Spend every last waking moment getting suitably neurotic about presents.  Check.  Wait in airport lines full of people who look like they can’t wait to get to their destination or can’t wait to break their collarbone, one of the two.  Check.  Resent well-meaning co-workers and holiday hostesses for pushing sugary treats on you and forcing you into the New Year’s resolution you most hate – that evil gym one.  Check.  Why is it that with all the good cheer and festivities of the holidays, most of us are swept with dread the minute the Thanksgiving turkey goes down our esophagus and the Christmas cheer simultaneously invades? Why is it we can’t wait to fast forward well into January when we finally get back to some semblance of normalcy? 

Well, instead of droning on year in and out let’s plan our exodus from the island of the mundane. My ideas below for escaping our isle of holiday monotony and heading to Funland far, far away:

#1.  Instead of presents this year, show a PPT presentation with Bono as the soundtrack as you click through slides of unfortunates.  As everyone’s face registers a vague look of, “Ok, where is this going?”, inform them all that this year you’ve decided to get them gift certificates to their favourite charity.

#2.  Before the PPT presentation, install a hidden camera to record the immediate looks of indignation and fear that slowly turn to fake gracious looks and “Hey, great ideas!” as they attempt to avoid looking like greedy wenches and warlocks.  Show their reactions to the charity gift idea later to further drive home the point of their greed and misprioritization.

#3.  Banish them to the Misguided Mistletoe for their Misanthropic Misappropriation of Funds and Love and make them list their top 3 favourite possessions to be doled out to the next 3 strangers they see.

#4.  Instead of bringing the usual predictable Christmas goodies to the family gathering, bring something totally unexpected and inappropriate like a Tofu Seaweed Casserole or peanut butter and jelly gingersnap cookie sandwiches. “What? I didn’t know!”

#5.  Similarly, nix the gaudy God-forsaken holiday sweaters or sweatshirts that should have been a sin to have ever been stitched and show up in disco garb, telling them that your spouse told you it was Disco Christmas!  Bring red and green jello shots to drive the 70’s theme home and get them drunk so you have more fodder for YouTube filming fun.

#6.  Anytime anyone tries to hug you, jump back and say, “Ma!  Don’t touch the heh, eh-reht?!”

#7. Refuse to wrap gifts in the traditional Christmas wrapping paper.  Instead, wrap the gifts in poopy baby diapers which already have sticky tape attached, explaining that your approach is two-fold: you wanted to both honor a Green Christmas and Baby Jesus this year.

#8.  Drive to the celebration in a rented horse and carriage but make the driver dress up as Santa and put reindeer antlers on the horses.  Bring a boom box and blast this.  Attract as much attention as possible from the neighbours.  Try to call Channel 4 before your arrival and leave an anonymous tip that you saw Santa and his reindeers at your parents address.

#9.  At the end of the meal, instead of helping to wash the dishes,  hurl them out the back door and exclaim with indignation, “The rats and raccoons deserve fine china too!” 

#10.  Pick a random city out of a hat and take a detour to that city instead.  Spend Christmas with a strange family in Anchorage, Alaska rather than at home.  Live stream your experience into the home of your real family so everyone can watch the celebration on video.

A Fashion designer colleague was discouraged from watching ‘Coco avant Chanel’ because she wanted to know more about Gabrielle’s career ‘apres le succes.’ Thinking it might be a slight, sentimental, class-based biopic, indulging the director’s sense of nostalgia, I had few hopes for it as a distraction.

Opening with a dark-eyed girl on a cart, covered in a thick, bronze, tweedy blanket with a hand-knitted doll, we see the landscape from her point of view and the fabric textures in close-up. It was going to be about needlework! Quelle horreur!

Distinguished, on the DVD cover, as a story of a woman whose love affairs defied convention, it really is rather more about sewing. It has all the hallmarks of French cinema and not just because of the subtitles. Sweeping views of the expansive, so Impressionist, countryside; clever, adventurous camera angles, drawing us in, to feel how the young Chanel is both exploited and exploiting.

Audrey Tatou’s deft involvement with the process of making clothes and observing humanity is at the heart of the film’s alchemy. It mixes class drama with professional aspiration to create a modern day transformation. Cinderella invents her own ballgowns and buys the Fashion house where they are made and shown.

‘Coco avant Chanel’ charmed me totally, not just because it was fast paced, and sumptuously designed, but because it confirmed the Fashion secrets I had recently uncovered for my book ‘the new black magic.’

