Business of fashion

Chez Chanel, the rise of fine jewellery is a lucky talisman



At Chanel, the rise of fine jewellery is a lucky talisman

If you saw the 3-week exhibition Mademoiselle Privé, you’ll know that Chanel straddles the past and present exceptionally well. One of my highlights was the short film shown towards the end, written and directed by Karl Lagerfeld in which he finds himself face-to-face with Chanel’s ‘ghost’ brilliantly played by Geraldine Chaplin. “What do you think you’re doing!” she asks Karl, highly unamused. “I’m keeping you alive,” is his answer, explaining how he has reinvented the brand while keeping the house codes top of mind. The film is actually quite a hoot, but the sentiment beneath it is serious business.

Chanel is the most famous luxury fashion house in the world. Its stable of couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, fine jewellery and beauty have been coveted for decades, from the Chanel no 5 perfume worn by Marilyn Monroe to everybody’s favourite 2.55 handbag. And so, while London’s creative and curious queued in a never-ending snake for the Saatchi Gallery exhibition a few weeks ago, I was busy being treated to my own Chanel education, in a guided tour of the actual Chanel apartment in Paris, on a two-day trip hosted by Chanel. (more…)



Long read: What will Fashion Week look like in the future?



what will fshion week look like in the future?

What is the future of fashion week? That’s the question that WWD is asking this week. The CFDA has instructed the Boston Consulting Group to research what fashion week might look like in the future, in light of the way social media has brought consumers into the equation.

It’s a conversation that many have been having for years now. Fashion shows used to be for press and buyers to evaluate the collections before planning their store buy or magazine features. The six month lead time would allow for designers to produce the clothes in time for them to hit the stores, and magazines to shoot their collections in tandem with their three month production schedules. The only people covering shows in real time would be newspapers.

But a number of things have changed in recent years to impact that. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: BELLA FREUD, LOUIS VUITTON, THOMAS TAIT, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, PAT MCGRATH



Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands currently buzzing on my radar…

1. PAT MCGRATH LABS – ROUND TWO
pat mcgrath labs releases phantom 002 pigment and brush set
After the fanfare around Pat Mcgrath Labs’ Gold 001 pigment, it’s time for another drop. Tues 15th December sees the release of Phantom 002 – a set of five pigments and a black liner. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: TOPSHOP X SPOTIFY, REPOSSI, CHANEL, PIRELLI, NOT JUST A LABEL



Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands currently buzzing on my radar…

1. THE NEW PIRELLI GIRLS
Fran Lebowitz by Annie lebowitz for Pirelli
How amazing is the new Pirelli calendar? I’d much rather be inspired by Fran Lebowitz (for the month of May) than an oiled up Gisele, and if you’re not keen on Fran, take your pick from Tavi, Patti, Yoko, and more (more…)