SEE: Karl Lagerfeld: ModeMethode

The Bundeskunsthalle museum - golly, try saying that three times fast! in Bonn, Germany is exhibiting the first comprehensive exhibit of Karl Lagerfeld's work - from his yellow wool coat which won the 1954 Woolmark prize and started his (and Yves Saint Laurent's) career to the pregnant bridal dress from the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2014 haute couture collection.

A trip down memory lane...

A vivid and lively version of Karl Lagerfeld's desk:

The coat that started it all: the winner of the 1954 Woolmark prize (recreated for the exhibit):

Karl for Chloe:

The brilliance of Karl: bringing some street creed to the house of Chanel:

The dream of Chanel haute couture realized by Karl:

Karl Lagerfeld: ModeMethode

28 March to 13 September 2015

Bundeskunsthalle Mueum

 

 xo, Juliana

Gaby Aghion, Founder of Chloe, Dies at 93

Gaby Aghion, the founder of Chloé died this past Saturday at her home in Paris.  The Spring 2015 collection designed by Claire Waight Keller, was shown Sunday and was dedicated to its founder Gaby Aghion.

It is nice that Aghion lived to see her label celebrated in the exhibit, Chloé.  Attitudes, at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris in 2012.

"There is no characteristic Chloé woman.  She is neither blonde nor dark-haired.  But she is typically Parisian."

Gaby Aghion

Chloé at RARE vintage:

The iconic and much photographed 'Bugatti' dress in black silk embroidered with cabochons and silver tubular sequins...

1983 Chloé Bugatti dress available for purchase at RARE vintage.

Chloé Bugatti dress photographed by Albert Watson

and a silk gown with a bright yellow flyaway panel in the back...

Circa 1980 Chloe silk gown available for purchase at RARE vintage.
A similar dress is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

xo, Juliana

Avoir du Chien with Chanel

'Avoir du chien' is an expression, it means chic!  Chanel had 'du chien'.
Carlyne Cerf de Dedzeele

So let's do du chien with Chanel:

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel pink bodysuit/swimsuit with camellias, pearls and Chanel graffiti available for purchase at RARE vintage.

Chic is such a great word because it captures a certain spirit.  Bettina Ballard, an editor for Vogue back in the day, wrote in her wonderful biography, In My Fashion, about the 'hard chic' of the 1930s.  The hard chic she was referring to were Elsa Schiaparelli's 1930s tidy little dinner jackets with their long slim gowns and their undeniable elegance and shot of shock with a collection of bugs for buttons.

Chic is something unexpected.  Like our ahhh-mazing Krizia caftan I posted yesterday with its embroidered panther cooly draped over the shoulder like a kitten ready to pounce.  Or this also ahh-mazing bubblegum pink Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel bodysuit/swimsuit that we just received at RARE vintage.  Karl reinvigorated Chanel with some chic rule breaking.  He took elements of Chanel and made it chic and cool by making it playful.  You've got your camellia, your 2.55 quilted bag, your pearls, your CC logo, your Coco... you've got it all on a bodysuit/swimsuit.  Tres chic!

love, kisses and avoir du chien, Juliana

Just in: La Peregrina

Okay, well, not really the famous La Peregrina - found by a slave, worn by a few queens and at least one diva... but la Peregrina as interpreted by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.  

Slightly military-inspired, from entwined gilt, hangs 'la Peregrina' large, elegant, majestic, mysterious...

Just in:

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel entwined gilt brooch with a substantial faux pearl I like to call 'La Peregrina':

Circa 1990s Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel 'la Peregrina' brooch.  Available for purchase at RARE vintage.
info@rarevintage.com or 212.581.7273

and some photos of that other legendary big pearl...

love, kisses and bigger really is better, Juliana

Itsy, Bitsy, Teenie, Weenie Chanel Bronze Mini

It will not hold a cell phone, a key or a credit card.

But this baby Chanel 2.55 bag in a bronze leather will just look too cute and too adorable hanging on a big sister Chanel 2.55 bag or from a belt.  Or even on another bag as a little a charm...

Early 1990s Chanel baby 2.55 bag.  Pristine condition.  

For more information or to purchase please email info@rarevintage.com or phone 212.581.7273

Roi of Light: Chanel and Louis XIV Le Roi Soleil

Recently, in the renovation of the Ritz in Paris, a previously undiscovered Charles Le Brun painting was discovered hanging in plain sight in Coco Chanel's suite and was sold at Christies by the owner of the Ritz, Mohamed Al Fayed, to benefit the Dodi Al Fayed foundation.  Charles Le Brun was the masterful decorator of Versailles who brought the magnificent vision of Louis XIV to a mirrored, gilded, parqueted, dressed to impress reality.  Louis humbly chose the sun as his emblem and became known as Le Roi Soleil.  And his emblem appears throughout Versailles such as on this door knob...

In the mid 1980s Karl Lagerfeld began amassing a collection of 18th century furnishings to live la vie Louis XIV.  It is from this period in Lagerfeld's life when he was successor to Coco Chanel and buying armoires by Jean-Henri Reisner, one of the master furniture makers under Louis XIV, and lighting his dining room solely by candlelight, that he did these super fabulous Le Roi Soleil earrings.