It convinced me that Fashion designers put their souls into their output. It condensed the Fashion system into 106 minutes of doubly moving image text.

In spectacular form it sets the scene for today’s most successful integrated cross-marketing campaign, where the Ad sells the film and the film sells the product.

When I thrill to the Chanel No 5 current television commercial I am re-living Coco Chanel’s life as a young adventurer. As Audrey Tatou moves through the corridors of the Orient Express in lithe gold satin to melt into her lover’s arms Coco’s doomed love affair with Boy Capel is re-evoked.

As the actress rushes towards the beach and views passengers on a luxury ocean-going liner, ‘la mer,’ and the French, and Coco’s, infatuation with the sea becomes part of Chanel’s signature themes, associated with the voyage and the clothes worn for the journey.

Of course Coco Before Chanel is a woman’s film. Directed by Anne Fontaine, and costumed by Catherine Leterrier, it has links with the Feminist tract, ‘The Subversive Stitch.’ Yet it speaks of elegance, observation, fame, the significance of Fashion and the power of dress to alter the way we see ourselves and are seen by others.

A little while ago I was informed by a colour consultant that I shouldn’t wear black! I wasn’t particularly shocked because I’ve noticed that whenever my clients have had their “colours done” the majority can’t wear black either! I actually asked her: “Out of a room of 25 ladies, how many could wear black” and she answered, “Probably one”. “Probably one who can’t?” I responded.  ”No,” she replied, “Only one who can!”    

This stunned me! Were all we “fashion” people who often wear black head-to-toe wrong? Surely not! To me, black is the colour of fashion – think about the iconic image of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in her “Little Black Dress”. And something tells me that Karl Lagerfeld wouldn’t be too concerned if someone told him black wasn’t in his colour palette… it’s his trade mark look! It’s what makes him dramatic and I found this quote by him:        

 “There’s no Chanel collection without black. (It) will never exist. Who can live without some black clothes?” (Karl Lagerfeld).     

Good question! Now don’t get me wrong – I see completely that dark brown (apparently the colour I should be wearing instead of black) is a much “softer” colour for my skin tone and it does give me more of a warmth in my face that black may not. However the problem is that the majority of my clients who have had their “colours done” are terrified of wearing anything that isn’t in their colour swatch pouch (a mini book you are given with all your “colours” in). And it’s SO limiting. I know that it’s simply meant to serve as a guide as to which colours are most flattering for the individual - but more often than not people don’t take it that way… they treat it as gospel!  

For example, I had a client a couple of weeks ago and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d bought either black, grey or navy blue because her colouring was “Spring”. Not surprisingly, as it’s Autumn/Winter she was really struggling to find anything to buy in the shops. She didn’t have one dark colour in her swatches apart from a purple that wasn’t actually flattering at all when she tried it on, as she suited a much warmer shade.  We had a long chat about fashion and colours… I asked her to let me pretend that I didn’t know what “season” she was and if I could put her in what I thought – without the constraint of only choosing specific shades on her colour cards.  

Well you know what I’m going to say don’t you… I pulled out black, dark grey, purple, teal, red – we had a play around with accessories too. She tried on a 3/4 sleeved slightly tulip skirted-black dress and black cardigan. This was very scary for her at first so I quickly added a purple patent belt and necklace… And she looked fantastic! So polished and put together – and elegant and slim… She bought the outfit even though it was a huge step for her but she knew she looked good – you could see she was holding herself differently and she looked more confident. It was amazing! I had a wonderful email from her a few days later saying how pleased she was with her new items – and I was thrilled.

We decided that at the end of the day it’s how you feel in something that counts. I believe most women can wear black and look elegant and striking instantly… but it’s how you wear it that counts. Lots of people (like myself) love black and I think when you’re younger it’s much easier just to throw dark colours on and not think about it (even though the last time I had my hair coloured/high-lighted it was so dark I looked like a  full on“goth” when wearing black, which wasn’t really a good look for me – thank the Lord it faded somewhat after a month or so!). However as you get older, black sometimes needs to be softened with a brighter necklace or scarf near the face - as it’s that colour that will reflect against the skin and be more flattering.  

I also started thinking about the trends this season - I don’t think the “glunge” look (glamorous grunge) would be quite so punchy in chocolate brown and sequins and embellishment only really work with black as a background. There are highlight colours around – lots of purples and berry shades, midnight blues and reds. But essentially this season is about black and grey – pretty much the same as last year and the one before that!

