FINALLY FENDI!

FENDI SPRING 2013 BY KARL LAGERFELDThe FENDISpring 2013 campaign is beautiful!  It's great to see one of Rome's premiere houses (now part of LVMH) shining bright this season.   So many times the collection sits in the shadow of that other project of designer Karl Lagerfeld.. you know.. a little company called CHANEL!   The French house of all things Couture is a global phenomenon, and Karl's creative process clearly starts onRue Cambon and eventually trickles over to Rome. 

FENDI SPRING 2013 BY KARL LAGERFELD1973 Lagerfeld started his design collaboration with the FENDI sisters.  Forty years later (Amazing!!), Karl maintains the collaboration with this Roman house of Luxury fashion.   Too many times though, FENDI can feel like CHANEL lite.  If CHANEL has wide belts, then FENDI has wide belts.   Bag in a bag this year at CHANEL?  Then it's bag in a bag next year at FENDI.  To be fair, designers all over the world copy Karl's designs at CHANEL.  I guess it makes sense Karl does it himself!FENDI - 2JOUR MEDIUM SATCHEL - $2,890.00

It's not a mystery, Karl Lagerfeld's rebirth of CHANEL in 1983 would ultimately change the face of the fashion world.  Karl's vision of COCO CHANEL's legacy achieved a level of success that surprised everyone in the industry.   It also was not an overnight game changer.   In the nineties, CHANEL had started it's own stable of brands a la LVMH or PPR (Soon to be Kering).   CHANEL financially backed the NY based designer Isaac Mizrahi, bought the legendary British game-hunting gunmaker  Holland & Holland,  acquired designer bathing suit company ERES, and FENDI BAGUETTE - SPRING 2013 - $2,190.00even planned a launch of a lower priced collection for CHANEL-aptly named BEIGE.  It did not come to fruition.   Then came the birth of the handbag obsession.  Luxury brands across the world quickly realized the growing potential for millions of new clients that could aspire to be clients of the most exclusive brands in the world via a handbag.   The bags served a dual purpose, 1) spreading the brands fame and 2) garnering huge profits at the same time.   All the other projects fell by the way side and CHANEL became the worlds ultimate luxury fashion brand.  Eres remains a star in the CHANEL universe.

FENDI spring 2013 is graphic, modern, and colorful.  While I'm often critical of Karl's shoulders at CHANEL (round and challenging) - at Fendi they are crisp and flattering.  The use of feathers and fur and color is exotic and just beautiful.   The colorful FENDI TIMEPIECES are unique - at a time when watches are all blending in.CHANEL SPRING 2013 BY KARL LAGERFELD - FASHION THERAPY SESSION? FILL IN THE BLANK - "WHY DID I ...."

The CHANEL campaign is always beautiful.  This season it seems the CHANEL girl is in Japan.  One shot even looks as if we are in on a Japanese therapy session.   Think Tatami mats instead of a Chesterfield Sofa!     Well.. in keeping with a therapy session - I want you to think about what we discussed and how it makes you feel - that's all the time we have for today!  

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Jeanne Lanvin's Sweet Smell of Success

French Fashion house Lanvin has been smelling the sweet smell of success ever since they named Alber Elbaz as the new creative director.   In a short period of time Elbaz has been able to breathe new life into one of the original Paris Couturiers.  

Jeanne Lanvin made her mark on the fashion world in a very interesting manner.  Her career began as a milliner much like Coco Chanel.   Unlike Chanel however, Lanvin had gone the respectable route for a young lady at that time.   She married a wealthy businessman before she started her business.   Her success in fashion actually came from designs for her daughter.  She realized that her little girl's classmates had the richest mothers in Paris.  Her daughter became her mini muse and the mothers started to request these handmade garments for their own girls - and ultimately for themselves.  

Lanvin was known to use intricate embroideries and healthy doses of floral color.   A contemporary, Paul Poiret was also was known for his use of color and embroidery.   The two designers had something else in common - they both had their illustrations created by artist and journalist Paul Iribe.  Iribe was quite a character and worked many of the major designers of the day including Coco Chanel.   It is said the two were even engaged at one point, but engaged in what is the question!  
Lanvin loved Iribe's work and commissioned him to create the company Logo that celebrated the mother / daughter theme.   The logo is still used today and is prominently displayed on the new Fragrance bottle top.

Alber Elbaz is paying homage to the namesake of the house with the launch of Jeanne.   Each bottle is hand tied with a piece of pink tulle ... so delicate..  the scent itself is a beautiful blend of floral and musky tones.    Sweet Peony and deep Sandalwood provide a perfect contradiction for this wonderful fragrance.  Visit Barney's asap before it is sold out.  

Fashion designers take note..  if planning to launch a new scent - this is how its done!