Chanel Cruise Collection 2010

Last week, the Chanel Cruise 2009/10 collection set sail in one of the most romantic and unique cities in the world – Venice. Coco Chanel was apparently instantly swept away when she visited Venice and Karl Lagerfeld apparently was too, as this resort collection was a reflection of understated seaside glamour. The show began at sunset on Lido Beach where the models walked on a wooden boardwalk/catwalk that twisted and turned, while editors dug their feet in the sand.

The collection is in the signature Chanel black and white with pops of red and gold. Traditional nautical motifs running the range of French nautical sailor stripes and collars for the ladies and looks borrowed from gondoliers for the men, played a significant part in the collection. Another motif – the lion – a favorite of Coco Chanel’s, made an appearance as the symbol of Venice and also the symbol of Leo, Chanel’s astrological sign. Lace pieces that were ethereal and sophisticated along with chiffon wispy dresses reflected the sensuality of the Chanel woman. A Chanel collection wouldn’t be complete without its share of tweed jackets and little black dresses and there were plenty signature elegant styles to choose from.

One of my favorite aspects of the runway show was the hair – reminiscent of the wavy bob of the flappers of the 1920s these bobs had a bit more volume, depth and angles than the bobs of the 1920s could ever hope for. Together with a smokey eye and the right accessories the look was very modern and chic. I can’t wait to see what nail colours we’ll see come out of this collection. All in all, another beautiful collection that stayed true to the brand’s heritage without replicating the past.

I thought this collection was especially beautiful because Coco Chanel’s first clothing collections were developed and sold in the seaside town of Deauville, where she revolutionized how women dressed at the beach. I felt that Uncle Karl took this into account when designing this collection and you could see that he was inspired by the looks that Chanel made popular at the time – from the hair, to the locale, to the jersey pieces it was all a nod to Mademoiselle. Bravo!

Chanel Cruise Collection 2010

Tags : Chanel, Style, Vogue

I Think this film is worth you to see –DER ZAUBER VON MALENA

The film is set in Sicily in 1940 during World War II just as Italy enters the war. Malena’s husband, Nino Scordia, leaves to serve in the military. Malena feels sad and tries to cope with her loss, as the town she has just moved to tries to deal with this beautiful woman who gets the attention and lustful stares of all the local men, including the 12-year-old Renato. However, in spite of the villagers’ gossip, she continues to be faithful to her husband. Renato becomes obsessed with Malena and starts fantasizing about her while masturbating.

The silent, distractingly beautiful outsider learns one day that her husband has been killed. Renato continues to watch as she suffers from loneliness and grief. Malena is shunned by the townspeople and the unattractive, jealous women of the Italian village, who begin to believe the worst about her, simply because of her beauty.

She visits her father, an almost deaf professor of Latin, regularly and helps him with his household chores. When a slanderous letter about her sexual morals reaches his hands, their relationship suffers a catastrophic blow. In the meanwhile, the war worsens. The village is bombed and Malena’s father is killed.

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Tags : Collection

I’m one of those people who’s terrible at saying no. I take on too many projects at once, and spend too much of my time doing things I’d rather not be. I get stuff done, but it’s not always the best I can do, or the best way I can spend my time.

That’s why my newest goal, both as a professional and a person, is to be a quitter.

Being a quitter isn’t being someone who gives up, who doesn’t see important things through to the end. I aspire to be the opposite of those things, and think we all should. The quitter I want to be is someone who gets out when there’s no value to be added, or when that value comes at the expense of something more important.

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Tags : Collection

About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college, I was working as an intern at my University’s Museum of Natural History. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.

As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of perched on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and torso. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots.

As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink. As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the cutest, largest smile I have ever seen.

All of a sudden her handicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college student and brought me into her world; a world of smiles, love and warmth.

That was ten years ago. I’m a successful business person now and whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me.

Tags : Collection

There were a sensitivity and a beauty to her that have nothing to do with looks. She was one to be listened to, whose words were so easy to take to heart.

It is said that the true nature of being is veiled. The labor of words, the expression of art, the seemingly ceaseless buzz that is human thought all have in common the need to get at what really is so. The hope to draw close to and possess the truth of being can be a feverish one. In some cases it can even be fatal, if pleasure is one’s truth and its attainment more important than life itself. In other lives, though, the search for what is truthful gives life.

I used to find notes left in the collection basket, beautiful notes about my homilies and about the writer’s thoughts on the daily scriptural readings. The person who penned the notes would add reflections to my thoughts and would always include some quotes from poets and mystics he or she had read and remembered and loved. The notes fascinated me. Here was someone immersed in a search for truth and beauty. Words had been treasured, words that were beautiful. And I felt as if the words somehow delighted in being discovered, for they were obviously very generous to the as yet anonymous writer of the notes. And now this person was in turn learning the secret of sharing them. Beauty so shines when given away. The only truth that exists is, in that sense, free.

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The cheongsam, or Qipao in Chinese, is evolved from a kind of ancient clothing of Manchu ethnic minority. In ancient times, it generally referred to long gowns worn by the people of Manchuria, Mongolia and the Eight-Banner.

In the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), long gowns featured collarless, narrow cuff in the shape of a horse’s hoof, buttons down the left front, four slits and a fitting waist. Wearers usually coiled up their cuff, and put it down when hunting or battling to cover the back of hand. In winter, the cuff could serve to prevent cold. The gown had four slits, with one on the left, right, front and back, which reached the knees. It was fitted to the body and rather warm. Fastened with a waistband, the long gown could hold solid food and utensils when people went out hunting. Men’s long gowns were mostly blue, gray or green; and women’s, white.