Basically knowing your “colours” is fine if you’re going to have something made so you can pick the fabric but not so great if you’re hoping to pop into M&S for a sweater – as you can of course only choose from the colours they have. I can visualize my clients clutching their colour swatches on a desperate hunt to find the perfect shade and finding it hard to make a decision, leaving empty-handed. The most important thing for me is that my clients feel confident to experiment with fashion and happy to try different styles and colours. Personally, I will always try something even if I don’t think it’s the best colour on me; if it fits and it’s fun or unusual I’ll buy it and just add more bronzer or eye make-up for example (I find this makes less flattering colours work better - any excuse for more eye-liner!). However, not everyone has the confidence to do this and they are more cautious. For those of you still undecided I will leave you with another quote, this time from Coco Chanel:    

“Really, they are so badly dressed…I will put them all in black  to teach them good taste.” Coco Chanel  

 Fabulous!

 P.S. I have a hilarious story to tell about Karl Lagerfeld and a family member of mine… but I think I’ll save that for next week!

Hiya all, I have added some more of my creations in the shop for sale at low price – I found them while cleaning my inventory:

Coco Chanel´s Russian Revolution – many fashionistas may remember the BOSL Fashion week last autumn 2009 and had 1 day with contribution show for Coco Chanel. My contribution was this one:

And Ambre Papillon which has been created specifically for the former Starlight Exclusives owned by RubyStarlight Writer:

Head down to make great offer before they all are gone after 31st Dec 2009. There are lots of clothes for sale at low price.

Taxi:       :: Aleida :: Mainstore

Time Life/Getty

Once upon a time there was a woman who decided to define herself by her hat.  That decision birthed the first collection of one of the greatest designers of all time.  Coco Chanel gave women sportswear, clothes that moved, and hats that did not cause lasting neck damage. 

The Stiched has a great history of The Boater hat.  The style Chanel feminized and popularized.  When I see a boater hat I immediately think of how much I want one.  Even more definitive of her creating the LBD, is how just changing a hat really created a unique freedom for scores of women.  Once again, I find myself giving thanks for Coco Chanel.

I really don’t like celebrating xmas because everywhere is so packed but if it’s at the comfort of someone’s house (with a fireplace would be awesome ttm), bring it on baby. Xmas is about spending time with loved ones, buying presents, wrapping them with pretty bows and wrappers, having a huge feast of logcakes and turkey and exchanging presents. I love to unwrap presents – very liberating. hehehe

okay, anyway enough of xmas. I’m not going to let this blog go to waste since i’ve already signed up for this, so i’ve decided to make this my fashion blog. I do have a few fashion blogs that i always go to and they are quite famous.

Chanel has got to be my favourite among the many others. I think Karl is so talented and COCO CHANEL – what more can i say about her? Her name says it all. I definitely can’t afford their haute couture collection anytime soon but their accessories….

I’m not a huge fan of pearls but this look so classy yet very edgy at the same time. Perfect for the military trend now! It would be sexier if the pearls on the double c logo were diamonds instead but ah well, you can’t ask for too much, can we.

I’m in love with this but i figure that this will be very heavy (on the neck and on the wallet). Well, it seems that this is targeting the younger crowd because CHANEL tend to have quite a lot of necklaces that cater to the working crowd with the pearls and the gold usually found on their necklace. THIS, THIS IS PURE GENIUS.

okay, so look out for it at all CHANEL store near you next year, we only have one store at ngee ann city so give them a bit more time. Credits to bagaholicboy for the pictures. (awesome awesome awesome)

My xmas wish this year and forever more:

well, one can dream, can’t we? Even though I don’t really want to play tennis anymore, but heck.

Phrae Muangsaen

Name: Phrae Muangsaen

Age: 20

Country: USA

Website: www.lightsilk.com

Overview: I’m a senior graphic design student living in Milwaukee, one of the most quiet town on earth. Since I’m a design student, I’m interested in every aspect of design, and fashion is just what I love the most and what I like to do after graduating school in the next 6 months.

1. Describe your style in 5 words or less:
Comfort is the key!

2. What are your greatest fashion influences?
I don’t think I have anything specific that inspire or influence what I wear, but I do have inspirations, and they are all around me; where I live, people close to me, other fashion bloggers, fashion designers. I took in everything I saw and eventually create my own personal look that best suits me.

