Coco Chanel
http://www.artandculture.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/ACLive.woa/wa/artist?id=356

Chanel from[BroadbandTV]
The History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 1 [BroadbandTV]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpFw4yZ_ubg

The History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 2with*Chanel Spring Summer 1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ42zTG11oc


The History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 3*Purfum Chanel N'5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9CFx4nJXnkT


he History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 4with*Chanel Spring Summer 1988*Chanel Autumn Wimter 1991-92
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnjb6KoNPNk


The History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 5with*Chanel Autumn Wimter 1996-97http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qRlke3Bbpc


The History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 6with*Chanel Autumn Wimter 2001-02http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDEYIx42Brk


The History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 7with*Chanel Autumn Wimter 2002-03http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8ZFZcUvF2c


The History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 8with*Chanel Spring Summer 2005*Chanel Autumn Wimter 2005-06
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-lHwaQecwc


The History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 9with*Chanel Autumn Wimter 2005-06*Chanel Autumn Wimter 2006-07
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aZYJ7W7lqY


The History of Chanel - Iconic Design - Part 10with*Chanel Autumn Wimter 2007-08http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WY0JM5Juug


Coco Chane
lhttp://www.artandculture.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/ACLive.woa/wa/artist?id=356


Designers

Karl Lagerfeld
The Design Machine


Karl Lagerfeld has an ability to do many things at once and in several languages. He can sit in his antique chair、reading some sublime text in German、some obscure French art book or a stack of English London film magazines. He can juggle designing Chanel collections、Fendi collections、Chloe collections and collections under his own name and plan the complete renovation of some historic house he has bought、all before lunch.
He has a wider range of conversation than the Internet、more books than a State library and more desks and friends than can be counted. Karl does not suffer from stress. The only thing that the millionaire designer fears is - boredom.
In 1938 Karl Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg、Germany of a Scandinavian dairy magnate and his German wife. He afterwards said that when he was 12 years old、he spent 3 hours a day learning French. He said his mother told him that Hamburg was only a door for him.
In 1952 at the age of 14、he came to Paris to study、but he says that he spent most of his time in the studios of the artists who thronged Paris in the 50's and with such men as Jean Cocteau and Jean-Paul Sartre. He says "In the beginning、I wanted to be an illustrator、a painter. I really did not know what I could do. Fashion had always interested me even before I knew it was called fashion. I loved the costumes of figures in paintings and around me." With a passion for drawing、Karl studied history of costume. He would amuse himself by re-interpreting styles of various periods.
In 1954 he saw huge posters all over Paris inviting sketches to be sent to the International Wool Secretariat、for a competition for designs in various categories. He sent in some sketches for coats、and 6 months later、he heard by telegram that he had won the coat category. Yves St. Laurent won the dress category in the same competition. Pierre Balmain was one of the judges、and he immediately hired the talented young Karl Lagerfeld. He stayed there for 3.1/2 years. Karl still has many of the friends he made at Balmain、and a number of them work with him today. In everyone's opinion Karl was extremely gifted and destined for a brilliant future.
In 1958 at the age of 20 Karl became Art Director at the famous house of Jean Patou - designing two haute couture collections a year. In 1962 Karl Lagerfeld signed with the largest departmental store in Japan、ISETAN、to create fashion collections for men and women.
In 1963 Karl left Patou and started free-lance designing in Italy and France. He says "It worked well、nobody had done it quite like that before、it was exciting and right for the time、the mid-60's. Around that time、the idea of pret-a-porter (ready-to-wear) was born. A sort of simplified high fashion which anyone could do well. Karl offered his talents to several houses. His goal was to design clothes for as many diverse types of women as possible.
