“It’s very random, spontaneous — put together over the course of a lifetime, travelling round the world, presents from friends. He wasn’t a specialised collector,” said Galliera director Olivier Saillard.

As he was greatly influenced by the 19th century, despite revolutionizing women’s fashion in the 20th, the exhibition brings together Balenciaga’s creations with some of the sources of his inspiration. To wit, Balenciaga’s sculptural couture confections are juxtaposed with their historical counterparts from 100 years earlier.

“He invented, at least in part, the vocabulary of 20th century fashion,” noted Saillard, “yet the paradox is he was very nourished by the epoch before.”

One cannot fully discuss Balenciaga without mention of his passion for Spanish religious dress and regional costume, which the exhibition duly explores with formal coats inspired by the vestments of cardinals and boleros and capes reminiscent of those worn by bullfighters on display.

Cristóbal Balenciaga: Collectionneur de modes opens today in Paris and will run through October 7, but if you can’t make it to the City of Lights by then, try to console yourself with this write-up of the Queen Sofia exhibit on Balenciaga that closed in February.

[AFP via US Fashion Mag]

*I really have nothing against the Irish…I don’t like anyone.

A paltry $75K saphire, peridot and diamond bluet clip at Tiffany's 1. Accessorize. Sometimes subtlety goes a long way. But it never really goes long enough, so if you choose to wear a simple green pin or earrings, make them as fabulous as possible. After all, thousands of leprachauns died to make this holiday possible...that is what St. Patty's is all about right? The St. Patrick's Day Massacre of 17-whatever?

Louis Vuitton Mens SS 2011 2. Layer. March is a notoriously tricky month to dress for because it's torn between two seasons. It'll be 60 degrees one day and will snow the next -- this kooky global warming. So a good trick is layering. Bundle up for the cold morning, shed a few layers for the afternoon sun and reapply after sundown. For St. Patrick, stagger your green for when you stagger out of the nearest tavern or pub.

Shala Monroque in Harper's Bazaar 3. Mix Shades. There are as many shades of green as there are voices floating around in Charlie Sheen's head: emerald, chartreuse, turquoise, forest, hunter, neon, lime, jungle, kelly, mint...and in listing them it's clear that they all have the gayest names possible. So why not mix a little kelly with a little spring bud and top it off with a shock of marijauana. That's not technically a shade of green, but it's my favorite kind, nonetheless.

Prada's SS 2011 Ad f/ Mariacarla Boscono 4. Patterns. The more green you incorporate into your look, the more inventive you have to get. And thus, the more fun! Throw different patterns together: prints and polka dots, stripes and stars, this and that, etc. It's totally easy to O.D. on too many patterns, however, so in these situations it's best to follow Coco Chanel's simple rule: remove one item before leaving the house. And since it's St. Patty's, that item can easily be your panties. Just sayin'...makes things a lot easier come nightfall.

Scarlett O'Hara Going Green with the Wind 5. Go Big or Go Home. You know how I said how tricky it was to pull off head to toe green? Well when in doubt, fair people of Ireland (and I really mean fair --  it's like the Irish are literally allergic to the sun), look to national heroine Scarlett O'Hara. She needed to make a statement so she just took down some old curtains and sewed them into a gown (or rather, had her maid take down some old curtains and sew them into a gown). Sure, the gown bordered on bad taste but isn't that what the holidays are all about? Getting drunk, embarrassing yourself, your friends, your family and then laughing it all off so no one suspects your rampant alcohol problem? So, wear those goofy green beer glasses and those goofy green top hats and those goofy green athletic jerseys --  let your d-bag flag fly! Bad taste is a look that the Irish have been pulling off  -- and pulling off better than anyone -- for centuries. Celebrate it.

Schiaparelli managed to turn fashion into an art form with innovative designs and concepts such as creating a jacket with plastic hands in place of buttons. Schiap’s forward-thinking approach to design caused her rival Gabrielle Chanel to deride her as “that Italian artist who makes clothes.” Sounds like someone was totes jealz.

Throughout the twenties and thirties, Schiap was friends with several Surrealist artists including Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp and Jean Cocteau, but it was Dalí who would have the greatest influence on her.

He would also have an influence on Coco Chanel as the two allegedly had an affair while Dalí  was still married. Yeah, someone was super jealz.

Elsa Schiaparelli’s career in and influence on fashion will be highlighted this summer when Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion debuts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. But until then, here’s how Schiap and Dalí changed the face of fashion.

In 1936, inspired by Dalí's painting Anthropomorphic Cabinet, the two created suits and jackets with bureau-drawers as pockets.

Then in 1937, their "Lobster dress," featuring -- you guessed it -- a giant red lobster painted onto a white silk gown was made famous when Cecil Beaton photographed noted homewrecker Wallis Simpson in it for Vogue.

Inspired by a photo of Dalí balancing his wife's slipper on his head, that same year saw the debut of the infamous "Shoe Hat," a black felt number in the shape of a woman's pump with a heel in Shocking Pink -- another Schiaparelli innovation.

Dalí designed a trompe l'oeil print for an evening gown that simulated torn flesh in 1938. The "Tears Dress" also had actual tears strategically cut out to reveal an illusion of fur on the reverse side.

Utilizing trapunto quilting -- a puffy, decorative form of embroidery -- to create padded ribs, spine and leg bones, Schiap and Dalí struck again with the "Skeleton Dress," a highlight of her 1938 circus-themed collection.