3. Favorite de signers:
There are too many to name. Right now I’m really into Rick Owen asymmetrical jackets, and the grudge looks of Junya Watanabe’s. I will also forever worship Coco Chanel with her timeless taste in design.

4. Whose closet would you want to raid?
Rachel Bilson! She is so effortlessly cool.

5. Favorite accessories:
Bags! Can’t get enough of them.

6. Where do you shop?
Basically everywhere, from thrift stores to markets to high-end department stores!

7. Who’s your best shopping partner?
Someone special

8. Favorite trend of all time:
I don’t have one. I love different elements of many trends.

9. style over comfort? Or comfort over style?
Comfort over style. I can’t stay still and I’m a bit of a tomboy so I always buy something that I feel comfortable in, but I love high-heels nonetheless.. That’s probably an exception!

10. Ultimate shopping advice:
Don’t look over your local thrift stores. I live in a town where there’s no decent shops so if I don’t get to go the big cities and I crave shopping, thrifting is a good alternative. I always find exciting stuffs and something i never thought I would find! It’s so much fun and the things you get are one of a kind.

Love her looks? share your thoughts. Leave a comment below

“An Interview With” is a segment by Triangle Y Triangle. It features selected artists, designers, stylists, and stylistas.
If you think you think you’re interesting enough to be featured here, email your website and a brief overview of what you do to ka_aya_aya@yahoo.com

The necklace shirt, a big trend this season, is a 2-in-1 godsend for those who need to throw on their outfit, run out the door and still look fly. While I can appreciate some trends, I always look for details that make an item stand out from the rest. To me, these tops by Cha Cha Vente have that extra flava I’m looking for!

The first top is a tribute to Chanel-style, with long, dangling costume-jewelry pearls and black bow details. I chose to channel Coco’s spirit by completing the look with a hat, some gloves, pin-striped trousers and a glass of wine, of course…

EEK! by Eugenia Kim hat, Cha Cha Vente top, GAP sweater, lux pinstripe pants, IZOD gloves, Necessary Objects handbag.

……..

The second top is devilishly classy with its thick, silver chain nestled within the folds of soft pleats that drape from the collar. To crank up the volume, I threw in my bright new Harajuku Lovers bubble tote, a bold, red houndstooth cardigan and a pair of black patent leather boots.

Cha Cha Vente top, H&M cardigan, sunglasses from shop in NC, H&M ring, Puma watch, Hydraulic jeans, Navid O Nadia patent leather boots.

Here is a close-up of this shirt so you can see the pleating detail.

P.S. I had the imperfect white background for this photo shoot; the inside of my white IKEA wardrobe, a recent hand-me-down from a friend. I thought I’d squeeze in a photo shoot before stuffing it with my clothes! For this fashion experiment, we ventured “outside of the box” by working “within the box.”

Photos: Steve “beegi” Halpern

James was getting his daily REDDIT update when he came across the below snowy scene…

I thought it was absolutely amazing and just had to share! Heh! It looks like Karl Lagerfeld has a doppleganger afterall!

You would really never think a snowed-under barbecue could look like a person, nevermind someone so uniquely looking as Mr K! UNCANNY!

Thoughts?

CX

Spice Girls: Girl Power's Finest (Photo Courtesy of Google Images)

Who said it’s every little girl’s lifelong dream to get married?  Liars, that’s who.  Several women – many prominent in finesse, historically altering by design and refined through their presence –  have found solace outside the confines of marriage.  Girl Power! (I can’t ever seem to say that without being British) at its finest, the list of women to evade the altar includes everyone from nuclear physicists and women’s rights activists to haute couture fashion designers and media moguls.  They’re a group that is as eclectic as they are iconic and legendary for not only what they do, but who they choose not to do it with.

Even in “the days of Yore” when it was practically mandated for every woman to marry, several ladies chose to go against the grain.  Among the first and most remarkable is Joan of Arc, who chose sainthood and war heroism over nuptials and newlywed bliss.  She scoured battlefields, instead of dishes and made it quite obvious that God was the only man for her.  Considered the national heroine of France, Joan of Arc proved that behind every good man – or in this case, and army of men – is an even better woman, but not always vice versa.

