COCO Chanel

"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."

This weekend I watched the movie "COCO avant Chanel." It is the story of Gabrielle (aka Coco - a nickname given to her by her father) and her life before she became one the most legendary style and fashion icons...well, ever. Her humble beginnings started in France. She was an orphan and worked as a seamstress/ singer to make money. She had always dreamed of going to Paris one day and making it big. She met a rich and well connected man, who eventually grew to love and admire her for her elegance and daring look. At a time where women wore feathers and large, extravagant hats to display their status, Coco always opted for a more simplistic and tailored look. She would cut up men's clothing and add pieces to a dress for a feminine touch. She constructed simple straw hats, which eluded to mystery rather than exuberance. Her daring sense of style portrayed such elegance, and rather than "letting it all hang out" she covered it up, leaving a lot more to the imagination for men. Her rebellion against mainstream "women's wear" is admirable to say the least. I would definitely recommend this movie, if not for Coco's incredible story, then for inspiration.

"A girl should be two things: Classy and Fabulous." - Coco Chanel.

A Beautiful Work In Progress

I am going to switch directions a little bit and talk about design. Not design like the clothes you and I wear, but design like art and architecture. Design encompasses so many things, but this post is about architecture in particular. On my recent trip to Europe this past summer, one of my favourite stops was Barcelona. Have you ever seen Antoni Gaudi's work in real life? If you haven't, let me tell you - you are missing out. His infamous Sagrada Familia church is one of the most incredible churches I have ever seen. Construction started in 1882 and it has taken over 100 years to construct (it still isn't done!), and Gaudi tragically died in 1926 before he could finish it. His work is some of the most unique, and you can see the contrast in design when you walk from one side of the temple to the other. A photo doesn't even do it justice, but tell me what you think. AND, if you ever go to Barcelona...you HAVE to see the Sagrada Familia.

John Galliano

I Think this man is one of my all time favourites...
Born in Gibraltar, John Galliano grew up in London and launched his own label before becoming head designer of France's couture flagship, Christian Dior.
Galliano tells a magical tale with every collection. He has brought a totally new vision to Dior and continues to make history with his creativity and enchanting designs.

He uses the world as his muse and never seems to run out of new ideas for his collections.

"CURIOSITY: Is the most important thing" - John Galliano

Viktor & Rolf 2010 Collection

SOO.....I was sitting at home watching Fashion Television and the new V&R collection was on. My mom came to join me on the couch and couldn't help but notice the "ridiculous" clothing (her words not mine). Anyways, she went on to comment "WHY do they make these clothes if you can't even wear them on the street in everyday life?"
That is totally not the point of these fashion shows! I think a fashion show is like an escape from reality - especially ones like this! The amount of creativity and imagination it takes to create new and innovative designs all the time is sooo admirable to me.
Anyways, I think this is an incredible collection! The silhouettes are amazing and the creative vision of this duo is just "ridiculous."

What do you think?