Shoe Hats off to ya!

“Dior had, in fact, begun the third fashion revolution of the 20^th Century,” she writes. “Paul Poiret had revolutionized women’s clothes in 1910, Gabrielle Chanel had staged the next uprising after World War I. In February 1947 Christian Dior ushered in the New Look.” Poiret, Chanel and Dior all “managed to uproot the current style and replace it with their own by following the basic axiom which has been the source of every major style change in history: study the fundamental trends of your time and then go against them.”

For the rest of the review from the March 1948 issue of LIFE —  and for more historic photos — click here.

[Humor Chic]

Photo: Lilogi

Through the concrete and brick columned hall of the CFDA Incubator, past glass doors with names like Bibhu Mohapatra, House of Waris and Prabal Gurung etched upon them, sits a room on the end that houses the studio of a French expat with a beautiful concept. Alice Ritter works seemingly solitary in a tidy, brightly lit room with a towering cubic bookshelf, a sewing machine and inspiration all around. Her style rings from the authenticity of growing up in the late 70s in France, where Yves Saint Laurent was god and high power glossies were sacred. Having studied economics, she created a fashion lab within her home with her Brooklynite husband to pursue her true art of design. Poring over books and dissecting vintage clothing lead to her creating an aesthetic that is uniquely hers. 

What are your three fashion books you recommend to an aspiring fashion designer?

Oh! This Madeleine Vionnet book I’ve had for a long time, I know it by heart.  Madeleine Vionnet is such an inspiration. It was just so modern what she did, and she invented a new way to drape fabric and to drape the woman’s body. She not as famous as Gabrielle Chanel or Christian Dior. I mean she’s famous amongst fashion people and she’s more influential for me.

This Balenciaga book is beautiful not just because I’m fascinated with Balenciaga, but the book its self is just a beautiful object, the way its printed, paper. Its really good. He was very forward thinking  He was like a sculptor almost.

Fashion Design 1850-1895 is a good one. It’s a classic. It’s a very well curated collection of clothes, and their details. It’s an endless source of inspiration. And a really good way to learn about costume and this sort of fashion.

To read the rest of the interview, click on over to LOOKBOOKS.com!

Photos: Fashion Gone Rogue

Grace Kelly

Briggitte Bardot in Burberry

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in Chanel (natch)

Audrey Hepburn

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in Salvatore Ferragamo

Marilyn Monroe in Gucci

On Coco Chanel:

“No one wanted to be told by an old lady that miniskirts and jeans weren’t chic. The result was that she lost her power and in the end no one cared about what she did.”

On Yves Saint Laurent:

“He is very middle-of-the-road French-very pied-noir, very provincial.”

On Anna Wintour:

“People I’m really friendly with have faxes. Anna Wintour has one. We speak via fax.”

On Emmanuelle Alt:

“Her style is her big shoulders, long legs, tight jeans, sleeves up to the elbow, one hip out. I personally like her.”

On Carine Roitfeld:

“It would have been difficult to have an ugly daughter.”

On Andy Warhol:

“I shouldn’t say this, but physically he was quite repulsive.”

On Heidi Klum:

“I don’t know Heidi Klum. She was never known in France. Claudia Schiffer also doesn’t know who she is.”

On Kate Moss:

Kate Moss has a lot of courage in the way she throws her life away in a very dangerous way, but that makes her so touching.”

On Jessica Simpson:

“Ecch. I’m not that impressed. I’m not that interested. I’m not that impressed.”

On ex-muse Inès de la Fressange:

“I wish her all the luck in the world, just so long as I don’t have to see her anymore or hear her spoken about.”

On Carla Bruni:

“She was one of the ten supermodels… She has a great education and speaks many languages. She’s perfect for the job of first lady. I even photographed her naked… but they were elegant and she had nothing against it. She couldn’t care less. She’s very cool like that. The photo is beautiful. I can show you the nude of her. I did it for Visionaire in 1998. ”

On Kate Middleton:

“For the royals, apparently the royal blood is not in demand any longer.”

On the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen:

‘”They don’t have a strong enough image. They still have to make the movie that everybody remembers.”

On himself:

“I have no human feelings.” – Uncle Karl, will you adopt me?

On children:

“If I were interested in children, I would be a godfather.” – Well-played, sir. Well-played.

Link Love: Vogue UK / Oh No They Didn’t!  / Photo: Vogue UK

M. Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton was born a thousand years ago in 1821 and established his company in 1854 after coming to Paris with only a few francs in his pocket at the age of 14. Typical rags to riches story. After Vuitton died, his son Georges expanded the company and started the world’s first designer label, introducing the now iconic LV mongram in the process.

To commemorate 150 years of luxury, author Stephanie Bonvicini began her research on Louis Vuitton: A French Saga. Initially she had the full cooperation of LVMH, but when the question arose of Vuitton’s activities from 1930 to 1945, they used the old “the files were destroyed in a fire” excuse.

Which always means Nazi-sympathizing. Anyone with undocumented activities between those years is usually a Nazi. Or dead.

Undeterred, Bonvicini dug through some historical archives and found that Louis Vuitton was the only store allowed to stay open in Vichy, where fantastically-mustachioed French general Philippe Pétain had established his puppet government backed by the Nazi government, the Vichy regime. Other shops, including Van Cleef & Arpels, had been shut down.