Joan of Arc + the "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I (Photos Courtesy of Google Images)

And she wasn’t the only historical figure to choose valor over vows.  Perhaps among the most influential and noteworthy would be Elizabeth I of England.  Better known as the Queen Elizabeth, she reigned over an entire nation without, despite many attempts to force her hand, the matrimonial backing of a man.  Elizabeth I was courted by several suitors, and while speculation on her non-nuptial lifestyle are still debated, it was quite clear she was nowhere near as concerned with marriage as the population surrounding her, which is the same sentiment shared by many other of her eminent successors. 

Fashion Icon, Coco Chanel (Photo Courtesy of Google Images)

Civil and women’s rights activist, Susan B. Anthony and the celebrated nuclear physicist, Lise Meitner were two others that poo-poo’ed the thought of marriage.  Not to mention inspiration revolutionary, Helen Keller, iconic fashion pioneer, Coco Chanel and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Jane Addams… all of which never heard the wedding bells chime.  (Probably because they were too busy making a difference – duh!)

There were also a number of critically acclaimed authors, hailed for their abilities to evoke passion and spark debate through their literary works, who chose a pen and paper as more suitable companions than a man.  Still found in every classroom, library and literary timeline around the world, Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson, Louisa May Alcott, as well as the Brontë sisters, Emily and Anne, never took the plunge.

Oprah Winfrey... as if it even needed a caption (Photo Courtesy of Google Images)

Not taking “the plunge,” however, can sometimes cause just as much of a splash as taking it would, especially this day in age.  With the media at an all time explosive high, women like political activist Condoleeza Rice and Academy Award winning actress, Diane Keaton are sometimes thrown unwanted scrutiny for their choice not to marry, but no one, honestly NO ONE, has been debated about over her choice not to marry than Oprah Winfrey.  The woman practically wrote the book on how-to-be-a-success story, and she did it all without taking vows.

After years of being the face of day time TV, Oprah has been known to shine the light on the topic of herself.  Almost laughingly, she can joke about how even after countless awards, innumerable life changing interviews and incalculable donations, there are still people who still could view her as incomplete because she never towed the line and took the vows.  It’s alright Oprah, even if you never marry, I can think of about one billion reasons you’ll never be left wanting.  Go ahead with your bad self, girl… go… a… head!

A name distinguishes, identifies, recalls history, represents a significance, forges a message. The word on the page can be artful and look like an object. Remember the poets who put poems in the form of what they were referring to? It was a brief moment but an attempt to innovate and re-form an old art form…jewelry-making is also an ancient art. Our website designer, George McCartney, is a fine-art artist and he gave the visual graphic touch to our name and made it look like a necklace itself. JOCOCO does look like a string of beads. Without even going beyond the written word, we have this distinction – a name that looks like a string of pearls in a row.

Our Italian artist (the Kalos line), Gioacchino Corveddu (look at that name graphically!) told me years ago that Americans said his name would be Jack in the US. I was amazed at what I considered to be a nominative error. No, no I said. You are Joachim, named after the father of the Blessed Mother Mary, and the equivalent would be JOE. Of course, Americans visiting Rome at that time were making that “step” because John (Jack) and Jacqueline Kennedy were in the White House at that time. They were not thinking of pronunciations and equivalents.

Giorgio Armani named his perfume for men Gio. Just as in the name George, the E after G softens the name as if it begins with a J. That perfume is pronounced Joe because the I after G in Italian softens the G to J. Of course we should think about another great fashion designer for women when we present our name.

We should give tribute to Coco Chanel. She could dress the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy and Michelle Obama. She was absolutely the top in sophistication and refinement and elegance. We are firm in our convictions to never lose sight of our past inspirations: whether they are ancient mythology, Greek and Roman coins or designers from the 19th C. or much more contemporary ones. We are delighted to catch the eye and celebrate femininity and beauty passed down through the ages. Remember the wonderful Italian words: gioia – joy,a jewel; gioielli – jewels, pieces of joy; giocare – to play, to amuse; giocattolo – a plaything. In Italian a term of affection is Gioia Mia! Men say this to their women; everyone says it to children and grandchildren. You say this to upraise and comfort a person. These words in themselves are cuddling.

So, if no one else spoils you, even when you drop hints about needing something special (like a good cup of tea prepared for you by someone else!), just spoil yourself with an interesting gemstone and silver creation from Jococo. We’re here for all women — tiny little ladies included. We are committed to cultural inspiration and beauty.

