coco returning to fashion after taking a 15-year break. The film starts off in 1953 and spans out over the next 5 years. We’re shown the way she was treated and talked about by the French press who were not exactly her biggest fans. Coco played by Geraldine Chaplin confesses in the film that the French in fact hates her. If you are a designer or simply just inspired by Coco I think you should watch The Return.

   Over time I have realized I am more a fan of Chanel the person than Chanel the fashion. I absolutely love the earlier designs but don’t find myself in awe over the later work. Although Karl Lagerfeld is a genius in his own right I was intrigued with the short film but was not impressed at all with the SS 2014 Haute Couture collection. While Lagerfeld has a great eye and creativity for the location and the setting everything else fell short of greatness. From head to toe I was annoyed with the models appearances. The wild hair and glitter under the eyes should have been left to a Betsy Johnson show where it’s much more fitting. And the fact that the girls were modeling couture in sneakers is nothing short of blasphemy! While I understand the sneakers were probably more for safety than anything since they had to walk up and down the stairs. However, I feel it took away from the clothes.

   While I wasn’t crazy about all of the clothes there were a few things I thought were absolutely stunning. With Karl Lagerfeld at the helm it makes me wonder if Coco is pleased with the way things are or if she’s clutching her pearls in the after life.