Interviewing surviving members of the Vuitton family, Bonvicini discovered that Gaston, Louis’ grandson and then-head of the company, had instructed his son Henry to forge an alliance with Pétain to keep the business alive. Compromise was a general practice among fashion houses during WWII — both Dior and Chanel whored themselves out to preserve French couture — but Vuitton ended up, rather humiliatingly, producing some 2500 busts of Pétain and other artifacts glorifying his grand mustache, as part of that compromise.

According to Bonvicini, ”Part of the collaboration was due to the family’s obsession with the survival of the company, and part down to the fact that there was a certain sympathy with the regime’s rightwing views.” Henry, for his part, was among the first Frenchmen to be decorated by the Vichy regime for his patriotic (?) efforts.

After these facts came to light, LVMH, who had previously promised to throw their full support behind Bonvicini’s book, turned a blind eye to it, claiming the author “exaggerated the Vichy episode”: ”This is ancient history. The book covers a period when it was family-run and long before it became part of LVMH. We are diverse, tolerant and all the things a modern company should be.”

Well, of all the Nazi-loving going on in fashion history, this is perhaps the most tame. After all, it’s not like Hitler came to any of the Vuitton family weddings. I mean, seriously, the Guinness family took that shit to a whole other level.  [Guardian]

Louis Vuitton

In historian Hal Vaughan‘s new book, Sleeping with the Enemy, the author claims that Chanel was nothing but a “consummate opportunist” who “didn’t believe in anything except fashion.”  Well, those are qualities we can all admire.

But Vaughan goes on to say that while “Chanel didn’t care about Hitler or politics or Nazism,”  her natural desire for power led her into Adolf’s waiting arms. Or rather, into the arms of Baron Hans Guenther von Dincklage, a German military intelligence officer.

According to Vaughan, ”He manipulated Chanel, and Chanel manipulated him.” The Baron arranged for Coco to stay at the Hotel Ritz during the German occupation of France, a privilege granted to few non-Germans; and from there he helped manage her business relations with the occupying forces.  In turn, von Dincklage enlisted Chanel as a spy, code-named “Westminster” — as in “The 2nd Duke of”, one of her (many) former lovers.

As a Nazi agent, Coco orchestrated the release of her nephew from a German POW camp and visited Madrid in 1941 under the orders to use her connections to “gain political intelligence.” That mission proved for naught as she apparently only shot the shit about how cray-cray the Germans were.

Really, as Vaughan elucidates, Chanel wasn’t so much a spy as a “facilitator”: “She knew everybody in Spain, she knew everybody in England, and she helped out the Nazis.” After the war’s end, Gabby fled to Switzerland and was never tried for her Nazi affiliations, due to the intervention on her behalf by either Winston Churchill or the Royal Family.

That bouclé tweed really went a long way, didn’t it? [BBC]

Coco Chanel, couturi�re fran¡aise. Paris, 1936. Photo coloris»e. LIP-28371

Sarah will be rated on the below categories, five being the highest and 1 being the lowest.

< > at the David Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center on September 22, 2011 in New York City.

< > at the David Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center on September 22, 2011 in New York City.

In a new biography about the clothing company, Hugo Boss 1924-1945, economic historian Roman Koester reveals that founder Hugo Ferdinand Boss was pretty chummy with old Chaplin-stache. Boss was Hitler’s favored tailor and also provided uniforms for the Nazi army.

To outfit the Third Reich, Boss used 140 slave laborers from Poland who had been kidnapped by the Gestapo and 40 French prisoners of war at the company’s factory in Boss’ hometown of Metzingen, Germany.

This makes Yves Saint Laurent hurling a glass at an incompetent assistant look like kid’s stuff.

Although from April 1940 on he used forced workers — primarily women — Boss did make attempts, albeit belated attempts, to improve the often harsh conditions in which his slaves employees slaves had to live. For instance, in 1944, he tried to alleviate them of the camp built on the grounds of the factory by asking to house them himself.

As Koester explains: ”We can only repeat that the behaviour towards the forced labourers was at times harsh and involved coercion, but that concern for their welfare was also displayed, rendering simplistic characterisations impossible.”

After the war, Boss claimed that he had only taken the uniform contract to save his company, but he had actually joined the Nazi party in 1931, some two years before Hitler came to power. Boss was eventually tried and fined for his Nazi sympathizing only to die of a tooth abscess in 1948.

With the publication of Hugo Boss 1924-1945, all of these unsavory tidbits about the Hugo Boss brand have come to the harsh light of day, prompting the company to issue a statement in which it expresses ” its profound regret to those who suffered harm or hardship at the factory run by Hugo Ferdinand Boss under National Socialist rule”.

An apology is nice and all, but IKEA‘s Nazi founder doubled his company’s charitable spending to almost £100 million/year after his past as a Nazi recruiter was revealed. Maybe it’s time for Hugo Boss to put its euros where its swastika is/was. #justsayin [Telegraph, BBC, Wikipedia]

LINK LOVE: Imagine Fashion

CHT167969 Maxim's, c.1901 (pen & ink and w/c on paper) by Sem (Georges Goursat) (1863-1934) pen and ink and watercolour on paper Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, France Archives Charmet French, out of copyright

Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli are reportedly the focus of the Costume Institute’s next exhibit in the spring. Schiaparelli, who is as important to Italian fashion as Gabrielle Chanel is to French fashion, had a groundbreaking and innovative line between the two world wars but was unable to adapt in the wake of Christian Dior’s New Look.