Buon Natale, Sally Fougerousse

A Chanel inspired peice of furniture? Did i hear right?
No 8501 is a Chanel inspired, black, bold cabinet from Japanese design extraordinaries komina c
take a Chanel bag or St Petersburg and turn it into furniture is the way they roll, see what else inspires the kamina c designer

With Greta teething like crazy, no one in our household has been getting much sleep lately. So, since I was still awake at 4:30AM this morning, I figured I may as well stay up to watch the Golden Globe Nominations at 5:00AM. I mean, what’s another half hour at that point, huh?

Well, apparently the Hollywood Foreign Press is as punctual as I am, because, even though their website said the nominations would begin at 5:00AM PST, they didn’t actually get to the good stuff till 5:37AM!! And trust me, trying to stay awake for those last 37 minutes sucked ass. Jesus, get it together, HFPA!

Anyway, there weren’t a whole lot of surprises this year on the movie side, except for the near total snubs of “The Lovely Bones”, “The Road” and “Where The Wild Things Are” — but it was cool to see three of our favorite actors (Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep and Matt Damon) score double nominations and, seriously, anytime Julianne Moore is nominated for an award is a happy day in my book. Now if she could actually win something sometime I’d be even happier!

Also glad to see Tarantino back in the thick of things with “Inglourious Basterds” raking up all kinds of Globes love, and though we haven’t watched our screener of “Up In The Air” yet, I am already in love with the movie from the trailers, so, kudos to Clooney and company on that front too. It was also very cool to see “Avatar” do so well and a smaller movie like “District 9″ score a coveted screenplay nomination. Wow…who knew the HFPA dug Sci Fi? Awesome!

But the big news of the day was on the TV front where Fox’s “Glee” very-deservedly cleaned freaking house with three acting nominations and a nod for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy. Hooray! After years of kicking ass in everything she does, Jane Lynch is finally nominated for an award! Coolness! Go-to character actresses like Alison Janney better watch their backs in the years to come, because the white-hot Lynch is on a roll, baby!

Also very happy to see “Big Love” score a few well-deserved nominations (go, Chloë Sevigny!) and we were very excited to see two of our favorite new shows, “Modern Family” and “The Good Wife” score some nods. Rock on, newbies!

My only complaint today are the three nominations for Lifetime’s God-awful “Georgia O’Keefe” biopic. That movie really, really sucked. Not only did it totally squander the considerable talents of it’s two lead actors, Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons, but it was so damn boring that it made Lifetime’s epic 2008 train wreck, “Coco Chanel” look interesting. And yes, I actually Tivo-ed (and watched!!) both of those lame-ass movies. Yikes…

But at the end of the day, the big story at this year’s Globes — which air on NBC on January 17th — isn’t gonna be about the nominees at all. I mean, with Ricky Gervais hosting and the booze flowing freely, who really cares who wins?

To see a full list of this year’s nominees, click here.

The Queen Street Mall has gone a bit crazy for Coco Chanel lately.  QueensPlaza held the ‘Three Weeks with Coco Chanel’ photographic exhibition throughout November and December (finished on Sunday), and last week the Queen Street Mall treated customers with an encore screening of Coco Avant Chanel at The Regent Cinema.

So in keeping with the trend we thought we’d put together some looks inspired by some of Coco Chanel’s greatest quotes …

“A woman is closest to being naked when she is well dressed.”

Gary Bigeni Carla dress, $465, from Bessie Head, Broadway on the Mall

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same”

Sportsgirl top, $40, from Sportsgirl, Queen Adelaide Building

“Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.”

Sass & Bide ‘Hurts so good’ dress, $390 from David Jones, QueensPlaza

“Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions.”

Stolen Girlfriends Club jacket, from Violent Green, Elizabeth Arcade

“The best color in the whole world, is the one that looks good, on you!”

Something Else dress, $129.95, from General Pants, Albert Street

A new short movie created by Karl Lagerfeld showcases the story of the Coco’s unrealized dream to visit Shanghai. One have to say from the beginning that the story is fiction. No one does certainly know if Chanel really had this dream, it’s sure however that her Rue de Cambon apartment was furnished with huge Coromandel screens and she loved Chinese art. We can also guess certain similarities between the classic Chanel tweed jacket and the Chinese Mao jacket.

Perhaps Karl Lagerfeld, the couturier who keeps Coco Chanel’s fashion dream alive, is the most able to reveal what she would have done if she really made this trip. So, as you’ll see in the movie, he supposes that in Shanghai she would have swapped her jacket for a Mao jacket, would have visited gambling clubs with Duchess of Windsor, she would have visited Marlene Dietrich in cabaret, she would have taken tea with the emperor and would have traveled with the Shanghai Express. Even if the film action is nothing but fantasy, I’m quite sure that the way Coco Chanel acts, speaks, reacts in this movie is very close to the real character’s way of being.