Another feature of Manchu cheongsam was that people generally wore it plus a waistcoat that was either with buttons down the front, a twisted front, or a front in the shape of lute, etc.

When the early Manchu rulers came to China proper, they moved their capital to Beijing and cheongsam began to spread in the Central Plains. The Qing Dynasty unified China, and unified the nationwide costume as well. At that time, men wore a long gown and a mandarin jacket over the gown, while women wore cheongsam. Although the 1911 Revolution toppled the rule of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, the female dress survived the political change and, with succeeding improvements, has become the traditional dress for Chinese women.

Tags : Designer, Style, Vogue

Chanel N˚5

Saks Fifth Avenue and Chanel are celebrating the launch of the new Chanel N˚5 campaign today in an extravagant way that would make Coco proud.  The most iconic of Avenues – 5th Avenue – is being renamed Avenue N˚5 from May 2 – 10.

When Chanel N˚5 was first released, it made its debut on May 5th (5.5).  I thought that Mlle. was so clever to have the date match her signature fragrance.  Today, not only is Chanel N˚5 launched on the same day (eighty-eight years to the day), but renaming 5th Avenue – a street synonymous with fashion, luxury and elegance – is too clever!

“In our celebration of Chanel N˚5’s newest camapaign, we wanted to recognize Chanel’s longstanding relationship with Saks and engage our customer in the fragrance with a complete visual fantasy.  We are even more delighted that the city is joining us in recognizing Chanel.”  says Ron Frasch, President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Saks Fifth Avenue.

This is not just a marketing scheme – it’s official.  The City of New York has officially declared May 5, 2009, Chanel N˚5 Day.  To show their gratitude, Chanel and Saks Fifth Avenue and have partnered to create a new arts program P.S.5, the Ellen Lurie Elementary School.  The funds will be used to create after school programs & supplies and fund field trips to museums and cultural institutions.  This too, is completely true to Coco Chanel’s philosophy as she was an avid supporter of the arts.

“We are honored to partner with the city of New York and Saks Fifth Avenue to name May 5th ‘Chanel N˚5 Day,’” says John Galantic, President and COO of Chanel, Inc. “We are pleased to share the excitement of this iconic product with New York on this symbolic day in our brand’s history.”

If you’re in NYC you must check out the Saks Fifth Avenue – the windows and the interiors are getting a lots of visual treatment.  The 17 windows along Avenue N˚5 will feature still shots from the Chanel N˚5 film Train de Nuit (starting Audrey Tautou) along with pieces from the current Chanel ready-to-wear collection.  If I were in NY I would definitely take a stroll down Avenue N˚5 - while wearing Chanel  N˚5 on Chanel  N˚5 day.

I now have a new favorite holiday – HAPPY CHANEL  N˚5 DAY!!

Tags : Chanel, Style, Vogue

PARIS — While normally associated with hulking brand edifices on the world’s prime shopping avenues, Europe’s luxury players are suddenly enamored with more modest

Tags : Style

Queen Latifah, Marc Jacobs, Mary J Blige, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Dustin Hoffman, Ernest Borgnine, Paris Hilton, Hilary Rhoda, Kate Walsh — it sounds like a red-carpet roll call for a showbiz event. But it was the Fragrance Foundation’s 37th annual ritual of handing out industry awards, held Wednesday evening at the Downtown Armory in Manhattan. Hollywood clearly has discovered the FiFi’s.

“I’m opening the show, sorry!” said late arrival Latifah with an apologetic grin as she sprinted down the red carpet, flanked by beefy bodyguards.

But others took a more leisurely stroll down the red carpet — especially an affable and accommodating Hoffman, who was accompanying his wife, nominee Lisa Hoffman. When asked how the FiFi’s differ from the Oscars, Dustin Hoffman replied, “It’s a much shorter red carpet! And Paris Hilton wows both of the shows, knocks ’em dead.”

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Tags : Vogue

Bras, briefs and boxer shorts were donated to this year’s Chelsea Flower Show to be used in display of how to grow your own fruit and vegetables in unwanted underwear.

Bras, briefs and boxer shorts were donated to this year’s Chelsea Flower Show to be used in display of how to grow your own fruit and vegetables in unwanted underwear.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) asked visitors to Chelsea Flower Show to donate clean unwanted bras, boxer shorts and jockey pants for its summer Grow Your Own campaign.

Dozens handed in old underwear which will now be used, alongside stock contributed by Marks and Spencer, in a ‘good life’ display at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, from 7 – 12 July 2009.

“Due to their conical shape, bras are ideal containers for turning into hanging baskets, and if you sew two together, you have what is best described as a ‘hanging bra-sket’. Once filled with compost you can grow salad leaves, herbs, alpine strawberries and even tumbling cherry tomatoes in them; the bigger the bra the more you can grow. But the serious message behind the ‘bra-skets’ is that you do not need a lot of space or even a lot of money to start growing your own food – just a bit of imagination.”

The ‘good life’ display is part of a wider campaign by the RHS to encourage more people to grow their own fruit and vegetables. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister and civic organisation including the National Trust have also called for more people to grow their own food in order to improve healthy eating and tackle climate change by reducing food miles.

Tags : Collection