While Prada is obviously one of the most successful and influential women working in fashion today and is also of Italian descent. No doubt the Institute’s curator, Andrew Bolton, will draw some parallels between the two women’s lives and careers. But for now, the Met is remaining mum on the matter. [WWD]

NEW YORK

Lisa Chaney, author of Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life, dug up some serious dirt on the legendary designer — one assumes after rolling her over in her grave. In the bio, which comes out in November, Chaney claims Coco was a bisexual drug user who had an affair with a married Salvador Dalí.

Chaney allegedly waded through the Swiss Federal Archives to prove that Chanel also had an affair with a Nazi spy. In an email to WWD, the author’s publicist states, “Whether Chanel was aware of this is unknown, but after that war she lived in neutral Switzerland for a while, to avoid any proceedings against her.”

Quel scandale! Though I can’t wait til they inevitably make a movie out of this book. Standing alongside Audrey Tatou‘s Coco Before Chanel will be Lindsay Lohan‘s Coco After Rehab.  [WWD]

Disgusted that jeans and a tank were paired with Chanel tweed, disappointed that “I-have-no-stylist” Blake Lively agreed to it, and appalled that anything to do with the word “Cellulite” is touching anything Chanel. Gross.

Don’t talk to me, I’m too upset. Leave your message of outrage below.

Link Love: Coco Perez

What would a Tyra production be without Tyra taking the opportunity to chew so much scenery even Bette Davis would ask her to reign it in a little? Luckily La Banks does not disappoint and gives a very literal interpretation of the LBD’s versatility with an extended multiple personality disorder metaphor, that is until André mercifully puts her down. No one’s ever going to give Tyra an Oscar, but god bless her for tryin’ — although I did say the same thing about the Emmys.…

Next thing you know Tyra’s experiencing what I’ve only dreamed about every night since I was 14 — André Leon Talley screaming in my face in French.

Then she sits on his lap and he tells her a little haute couture bedtime story, which begins thusly: “The Little Black Dress will take you throughout your entiiiiiiire life.” Fasten your seatbelts, we’re going on a sartorial journey! Mama Bear continues,”When you have doubts, you just go back to that Little Black Dress, wear that and you will be safe.” That is unless you encounter a wolf in cheap clothing.

On this magical journey, ALT also imparts some wholesome lessons for the kids:

- how to properly pronounce Givenchy. Not “GA’-VEN-TCH” but “ZHEEvonSHAAAY.”

- Coco Chanel created the little black dress in 1926

- you shouldn’t call her Coco, but Gabrielle, if you’re feeling respectful

- And perhaps the most important lesson, the Word of the Day, dreckitude: The lowest point in the lowest ebb. The lowest of the lows. See also:

And despite this “ultimate little black don’t,” we all lived Happily Ever After.

Link Love: Fa-Fa-Fa Fashion

- Vogue UK is, expectedly, going all out for the Royal Wedding with a trifecta of bridal-themed covers. Lara Stone,  Natalia Vodianova and Freja give Terrified Bride Realness for the May issue, which takes a gander at British Vogue‘s 95-year history of covering royal weddings. 95 years of thinly-masked indifference and heavily-veiled brides; where does the time go? [Fashin]

- Though she allegedly told guests at a Topshop dinner that John Galliano would be designing her wedding dress, Kate Moss‘s fiance, Jamie Hince, says that that is “unfounded entirely.” The future Mr. Kate Moss also offered some surprisingly thoughtful insights on the shamed Dior designer: ”You can judge them on the stupid words they said – which I think were stupid, I hope that goes without saying – or you can dig a bit deeper and you can try and find out what the problem is. And I think it’s obvious that it’s alcohol. People are trying to say those are his politics. ‘I love Hitler’ – that’s not political, that’s somebody in trouble.” I must admit I wasn’t too keen on Moss marrying this Hince character, but he seems to b a step up from Pete Doherty. Then again, it’s hard to take a step down from Pete Doherty. [Vogue UK]

- Matthew Williamson is British so for patriotism’s sake he should be all in for the royal wedding, but instead he’s all like, “Kate isn’t a fashion bunny. I don’t know why everyone in fashion is waiting to see what she wears. I’m, like, thinking: get over it.” He later added that the Queen was a frumpy old maid and he was “never really a fan.” [The Telegraph]

- Okay, I might consider braving the hoards of drunken, emerald-clad tourists if I had these shoes. They could certainly clear a path, leaving frat boys and sorority girls clutching at their feather boas while running in their pajama pants. [Refinery29]

- Karl Lagerfeld dusted off his sketch book to provide some drawings for a new edition of  Justine Picardie‘s biography on Coco Chanel. And notorious for his attention to detail, he used Coco’s blood for the ink. [WWD]

- Jessica White choked out a bear and donned its fur for her court date on Tuesday where she declined a plea deal, claiming there’s a video that exonerates her from guilt. And in said video, she’s giving both editorial and commercial as she pummels said bitch for taking her taxi. [Daily News]

- I don’t play basketball nor do I care for anyone who does, but I might make an exception for Armani. [Styleite]

- Anna Wintour‘s favorite dish is reportedly chicken pot pie. Of course the pie’s special ingredient is the ground-up bones of Vogue interns that acts as THE BEST diuretic. [The Cut]

1. Accessorize. Sometimes subtlety goes a long way. But it never really goes long enough, so if you choose to wear a simple green pin or earrings, make them as fabulous as possible. After all, thousands of leprachauns died to make this holiday possible…that is what St. Patty’s is all about right? The St. Patrick’s Day Massacre of 17-whatever?

