The Canadian Press
PARIS — German designer Karl Lagerfeld is having an Olsen moment. Think Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the diminutive twins and actresses who sat front row at his Chanel ready-to-wear show in Paris on Friday and provided the template for the models who stalked the runway.
Their hair worn loose and stylishly dishevelled, they circled a breathtaking gold carousel featuring oversized replicas of the symbols of Chanel style - a quilted handbag, a tweed jacket, a bow or a camellia. A thick ribbed boyfriend sweater was paired with a shredded denim miniskirt (Mary-Kate goes to Starbucks!). A white satin shirttail peeked out from a tight black skirt suit (Ashley goes shopping!).
It was a sparkling demonstration of Lagerfeld's ability to keep the brand relevant for a new generation, nearly four decades after the death of legendary founder Coco Chanel . "I think a living memorial is better than some sort of respectful tomb," Lagerfeld said recently. "She is lucky, because nobody has survived as well, thanks to what we are doing, I don't mean just myself, but the people who own the company."
The fascination with Coco Chanel shows no sign of dying, with three separate biopics in the works, including one starring Audrey Tautou and another with Demi Moore. It is a plum role - Chanel was a force of nature, spending her teenage years in a Catholic orphanage before going on to revolutionize the way women dressed.
"Strong women are being noticed both presently, now certainly with a woman running for president, plus the fact is history likes to focus on strong women, so there is an interest in her," said Hal Rubenstein, fashion director of InStyle magazine.
"Plus you can't divorce the fact that he is doing a great job which keeps the name alive," he added. Lagerfeld's latest project was to commission 20 leading contemporary artists, including Yoko Ono and Sophie Calle, to create original works of art inspired by Chanel quilted handbag.
The Mobile Art exhibition, housed in a futuristic white pavilion by cutting-edge architect Zaha Hadid, went on show in Hong Kong this week and will travel the world before reaching Paris in two years. Handbags and other accessories account for the bulk of profits at superbrands like Chanel, so their total absence from the catwalk this season was something of a surprise. But as the carousel took its final spin with models bobbing up and down on giant replica handbags and shoes, it was clear they needed no extra frills.
PARIS — German designer Karl Lagerfeld is having an Olsen moment. Think Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the diminutive twins and actresses who sat front row at his Chanel ready-to-wear show in Paris on Friday and provided the template for the models who stalked the runway.
Their hair worn loose and stylishly dishevelled, they circled a breathtaking gold carousel featuring oversized replicas of the symbols of Chanel style - a quilted handbag, a tweed jacket, a bow or a camellia. A thick ribbed boyfriend sweater was paired with a shredded denim miniskirt (Mary-Kate goes to Starbucks!). A white satin shirttail peeked out from a tight black skirt suit (Ashley goes shopping!).
It was a sparkling demonstration of Lagerfeld's ability to keep the brand relevant for a new generation, nearly four decades after the death of legendary founder Coco Chanel . "I think a living memorial is better than some sort of respectful tomb," Lagerfeld said recently. "She is lucky, because nobody has survived as well, thanks to what we are doing, I don't mean just myself, but the people who own the company."
The fascination with Coco Chanel shows no sign of dying, with three separate biopics in the works, including one starring Audrey Tautou and another with Demi Moore. It is a plum role - Chanel was a force of nature, spending her teenage years in a Catholic orphanage before going on to revolutionize the way women dressed.
"Strong women are being noticed both presently, now certainly with a woman running for president, plus the fact is history likes to focus on strong women, so there is an interest in her," said Hal Rubenstein, fashion director of InStyle magazine.
"Plus you can't divorce the fact that he is doing a great job which keeps the name alive," he added. Lagerfeld's latest project was to commission 20 leading contemporary artists, including Yoko Ono and Sophie Calle, to create original works of art inspired by Chanel quilted handbag.
The Mobile Art exhibition, housed in a futuristic white pavilion by cutting-edge architect Zaha Hadid, went on show in Hong Kong this week and will travel the world before reaching Paris in two years. Handbags and other accessories account for the bulk of profits at superbrands like Chanel, so their total absence from the catwalk this season was something of a surprise. But as the carousel took its final spin with models bobbing up and down on giant replica handbags and shoes, it was clear they needed no extra frills.
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