…comes from YSL’s Baby Doll Eau De Toilette. Of course. I have to say, it’s my favourite perfume, none has topped it so far! I got it at the airport in New York in 2005, and ever since, we’ve had a passionate love affair. Since then, I’ve had two more bottles – I try to make them last because it’s a SPECIAL one…but hopefully when I have more pennies in the bank, I can afford to buy it more often, thus making it my daily perfume. However, for me, it’s the kind that I use for special occasions or on days when I know it’ll be a long/boring/tedious/drawn-out…so that I can make myself smile just by lifting my wrist and giving it a smell! Lovely.

My sister (Cats And Chocolate) has a little bit of an obsession with perfumes…not that it’s a bad thing! Indeed, it was she, herself, who got me my first – Anna Sui’s Sui Dreams – for my 13th Birthday and for the next few years, she got me perfumes for my birthdays…this year, she got me another bottle of Baby Doll. My collection of perfumes isn’t as big as it could be, but I think it’s because I have a few bottles of perfumes that I love…: Baby Doll, YSL’S Cinema, Anna Sui’s Sui Dreams, Lolita Lempicka…and a few others that I don’t wear as much. I think a lot of women have at least one perfume that they love and which they wear the most…

There are a few that I want to smell and perhaps buy – Coco Mademoiselle, CK IN2U for Her, YSL’s Elle, Chanel No.5…amongst a few others…I shall blog if I like and if I buy…keep your noses, I mean eyes, at the ready…

I love red lips and red nails. So chic. So Mademoiselle Coco Chanel. Non? Unfortunately, when I have red nails and red lips around Christmas time, I feel completely, utterly, totally lame. Same for Valentine’s Day. Why is RED such a holiday colour? Think about it…even Remembrance Day – red poppies (for the Canadians out there) Even the Canadian flag! RED. No red nails around Christmas time, Valentine’s Day, Remembrance Day, or even Canada Day. Minus all those red dicatated holidays, I love my red nails and red lips, for the rest of the year. Russian Red from Mac is the lip colour of choice, whereas for the nails, I’ll do Big Red Apple from OPI.

I love this woman… :)

Mademoiselle Coco Chanel

“Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions.” — Coco Chanel  

“Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” — Coco Chanel 

“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”      — Coco Chanel 

Photo taken from Google Images

“There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time.” – Coco Chanel.
I recently watched a TV biopic about Coco Chanel on Lifetime and enjoyed learning more about a passionate, driven, creative woman. She took risks professionally and pursued a professional career at a time when women weren’t business owners or fashion designers. She believed in her vision and creativity as she observed the changes in society and world politics going on around her in France before World War II. It was inspiring to see how she responded to life and initiated her own opportunities. I identify with her sense of pride and courage. She loved passionately but did not marry. Is that a decision based on her success, her choices, her feeling of independence? According to this version of her story, it wasn’t because she didn’t want to but because it didn’t work out that way before the love of her life died unexpectedly. She then poured her passion into fashion – her business, her creativity, her vision. I’m leaving out the details of the motivations and actions of those around her but it’s really about how she responded.

I read more about her life and reflected on her influence. Besides creating the little black dress, consider these fashion staples she introduced, which provided more comfort and freedom to women’s wear: pleated skirts, turtleneck sweaters, the cardigan suit, the blazer, the sling pump, strapless dresses, the trench coat and a few other fashion innovations.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,904672,00.html

I’ve always enjoyed biographies for inspiration on how others overcame adversity in life and created their success. Coco Chanel was raised by relatives and found her purpose in a time when women had fewer options in life. We all have challenges and respond with our choices and attitude. I’m reminded to believe in myself and follow my passion.
–Rebecca

(Click image to enlarge)

Clockwise from top left: Champagne and truffle gift box £50.00 fortnumandmason.com, Tanzanite flower ring by Jean Schlumberger £57,000 uk.tiffany.com, Hat by Helene Berman heleneberman.com, Judith Leiber Clutch bag £3260 net-a-porter.com, Holly GoNightly sleep mask $14 fredflare.com, Coco Chanel by Justine Picardie £13.00 (pre-order) amazon.co.uk