This is a post for all those out there who love fashion and, in this case, those who love Chanel!!
The first UK exhibition dedicated to the work of French couturier, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, charting the establishment of the House of CHANEL and the evolution of her iconic design style – this was one of the best exhibitions I have been to. Her designs and the intricate detail on her clothes is amazing.
Also show cased were her beautiful handbags and her jewellery. The exhibition also outlined her life which appears to have been quite colourful!!
In the 1950s and 60s, Chanel continued to influence fashion in cinema. Her creations dressed the female leads in numerous films in Europe and the USA, including Jeanne Moreau in The Lovers (1958, directed by Louis Malle) and Romy Schneider in Luchino Visconti’s contribution to the film anthology Boccaccio ’70 (1962). In 1961, for Alain Resnais’ New Wave film Last Year at Marienbad, Chanel provided costumes for its star Delphine Seyrig. She drew on pieces such as this dress from her haute couture collections.
Gabrielle Chanel’s final collection was presented on 26 January 1971, two weeks after her death. She had completed 76 looks.
According to the Times, ‘It was a beautiful collection … Chanel at her best.’ Fashion writer Alison Adburgham declared ‘the look of Chanel, casual but elegant, could be the answer to the modern woman’s dilemma’ – a fitting tribute to a woman who had spent the last 60 years designing garments to be exactly that.
Launched in February 1955, the 2.55 bag named after the month and year it was created) could be carried by hand or over the shoulder. Its chain-link strap was sometimes intertwined with leather to prevent the metal jangling. With numerous pockets and a special lipstick compartment, the practica! bag came in three sizes in lambskin, jersey or silk.