CHLOE Chloe was a house formed in 1952 which made very feminine garments. Karl joined them and within a short while gained a reputation for the house for lightness and youthfulness. His ensembles at Chloe are constructed of several light weight、airy layers、included camisoles、shirt-jackets and sleeveless jackets、used in different ways. Colours were ethereal as the thin silk itself and Lagerfeld experimented with many forms of decoration - painting silk in patterns、using inserts of lace、he tied silk blouses around the waist、wrapped scarves around the hips、made high collars to achieve a look called "Byronesque."
He continued making these beautiful clothes for 14 years until the Fall/Winter 1997 collection、when he handed over the house to Stella MacCartney、daughter of singer Paul McCartney who has brought out her first collection for Chloe、Summer 1998.
FENDI In 1963 Karl Lagerfeld met the women who were to play an enormous role in his life and his career、the 5 Roman women、Queens of top quality furs、the Fendi sisters. They asked him to take over the design of their collections and little by little、they became his second family. Several times a year、he comes to work with them in Rome.
He has gradually expanded their product line to include dresses、handbags、luggage、belts、accessories and many other products. The Fendi sisters love him and say "Karl designs our entire line. It is such a pleasure to work with him because we have been together for years now、and we practically grew up together. We understand him and can pass his ideas on to our customers. We have well-known clients from all over the world、actresses to noblewomen. Catherine Deneuve is very faithful、Ira Furstenburg、Grace Jones、we really value these women who love Fendi and wear it with such class."
In 1975 Karl started Parfum Lagerfeld、a company which produces and markets perfumes such as Chloe、Lagerfeld for men and K.L. His memories of special scents from his childhood was the inspiration.
CHANEL
In 1983、Karl Lagerfeld was given the artistic direction of Chanel at a time when the name had been largely forgotten、remembered only for it's perfumes. He brought new life back into Chanel's shops. The most experienced and talented hands in Paris measured、cut、draped、sewed and embroidered the most expensive garments in the world. The meeting of 2 extraordinary talents、Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfield、has from the very first collection、been a sensation. He has kept to the overall classic lines of Chanel yet updated the added a sparkle to the old house. He did show a lack of respect for Coco when he exposed the one part of the body she hated to reveal - the knee - but his new high hemlines were a smash hit.
The Fall/Winter 1997 collection for Chanel was a major retrospective of Chanel's original styles、her swimsuits at Deauville and her Little Black Dresses.
HIS OWN LABEL
In 1984 Karl Lagerfeld started his own label、and from then on presented 2 collections a year as solely Karl Lagerfeld creations. This has continued inspite of all the other collections he creates. In the late 80's、he took up the design of porcelain for the West German pottery firm Hutchenrehter and has also found time to continue to design for films and the theatre、as well as neckwear and eyewear for all his contracts. In 1986 he launched an American Sportswear line、a semi-annual collection with an American point of view.
In 1987 Karl Lagerfeld was awarded the Golden Thimble the Fashion Industry's highest honour、for the collection of the year.
Karl Lagerfeld now designs more than 20 collections a year. He says "I like being a chamelon、being many persons at once. For me designing is like breathing、I don't think about it. When I sit at a desk at Chanel、I am Chanel、when I go to Rome and sit at Fendi、I am Fendi." He says: "I start thinking about my new collection on the day I show the earlier one. It is the new start that turns me on."
In 2001 and 2001 we are seeing a new slimmer Karl、with an impressive weight loss. This slimline image is the inspiration for his new line of denim. Using his own label、he has collaborated with Diesel on a range of styles to flatter the fit physique.
He also has a hobby of buying and renovating old houses. He is a specialist of the 18th century and considered an expert by the most important antique dealers in the world. Although he is extremely busy、he always takes the time to see houses and give his opinion on antiques、or buy another of his masterpieces.