I love that KL put the gilded Sun God on a large resin disk.  Magnifique don't you think?!  And truly, who has visited Versailles does not dream of living la vie Louis XIV??

Circa 1990 Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Le Roi Soleil gilt and resin earrings.  Signed.

To purchase please email info@rarevintage or phone 212.581.7273

That Was Then, This Is Now AND This Is Now #6

That was then... surrealism on display from the Chloe archive on display at the Palais de Tokyo in 2012:

and this is now... Chloe from the Spring 2013 ad campaign...  isn't it interesting that houses are embracing their archives and rereleasing and reinventing pieces from their past?  I have not seen the reimagined arrow pantsuit but I suspect that although very wonderful, it will not have the handwork that went into the original...

and this is now and then at RARE vintage...  Karl Lagerfeld for Chloe dress with its mirrored arrows - Mon Dieu!  has been quite the project!  Sometimes when I buy vintage it is a story full of drama, mystery and an unspoken fragility.  It can come to RARE vintage in a weakened state, needing a care giver, an historian and a little love.  

This is an Ode to Love...

Karl Lagerfeld for Chloe mirrored arrow dress.  Silk.  Size 6/small 8.  

For more info or to purchase please email info@rarevintage.com or phone 212.581.7273

Biker Chic: 1990s Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel

One of my favorite new finds for RARE vintage: 1990s Chanel and lots of it!  (Scroll down to see what is now available at RARE vintage)

Karl Lagerfeld is the Couture Master of `the DJ Remix.  He references the iconography of the House of Chanel: the quilted bag, the gilt and leather chain strap, the CC logo but mixes it with a dash of hip hop,  a little punk, a bit of biker chic, the eighteenth century, the last days of the Raj and the French Riviera.  

In the early 1990s Lagerfeld mixed a heavy street look into Chanel's hallowed Maison de Couture.

and, of course, Peter Lindbergh's famous photo of the Chanel Supermodel Gang:

I am very excited about a group of early 1990s Chanel that has just arrived at RARE vintage.  I thought I would start with these gilt and leather chain earrings with a huge drop pearl in the center.

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MTV House of Style: The Cindy Crawford Years

MTV has recently released a sort of greatest hits of House of Style hosted by Cindy Crawford.  They are a treasure trove of vintage 1990s fashion and culture.

Here are a few of my favorites:

MTV's House of Style Season 1.  Episode 10: Helmut Newton and Cindy Crawford in Monte Carlo.

Some great quotes in this one.  "This is an old classical image of blindfolded orchestra which use to play in a room separee and elegant people use to have private elegant orgies." Helmut Newton

Get More: 'House Of Style' Collection at MTV Style

Great Jean Paul Gaultier video with some iconic pieces like the cone dress.  Episode 2.

Get More: 'House Of Style' Collection at MTV Style

Some really AMAZING Gianni Versace fashion in Episode.  "Versace has his feet firmly planted in traditionalism but every now and then he brings about an air of theatricality so if you feel like being a bit bold, his clothes bridge that gap."  Sylvester Stallone.  (I know!  Too, too funny!)

Get More: 'House Of Style' Collection at MTV Style

The fabulous Linda Evangelista being, well, fabulous...  Episode 12.

Get More: 'House Of Style' Collection at MTV Style

Veronica Webb on some of the biggest bad asses in French fashion.  Karl looking very different.  And Naomi on how hard it is being a Supermodel, "You work until 2AM, then you have to get up at 7AM to go to work again.  And you have to look good." Episode 12.

Get More: 'House Of Style' Collection at MTV Style

Girl talk with Naomi, Linda and Kristen McMenamy.  Look at how high those thongs and jeans are!  And, who knew, Naomi loves flea market shopping!  And has "zits"!  Episode 18.

Get More: 'House Of Style' Collection at MTV Style

To see lots more, visit MTV The House of Style Collection here

The Little Black Jacket by Chanel Has Arrived!

How will you style your little Chanel black jacket?  

Will you wear it with a lace mantilla like Laetitia Casta?

Will you wear it with high hair like Virginie Ledoyen?

Will you wear it with a top hat a la Yoko Ono?

Will you wear it with roller skates?

or will you wear it like Vanessa Paradis with a 1970s Giorgio di Sant Angelo ensemble from RARE vintage?

The Little Black Jacket by Karl Lagerfeld.  Styled by Carine Roitfeld. On view from June 8th until the 15th at 18 Wooster Street from 12 to 7PM.  The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisiited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld by Steidel, is out August 15th.

Where the Wild Things Are

The wild things were at Miu Miu in Spring 2010

style.com

and the wild things were at Victoria by Victoria Beckham for Spring 2012

style.com

and there were more wild things at Deyrolle for Opening Ceremony Fall 2011

Deyrolle for Opening Ceremony

and the wild things are in store at RARE vintage.  Sweet fawns a-leaping on a Karl Lagerfeld for Chloe silk bias cut dress in a pale buttercup yellow.  Dress slips on like a chemise.  Size 4.

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