A paltry $75K saphire, peridot and diamond bluet clip at Tiffany's

2. Layer. March is a notoriously tricky month to dress for because it’s torn between two seasons. It’ll be 60 degrees one day and will snow the next — this kooky global warming. So a good trick is layering. Bundle up for the cold morning, shed a few layers for the afternoon sun and reapply after sundown. For St. Patrick, stagger your green for when you stagger out of the nearest tavern or pub.

Louis Vuitton Mens SS 2011 / Photo: GQ

3. Mix Shades. There are as many shades of green as there are voices floating around in Charlie Sheen‘s head: emerald, chartreuse, turquoise, forest, hunter, neon, lime, jungle, kelly, mint…and in listing them it’s clear that they all have the gayest names possible. So why not mix a little kelly with a little spring bud and top it off with a shock of marijauana. That’s not technically a shade of green, but it’s my favorite kind, nonetheless.

Shala Monroque in Harper's Bazaar

4. Patterns. The more green you incorporate into your look, the more inventive you have to get. And thus, the more fun! Throw different patterns together: prints and polka dots, stripes and stars, this and that, etc. It’s totally easy to O.D. on too many patterns, however, so in these situations it’s best to follow Coco Chanel‘s simple rule: remove one item before leaving the house. And since it’s St. Patty’s, that item can easily be your panties. Just sayin’…makes things a lot easier come nightfall.

Prada's SS 2011 Ad f/ Mariacarla Boscono

5. Go Big or Go Home. You know how I said how tricky it was to pull off head to toe green? Well when in doubt, fair people of Ireland (and I really mean fair —  it’s like the Irish are literally allergic to the sun), look to national heroine Scarlett O’Hara. She needed to make a statement so she just took down some old curtains and sewed them into a gown (or rather, had her maid take down some old curtains and sew them into a gown). Sure, the gown bordered on bad taste but isn’t that what the holidays are all about? Getting drunk, embarrassing yourself, your friends, your family and then laughing it all off so no one suspects your rampant alcohol problem? So, wear those goofy green beer glasses and those goofy green top hats and those goofy green athletic jerseys —  let your d-bag flag fly! Bad taste is a look that the Irish have been pulling off  – and pulling off better than anyone — for centuries. Celebrate it.

Scarlett O'Hara Going Green with the Wind

*I really have nothing against the Irish…I don’t like anyone.

A paltry $75K saphire, peridot and diamond bluet clip at Tiffany's

Louis Vuitton Mens SS 2011 / Photo: GQ

Prada's SS 2011 Ad f/ Mariacarla Boscono

- Aguilera’s alcoholism knows no boozy bounds. [Celebitchy]

- Kirsten Dunst steps in to fill Julianne Moore‘s nonexistent shoes at Bulgari. Dunst won’t have to suckle any cubs, however, as the lion is now fully grown. Cue the opening to “Circle of Life.” [Huff Po]

- OMG, even James Franco‘s design illustration for his Gucci tux at the Oscars is dreamy. And, let’s be real, probably stoned too. [Style.com]

- Rachel Zoe thought her water could “totally break” at the opening for the new Tom Ford store on Rodeo Drive last night. That baby’s first words would have been, “I. Die.” [NY Mag]

- Lady Gaga‘s perfume will contain samples of her blood and will smell like an “expensive hooker.” [Huff Po]

- Salvatore Ferragamo was a friend of Dorothy. The designer created Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers for The Wizard of Oz, and is one of many designers to have collaborated in film. From Coco Chanel to Rodarte, explore a brief history of fashion in film. [Style.com]

- Just when you thought the White House couldn’t get more fierce, there’s a new bitch in town. Jeremy Bernard is the brand new, openly gay White House Social Secretary. I can’t wait for him and Mo to get mani-peds together while dishing over Barack‘s approval rating. In the bedroom. Go head girl! [Gawker]

- Ladies at the Oscars this year are not fucking around with their heels The rule is go sky high or go home. [NY Mag]

Photo: Celebitchy/WENN

On Coco Chanel:

“No one wanted to be told by an old lady that miniskirts and jeans weren’t chic. The result was that she lost her power and in the end no one cared about what she did.”

On Yves Saint Laurent:

“He is very middle-of-the-road French-very pied-noir, very provincial.”

On Anna Wintour:

“People I’m really friendly with have faxes. Anna Wintour has one. We speak via fax.”

On Emmanuelle Alt:

””Her style is her big shoulders, long legs, tight jeans, sleeves up to the elbow, one hip out. I personally like her.”

On Andy Warhol:

“I shouldn’t say this, but physically he was quite repulsive.”

On Heidi Klum:

“I don’t know Heidi Klum. She was never known in France. Claudia Schiffer also doesn’t know who she is.”

On Kate Moss:

Kate Moss has a lot of courage in the way she throws her life away in a very dangerous way, but that makes her so touching.”

On Jessica Simpson:

“Ecch. I’m not that impressed. I’m not that interested. I’m not that impressed.”

On ex-muse Inès de la Fressange:

“I wish her all the luck in the world, just so long as I don’t have to see her anymore or hear her spoken about.”

