KARL - KING OF RTW, COUTURE?- NOT SO ROYAL

KARL LAGERFELD You have heard the tale of the emperor's new clothes, but what can you say about the Kaiser with so many collections?  Karl Lagerfeld is the king of designer fashion.    Every designer wants to be him or have his job.   Magazines cover every project he is involved with - which is about 3 per day.   Every Japanese fashion fan worships him.   But when the Fall 2009 couture show came and went, I had to ask myself - is couture Karl's strong point?  Now you might say who cares?  Couture is out of touch with reality, right?   However, the unreal or at least untouchable world of couture is alive and well and is responsible (usually) for setting the image of any fashion house. CHANEL COUTURE -Fall 2009

With Chanel, it's the other way round.   Couture is more of a courtesy and provides bragging rights for the house.  Keep in mind that Coco never saw the RTW collection during her lifetime.   Every Chanel suit was Couture until her death at the age of 88 in 1971.  It's just that under the reign of KL the big WOW factor rarely happens at Couture like it does at RTW.CHANEL COUTURE- LESAGE EMBROIDERY-FALL 2009

Karl Lagerfeld is the most prolific designer alive.   He has had his hands in so many collections  over the last 50 years that I doubt he would be able to name them all.   The interesting thing is that Karl was never a couture designer and could not compete on that level.  His 50+ year  love/ hate friendship with Yves Saint Laurent was very much fueled by the fact that while both started their careers at the same time, it was Yves who was instantly embraced by the world of couture through the house of Christian Dior.  Karl on the other hand became affiliated with a string of high profile RTW collections from Fendi to Chloe and many more "ghost" designing assignments for companies with no public profile but tons of cash.  It was Chloe that put him on the map globally and Karl had two stints as the creative director of the house before Stella McCartney kick started the collection again in the mid 90's.   I was involved with Chloe during the end of Karl and the beginning of Stella and the sensation she brought to the house was amazing!

While Mr. L would never admit this bothered him, how could it not?  A man who revamps his family history more times than Coco herself did, each time coming off more gentry can hardly say he is not about image.

What Karl has done for Chanel is hands down the most amazing turn around in the fashion world- as interesting as Tom Ford for Gucci - even more-so maybe - because Karl has done it by revamping the classics over and over again while Tom started Gucci RTW from scratch which comes with it's own excitement.   Karl pushes the boundaries of playful and prudent and gives women another reason to buy a Chanel suit each season.    Lets not forget that handbags fueled the biz for the last 10 years - but the RTW is still the most prestigious collection in the world and hugely profitable for the house. 

The strange thing is - Karl is so strong with RTW that he upstages his own couture shows and you actually come away thinking - oh this or that look would have been cool from last season"s RTW.   Amazing, as no other designer could ever make you feel that way.    In terms of value though, any women would be better suited to buy 3 or 4 Chanel RTW suits for the same amount one couture creation would cost.   The quality of Chanel RTW is head and shoulders above any other brand - and I have to say that spending time in the couture salon of the house of Chanel in Paris is one of the highlights of my career.  The mystique of Coco's legacy still lives in every inch of the salon and in Coco's apartment above the salon.   However, at a certain point - do the extra small details warrant spending 10's of thousands of dollars if you are not a red carpet walker?  Especially in 2009?CHRISTIAN DIOR COUTURE- FALL 2009

John Galliano is the polar opposite.   His shows are always a fantasy - but his couture shows are more like an acid trip in creativity.   He gives till it hurts!   JG never seems to be bored  which is actually how Karl looked at the couture show.   Granted, Karl has 25+ years on Galliano - maybe we would all be bored by then!  Jean Paul Gaultier also showed a very strong couture collection.   There were many references to what the press are crediting to "Lady GaGa", but that really means Thierry Mugler - as he designs many of GaGa's looks!JEAN PAUL GAULTIER COUTURE FALL 2009

One of the most interesting details from the Chanel Couture show was the music.   Spin master Michel Gaubert kept your toes tapping with his mix of  La Roux "In For The Kill".   If you don't know the U.K. sensation - check out their website that has a very cool interactive home page!   Also, you must check out the video for this track - think blade runner meets V magazine!

Karl has been increasingly outspoken lately.   Most recently making derogatory statements about Heidi Klum and later her husband Seal.   It's almost like Karl is becoming Coco the older he gets!  Long live Kaiser Karl!!

OUT with the new, IN with the old at House of VALENTINO

The House of Valentino announced last week that it was replacing Creative Director Alessandra Facchinetti just days after the her latest collection hit the runway. To say it was a short lived relationship is an understatement. Less than one year and just 3 collections (including Couture) Facchinetti is out.

It sounds shocking, but it is not unheard of with Italian houses, who lets just say can be dramatic and swift in their decision making. Her replacement or I should say replacements.. are Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli who have been working for Valentino for more than 10 years. The namesake designer himself was critical of Facchinetti and vocal in his disdain for her lack of homage to his legacy. Maria and Pier are very well liked and very down to earth - so it could be a great move. After all, when Stella left Chloe, her number 2 was Phoebe Philo who went on to be become hugely successful for the brand.

Sometimes, big companies are hesitant to give the job to the people who deserve it. Bravo to Chiur and Piccioli. It is unfortunate however that Ms. Faccinetti heard about her dismissal from the media and not from company executives. OUCH! Lets all stay tuned!