Spring/Summer 2003
Karl presented his Lagerfeld Gallery Spring/Summer 2003 collection during Paris Fashion Week in October 2002.
Fall/Winter 2003
Karl Lagerfeld held his Fall ready-to-wear collection during Paris Fashion Week in March 2003 and here on the right is an outfit from the collection.
As you can see、Karl has made a play of masculine/feminine clothing、turning the model into a man with legs. It later ran red hot with crimson miniskirts and fur scarves、twinkling patinum mesh tops and embroidered silver overcoats.
Lagerfeld's clothes have been growing stronger each season、and his casual jeans melded perfectly. The designer was at his most graphic melding three or four elements to make one look. It was astreamlined refined ultra-modern collection、vulgarity is out.
Spring/Summer 2004
During Paris Fashion Week in October 2003、Karl Lagerfeld first showed his own collection for next Spring. A dress from this collection is shown on the left.
He showed some tough shouldered jackets and stiff little skirts、but also a fleet of sinuous slithering sheath dresses、some with Goddess folds、others with silver buckles at the shoulder. He presented some beautiful swimwear and faded denim. He followed up with dainty chiffon dresses and his signature strict black suits with crisp white shirts.
Photographer
Karl Lagerfeld is a very talented photographer、with many books to his credit. His interests range throughout the spectrum from Greek Vases to Madonna. Many can be seen below in the list of books available from Amazon. Happy browsing.
Stamp Designer
Among his many talents、Karl is a stamp designer. The French post office has issued two of his designs for 2004 featuring the square Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle.
Fall/Winter 2004 ready-to-wear
Karl presented his Lagerfeld Gallery Fall collection in Paris during Fashion Week in March 2004. On the right is an outfit from the show. His favourite colour was white this time around、opening with a selection of sexy、sportif snow parkas and fur-collared jackets. But he did not forget the evening、showing some slinky chiffon evening wear mingling on the same runway. A few days later、he showed his Chanel show、which you can see by clicking through.
Spring/Summer 2005
During Paris Fashion Week in October 2004、Karl Lagerfeld showed his own Lagerfeld Gallery collection for next Spring. A dramatic outfit from this collection is shown on the left.
On a midnight black catwalk、his white suits were shining. His fedora hats、starched wing collars on dresses and skinny jackets with supertight pants played on the man-woman theme. Feminine pieces also appeared、bloused and pleated dresses in hot pink、pale lavender and yellow and lighter skirts atop stiffened petticoats came down the catwalk. His evening looks which closed the show had a wispy wonderful weightless quality.
Karl tries the High Street
Karl Lagerfeld designed a collection for high street fashion gian H&M、which was widely advertised. But one season was enough for him and he did not continue the experiment
Hilfiger buys Lagerfeld
In December 2004、Tommy Hilfiger acquired the trademarks of Karl Lagerfeld for an undisclosed amount. This will help the Lagerfeld brand grow、with Karl still at the creative helm. The deal will not affect Chanel or Fendi where Karl is the creative director. Strangely enough、later on there were rumours that Tommy Hilfiger himself is planning to sell his business.
Autumn/Winter 2005
Karl showed his Lagerfeld Gallery Autumn/Winter during Paris Fashion Week in March 2005. He created super skinny pantsuits and used fur trim on jackets and coats abundantly. Fox fur stoles draped langurously around jersey tops and turtleneck sweaters had funnel shaped collars. He added a great deal of swinging volume to coats to balance the lean dresses underneath. Slipper satin and jersey gowns with twisted halters with a thirties look、were belted with chiffon roses like those used long ago by Vionnet.
Spring/Summer 2006Paris Fashion Week
Karl presented his Lagerfeld Gallery Spring/Summer 2006 collection during Paris Fashion Week in October 2005. A brown dress with white braiding and big white buttons、from the collection is shown on the left. It is worn with a matching sleeveless jacket.
There was a casual feel with raw-edged ribbons of cotton hung from sleeves and wrists of white blouses. He often showed cuffed shorts which are so popular this season. Cotton dresses and brief spencer jackets had peep holes puched through the fabric. Karl said he was inspired this season by Jean Prouve、the modernist French designer and architect from the post-Bauhaus era.