On Carla Bruni:

“She was one of the ten supermodels… She has a great education and speaks many languages. She’s perfect for the job of first lady. I even photographed her naked… but they were elegant and she had nothing against it. She couldn’t care less. She’s very cool like that. The photo is beautiful. I can show you the nude of her. I did it for Visionaire in 1998. ”

On Kate Middleton:

“For the royals, apparently the royal blood is not in demand any longer.”

On the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen:

‘”They don’t have a strong enough image. They still have to make the movie that everybody remembers.”

On Pete Doherty:

“Gone. His music – the look – is over now. There’s nothing to think about it. It is too late.”

On himself:

“I have no human feelings.” – Uncle Karl, will you adopt me?

On children:

“If I were interested in children, I would be a godfather.” – Well-played, sir. Well-played.

Link Love: Vogue UK / Oh No They Didn’t!  / Photo: Vogue UK

“Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel believed the light-reflecting property of pearls enhanced a woman’s natural beauty by bringing a delicate luminosity to her skin. Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, captures this quality in a radiant Spring 2011 Collection, LES PERLES DE CHANEL. Pearlized shades of black and white are accented with pinks and corals, brightening the complexion and creating a natural glow.”

The only problem I have with these colors is deciding which I want to try first. They are going to be amazing for spring.

LINK LOVE: because i’m addicted

Don’t miss these tidbits about some of the world’s top fashion designers:

Point of origin

• Kate Spade – Kansas City, MO
• Yves Saint Laurent – Oran, Algeria
• John Bartlett – Cincinnati, OH
• Anna Sui – Detroit, MI
• Texas – Todd Oldham, Tom Ford
• Bronx, New York – Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein

Getting started

• Marc Jacobs — stock boy for Charivari, a New York clothing store
• Ralph Lauren — road salesman for a neckwear manufacturer
• Halston — window dresser at Carson-Pirie-Scott
• Coco Chanel — clerk in a hosiery shop
• Tommy Hilfiger — freelance designer for Jordache jeans
• Tom Ford — actor/model in TV commercials
• Michael Kors — sales assistant at a boutique
• Giorgio Armani — buyer’s assistant for a department store
• Alexander McQueen — tailor’s apprentice
• Jil Sander — fashion journalist
• Laura Ashley — secretary
• Manolo Blahnik — jeans buyer
• Salvatore Ferragamo — factory worker making cowboy boots

Education

Fashion Institute of Technology

• Calvin Klein
• Norma Kamali
• Jhane Barnes

Parsons School of Design

• Donna Karan
• Mark Badgley & James Mischka
• Tom Ford Anna Sui
• Alexander McQueen – St. Martins School of Art
• Issey Miyake – Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne
• Gianni Versace – No formal training, learned tailoring from dressmaker mother

Started on a different path

• Vivienne Westwood — teacher
• Thierry Mugler — dancer
• Christian Dior — art dealer
• Miuccia Prada — PhD, political science
• Joan Vass — museum curator

(Credit: About.com)

Models display creations of Prada Spring/Summer 2010 ready-to-wear fashion show on September 24, 2009 during the Women's fashion week in Milan. AFP PHOTO / Giuseppe Cacace (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)

The pre-fall 2011 collection from Chanel was themed, Paris-Byzance, after its Byzantine inspiration found in Empress Theodora. If possible, the pre-fall season brought an even more opulent and lavish showing than spring with a heavy emphasis on gold trimmed jackets, exciting silhouettes and crystal adorned bodices. Despite the antique influence, creative director Karl Lagerfeld grounded the show with Chanel’s signature relaxed elegance.

(credit: fashion gone rogue)

“Coco did a lot but not as much as people think or as much she herself taught at the end of her career,” he says. “She survived them all – she could pretend things people like Madame Vionnet couldn’t because they were not around and they didn’t have the personality to say the things Chanel did. She wasn’t only a designer – she was a woman of her time.”

Talking at the International Herald Tribune’sLuxury Heritage conference on Tuesday, the Chanel legend said Coco made two vital mistakes towards the end of her career.

“The first was when she said ‘Not one man I have spoken to likes a woman in mini skirts’. I think no one dared to tell this 86-year-old lady that miniskirts are great and really sexy,” he says. “Number two was when she decided blue jeans were horrible. This was the fashion of the world at that partuclar moment – it was the Sixties. No one wanted to be told by an old lady that miniskirts and jeans weren’t chic. The result was that she lost her power and in the end no one cared about what she did.”

Lagerfeld says he uses the iconic label’s key components to construe an aesthetic that is constantly relevant.

“I play with Chanel’s elements like a musician plays with notes. You don’t have to make the same music if you are a decent musician,” he explains.

VOGUE TV

Kanye: Yo, Albert.

Alber: Hey…Kanye.

Kanye: I want you to know that I’m a REAL big fan of Lanvin. I fucked like four girls backstage at your show last season.

Alber: I really must…

Kanye: And when I say backstage, I mean I was literally backstage. I got some of my love juice on a whole rack of dresses. You’re welcome.

Alber: I recall, I had to burn that entire collection.

Kanye: Yo, I’m saying though, I want to design for Lanvin. Maybe some kicks made entirely out of diamonds.

Alber: That might be a bit expen–

Kanye: Or a suit made, get this, entirely out of diamonds.

Alber: I’m not sure…

Kanye: Okay, okay, I’m a let you finish, but I just gotta say that I’m the greatest designer of ALL TIME. First it’s me, then it’s Coco Chanel, then it’s Martha Stewart Living, then it’s Marc Jacobs, then it’s Baby Phat.

