picture from www.guardian.com

With a new film out at the end of the month, starring Audrey Tatou and detailing Coco Chanels life and her rise from her work house and orphanage beginnings to possibly the most celebrated fashion designer ever. Coco Chanel, whose actual name was Gabrielle, was an amazing woman. She had a talent for designing elegant and lady like clothes and what was ground breaking in her day such as dresses made from jersey that were worn without a corset .

The little black dress made popular by Coco Chanel became a wardrobe staple for almost every woman from then onwards. Just as she said black never goes out of fashion. It is flattering, elegant and timeless. Another key style introduced by Coco Chanel was the quilted bag, inspired by the clothes worn at the horse races which she loved attending. Chanel clothes are still highly sought after today with Karl Lagerfeld now designing for the label. There is also huge demand for vintage Chanel pieces that reflect the original style that Coco Chanel was so famous for.

Capture some of the magic of Coco Chanel with a bottle of Chanel No. 5, the worlds first ever couture perfume, named after her lucky number 5.

pictures from www.style.com.

Chanel is one of my favourite labels and I always look forward to Lagerfelds resort or cruise collections for their luxurious but classy opulence. The cruise collections are launched by some of the larger fashion houses as a sort of pre spring summer collection for those lucky enough to holiday in hotter climates in the winter. The resort or cruise collections are often a bit of a preview of things to come for spring and summer.

Karl Lagerfeld showed his 2010 resort collection this week along a boardwalk along the Venice Lido, one of Coco Chanels favourite summer locations. The collection was filled with both nautical and historical references with demure sailor dresses, navy and white stripes, high waisted sailor trousers and black cloaks with tricorn hats. The clothes were as always understated and elegant with no gimmicks needed to draw attention away from their classic style and beautiful cut. The swimweat had almost lingerie like qualities with see through lace panels.

This Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume is the best way to get some Chanel elegance every day.

I have always loved Chanel for its elegant but classic designs. I love the way that the clothes keep a sense of tradition but are always presented in a new and fresh way. Chanel for me is the ultimate in beautiful ladylike style. The autumn winter collection was defined by its high ruffled necklines, something that Karl Lagerfeld also used in his recent couture collection. the collection ws made up almost entirely of black, coats, jackets and skirts with white collars and cuffs. Again some great historical references that also felt very now.

There were some sightings of the Chanel tweed which this time was a sort of mint green, again teamed with  the high ruffled collars. These clothes are perfect for just about ever woman young or old and all sorts of body shapes. Beautiful cuts that flatter and compliment the wearers natural shape.

Unfortunately, I can’t afford to buy Chanel clothes (as much as I would love to) but I do allow myself a little luxury in life. This Chanel foundation is amazing at making skin radiant and refreshes a complexion no matter how little sleep you have had. Perfect for getting a bit of that timeless and very elegant Chanel style.

pictures from www.style.com

The season started in Paris with the Couture shows and the usual drama and spectacular style. At Chanel, Lagerfeld  did his best to turn his back on the doom, gloom and economic depression that is currently gripping the world economy. In an act of defiance his couture collection was white with analogies of a clean sheet of paper. The collection was definitely pristine and clean but struck just the right balance between minimalism and delicate detail. In fact it was the delicate detail that I really loved about this collection, particularly the head wear.

Paper flowers were used to create the most amazing head wear that would have looked at home in a bridal boutique but also managed to compliment perfectly the modern classic chanel suits which for this season included a line skirts, cropped jackests with square shoulders and  stand away collars. The paper like quality and crisp whiteness of the flower head wear gave them such a fresh spring feel.

Lagerfeld has proved that attention to detail is key for a beautiful couture collection. If you want to perfect your make up, pay attention to detail and start with a clean sheet using this Chanel Teint Innocence Makeup.

I love Chanel and Lagerfeld. I was absolutely delighted to find this preview/ teaser of Lagerfelds silent film on You Tube. It is only a few minutes long but I think it is really authentic and gives a great insight into the glamourous and exciting life of Coco Chanel. The full 10 minute version will be out tommorrow just in time for a spot of bored at work Friday afternoon viewing. The film which was directed by Lagerfeld to accompany his Chanel Paris-Moscow collection features the tweed two-piece Chanel 2.55. It is completely silent except for the music and is a great bit of entertainment, I can’t wait until tomorrow.

Enter into the spirit of Coco Chanel with this Coco Chanel Mademoiselle Perfume