Alber: Thanks, Kanye, it’s been really nice but I gotta go…

Kanye: Okay. Keep it real, Albert. WAIT! How about this? A fur coat. Made entirely out of diamonds.

Alber: …I’m listening.

*Nah, not really.

Cheslea Clinton's wedding dress caused more hoopla than this year's Oscars.

There has not been this much talk about a dress since J Lo wore that green, Versace scarf number. In case you have been under a rock, I am referring to Chelsea Clinton’s Vera Wang number. The cover of today’s Women’s Wear Daily declares Chelsea’s Moment, but in truth, it is Vera Wang’s. Miss Wang, known mostly for her wedding collections could not have asked for a better PR moment than the Clinton wedding. Her ready-to-wear collections are much more modern and edgy than her frothy wedding gowns. Though Vera receives a good amount of attention and editorial for her RTW, her recent collaboration with Kohl’s tells another story, namely she needed a cash injection for her company. No one sets out to do a down market collection…I don’t care what you say. The current phenomenon of major design houses doing capsule collections for a bargain basement stores is nothing that Coco Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent would ever sign on for. You can talk high-low dressing all you want….it would just not happen. And if someone tries to say that Coco would have loved to…well…OK then…prove it.

The dress that caused the biggest stir…second to Princess Di's birthday cake number.

What on Earth is this bolt of fabric that we were mesmerized by. Yikes.

This dress will live on in infamy.

Audrey Hepburn and Givenchy changed it all up.

Poor Alicia Keys…her Vera Wang dress went over with a no sizzle…just schnizzle.

Top 20 Iconic Movie Dresses:

1. Marilyn Monroe in her white halterneck dress – The Seven Year Itch
2. Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress – Breakfast At Tiffany’s
3. Jessica Rabbit’s strapless red dress – Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
4. Julia Roberts’ spotty polo dress – Pretty Woman
5. Sharon Stone’s white sleeveless dress – Basic Instinct
6. Carrie Fisher’s long white dress as Princess Leia – Star Wars
7. Olivia Newton-John in her white prom dress as Sandy – Grease
8. Judy Garland’s gingham dress as Dorothy- The Wizard of Oz
9. Snow White’s blue and yellow dress – Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs
10. Robin Williams in his blousy dress – Mrs Doubtfire
11. Vivien Leigh’s red off the shoulder dress playing Scarlett O’Hara – Gone With The Wind
12. Audrey Hepburn’s black and white race day dress – My Fair Lady
13. Julie Andrews’ smock dress – The Sound of Music
14. Doris Day in a yellow dress at the end of Calamity Jane
15. Julia Roberts’ long red dress – Pretty Women
16. Cruella de Ville’s black dress with polka dot coat – 101 Dalmatians
17. Jennifer Grey’s pale pink dress worn for the final dance as Baby – Dirty Dancing
18. Guy Pearce’s outlandish frock – The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
19. Julie Andrews coat dress – Mary Poppins
20. Belle’s yellow ball dress - Beauty and The Beast

LINK LOVE:Say Yes To The Dress

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You may have heard that Greenhalgh’s screen adaptation of the novel was given the honor of closing this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and hits U.S. theaters in January 2010. But I have to tell you that COCO CHANEL & IGOR STRAVINSKY is a novel that also stands alone-one that fashionistas and lovers of historical fiction alike will want to get their hands on.

COCO CHANEL & IGOR STRAVINSKY sumptuously portrays the brief, fiery and little-known affair between Chanel and legendary composer Igor Stravinsky. As Stravinsky enjoyed a burst of creativity, leading his music in a new direction, Chanel brought forth her most lasting creation: the legendary perfume Chanel No. 5.

Available for pre-order here.

So MTV has figured out how to replace Lauren Conrad. Her name is Jazmin, she has a fashion line, and she just might be the dumbest 20-year old in history.

House of Jazmin, a show that follows around an aspiring designer who seems about as vapid and devoid of fashion knowledge as Ed Hardy, will be hitting the airwaves on August 18th. Jazmin considers her collection “sophisticated and chic” according to W (WHAT THE FUCK!!! W IS INTERVIEWING THIS CHICK!!! OFFICIALLY CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THIS PUBLICATION GO). We consider her collection a Rachel Antonoff RIP OFF.

Here are some more quotes from Jazmin, the “designer” behind Li Cari:

It’s, like, really versatile. There are pieces that you could see on a 14-year-old girl or a 50-year-old woman. And I really try to create timeless pieces that you don’t look back and say, ‘What was I thinking when I wore that?’ You know, stuff that you can pass down to your children.

So wait, you expect a 14-year-old and a 50-year-old to wear your stuff? You’re sounding more like Ed Hardy already. (We haven’t forgotten that you’re already one foot in the grave Madonna. That young latin lover ain’t fooling anyone.). Jazmin continues:

I think my biggest influence and inspiration would be Coco Chanel because just, like, the cuts and the fabrics and everything are so, like, my personal style. And so it’s so, like, exciting to see all of her work and how she started with hats, and when I was young I started designing, like, sketches of perfume bottles. I was just attracted to design in general and so then as I got a little bit older it, like, went, like, all the way toward fashion.

Like totally, like Coco Chanel, was like, so like, sophisticated and like an inspiration and like, amazing, and like I like design, like her. Wait that last like, kind of like, made sense, like thats totally never like happened, like before, like…. (Jazmin’s head proceeds to spin around and explodes.)

So basically, this show is going to be hugely popular, kicking everyone other fashion show in the history of times ass, and you will most likely be buying tasteless timeless garb from Li Cari soon. Follow the link for a preview video of the show.

LINK LOVE: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nymag/fashion/~3/Oh4FRkTmQEM/meet_jazmin_mtvs_like_brunette.html

From the dress, to the matching leather jacket and bag, Audrey is quickly becoming a fashion icon, kinda like Coco Chanel. Did I mention the haircut? Forget the Aggy do, this is so fresh, def the new pixie.

LINKAGE: Jezebel

Another face of the last generation passed with the death of 60′s fashion icon, Lucia Moreira Salles, on Saturday. Making her runway debut in 1957, Salles became the muse of both Valentino and Coco Chanel. Her fresh look and lovable personality made Salles the ultimate model, business partner and friend. Close friends Valentino Garavani and Diane Von Furstenburg say she will be sorely missed. 

For more on the model and her death, check out WWD.

Rumor has it that Chanel is suffering, cutting back upwards of 200 jobs, and canceling the Mobile Art Exhibit, but the filming of ‘Coco avant Chanel’ is still going strong. Here are the first released images.

Thanks Fashionologie via LiveJournal

Plait Cheek Fedora by Alpinestars ($36)

Ah ha! I spot a straw hat (as seen in the Coco Chanel documentary!) ready for winter! So it might be a season early for a hat like this, but pair it with a cute layered black outfit and you’ll look stunning!

Leather-Trim Cable Knit Glove by Banana Republic ($39)

If you’re going for a more classy look, pair these gloves with a nice black sweater and a sleek black coat. They might be a bit preppy but the leather trim erases the “blah” from the typical cable-knit glove.

Spalding Avenue Scarf by Mike and Chris ($98)

I don’t know about you, but I’m loving the trend of breaking fashion rule #3 and actually wearing black and brown together. I recently bought a pair of black and brown leather boots and despite it’s masculinity, this scarf would look killer with them!

Teo Hat by Theory ($95)

They might be everywhere, but I love the saggy knit hats. Worn slouched off the back of your head, this hat is a nice alternative to the winter beanie hat. Make sure you pair it with a good outfit or else you’re going to blend in with the rest of the hipster population.

Felt Fedora with Grogorian Ribbon Trim by Hat Attack ($98)

Hands down my favorite. Who needs a traditional fedora when you can have one decked out in felt. Wear it inside. Wear it outside. Just wear it…it rocks. 

Thanks Shop-A-Matic!

Marc Jacobs Spring 2009.

Charles Anastase Spring 2009.

Straw on the street.

Move over Mary Poppins! You may think it was this nanny who started the straw hat trend, but if you took your medicine correctly, you would know it was none other than fashion legend Coco Chanel! For those of you who watched the recent Coco Chanel Lifetime film, you saw hundreds of hat designs, many of them straw hats. Let’s be honest, who else did we expect to craft such dramatic fashion accessories from barnyard food?

This coming Spring season, straw hats are making a comeback! First seen during New York Fashion Week by Marc Jacobs and Charles Anastase, straw hats add a bit of mystery and sex appeal to the innocent girl in the sundress. Dramatically tip the straw hat to the side and we’re in business! For now, keep that head warm with a nice wool beret or a fitted cloche, but come Spring 2009…slap on the straw!

Thanks for the photos STYLE and Facehunter!

Shirley MacLaine at the "Coco Chanel" premier.

ABC News correspondent Cynthia McFadden discusses the role of Coco with Shirley MacLaine.

Last night marked the world premier of Lifetime’s upcoming presentation, “Coco Chanel,” the story of the troubles and triumphs of an icon in fashion history. Joseph Urban Theatre housed the event, filling hundreds of seats with some of the fashion industry’s most crucial players.

As in any event, the evening kicked off with a social event for guests to eat, drink and be merry. Following the hors-d’oeuvres was an interview with ABC’s own Cynthia McFadden and Academy Award winning actress, Shirley MacLaine. MacLaine humorously commented on her experience playing the infamous cavalier, Coco Chanel, and left the guests in stitches over her farewell: “Goodnight, enjoy the bitch.”

The film itself was a bit of a letdown in comparison to MacLaine’s enchanting description of the role. The audience expected scenes filled with dazzling garments, couture fashion and the industry’s drama. What they got, however, was cliche love scenes in the snow, awful French accents and sappy quotes about determination. Sorry Coco, but I think what we wanted was a little more of your couture fashion and a little less of your relationship passion!

 On a lighter note, Shirley MacLaine performed phenomenally as the wicked fashion witch and stirred constant laughter with her sarcasm and believable arrogance.

“Coco Chanel,” starring Shirley MacLaine, premiers on Lifetime on September 13, 2008 8:00ET. If you don’t mind a bit of sap and want to journey through the life this fashion icon, you and your television have got a date!

Thanks Zimbio!

Obviously Karl would be involved with anything Chanel, since he is the designer, but now he is working on two other projects involving Coco herself. Two biopics, due to be released next year, will have the backing of Lagerfeld himself as the supervisor of the re-creation of the costumes.

“Chanel et Stravinsky and Coco Avant Chanel, which stars Audrey Tautou (above) as the designer, will feature Chanel dresses and Karl will be supervising the re-creation of costumes and accessories for both productions.”

Thanks Fashionologie