The Man in the Glove

Chanel’s mastermind speaks out about his journey to the House and how Coco herself broke into the business

Coco Chanel as a young woman.

By Neera Gujral

As I walk around the crowded streets of Los Angeles, I see the iconic logo everywhere. Now, which logo may you ask? It is the inverted C trademark logo that takes hold to none other than Chanel, one of the most iconic brands. The house was first created by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Gabrielle was born in 1883 in Saumur, France. At the age of only 12, her mother died of tuberculosis. After she died, Gabriella’s father left her and her 5 siblings, making them live in an orphanage. This is where the lovely Gabrielle learned to be a seamstress. In her free time, her relatives would teach her how to sew. 

When Coco was eighteen and unable to live in the orphanage anymore, she had to find work. She soon began working at a tailoring shop. Later on, Chanel began having an interest in hat making. When she became acquainted with a friend of an old boyfriend, he was able to fund her. In 1910, Coco opened her first hat shop. As time went on, she began getting more recognition. Then, in 1913, she started adding casual clothes and sportswear to her resumé. Her company had started to broaden, and by 1924 she was already creating perfumes. Her first one was the infamous and iconic Chanel number 5. Throughout her years as a designer, the Chanel name had certainly grown and became the famous name that it is today. Unfortunately, on January 10, 1971, Coco Chanel died of old age. A few other designers followed her footsteps as the creative director for Chanel before Karl Lagerfeld. 

A young Karl Lagerfeld relaxing
at the Beach.

Karl Lagerfeld, the current designer for Chanel, has created some of the iconic pieces of Chanel. Karl was first born in Hamburg, Germany, in approximately 1933.  In 1953, at the age of 20, Karl moved to Paris, France. In Paris, he worked as a draftsman for fashion houses. When he reached the age of 22, Karl obtained the position as an apprentice to the fashion designer Pierre Balmain. After three years of working there, he began work at Jean Patou, another fashion design house. There, he designed two haute couture collections a year for 5 years. At the beginning, his first collection was booed by critics, but the next one was thought of as a vast improvement. Karl Lagerfeld has come a long way since then. In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld became the chief designer for Chanel. Karl turned the whole company around. The hemlines were hiked up and over 40 boutiques were opened. Thanks to Karl Lagerfeld, he made Chanel a powerhouse of fashion. 

Karl Lagerfeld at the end of one 

of the Chanel fashion shows.

Karl Lagerfeld has had Baptiste Giabiconi as a muse for quite sometime now. When asked what his inspiration was, Karl responded with “I want to see the images with my imagination.” He was saying that he does not look for inspiration but he finds it within himself and he wants to be original. He also stated that he didn’t want to take somebody else’s idea. He late said “ I work with my instinct.” during the same interview. Karl Lagerfeld is known to have created so many beautiful pieces that have become a part of history. 

A lot of the words that Karl Lagerfeld has said are also inspirational. He often repeats that people should not look in the past, but live in the present. This is a good point, because many people hold onto the past and they regret many things or something that has happened to them that they can’t let go of. This advice is very helpful because it teaches people to just go for it and not live in what has already happened, but to live in what is happening in the moment. Another inspirational quote that Karl Lagerfeld said is “Don’t sacrifice yourself too much, because if you sacrifice too much there’s nothing else you can give and nobody will care for you." I think that this is good advice for anyone that wants to be in the fashion industry because it is basically saying that nobody should lose themselves in what they are doing. People should always stay true to who they are, and if they have lost themselves along the way, then they will never find their way back. 

Both Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld have helped shape Chanel as it is today. The extraordinary work that both of them have created is beautiful. Each piece is like taking a small bite of heaven. The well crafted genius work that they both formed is incredible to see. The clothes themselves are icons, and thanks to the glorious work of these designers, they have changed the way fashion is today. 

New Lengths

The hemlines are coming down in style. Maxi skirts, here we come. 

The employee at Madewell wearing the trend.

Tons of people roam the crowded streets of San Francisco. Colors flash before my eyes as people walk into their favorite stores. I am on a mission to find the new trends. As i keep looking to see what people are wearing, I walk into a Madewell store, located in the large Westfield shopping center. Across the way, behind the check out counter, I see a girl. She is wearing a black flowy maxi skirt styled with an un-buttoned classic linen top, a cognac colored belt, and black and white oxford shoes. This works because the belt brings in some color while accentuating her waist. It is important to bring out the waist when you have lot of loose fabrics because it gives a woman a better shape. Some trends are a style that is brought back from before that is re-invented and some might be totally new. This maxi skirt trend derives from the bohemian era that happened during the 60’s. I can’t help but notice how effortless her outfit is, yet it still looks very put together and stylish. 

Olivia Palermo at an event sporting the look.

My thoughts? I think that every woman should try this trend!  It is a simple way to add a fashionable twist to anybody’s wardrobe. It is perfect for the hot summer weather and when paired with different accessories, you can wear it out at night. The Maxi skirt is a very versatile piece of clothing that comes in many styles and patterns. It doesn’t matter what your style is, there is always one for you.

Jessica Alba wearing a Gerard Darel maxi skirt 

while on the go with daughter Honor.

. 

Maxi skirts are a great addition to anybody’s closet. It has become more popular due to the low maintenance, casual and chic qualities of the trend. I think that it will soon become more popular, not only for the simplicity and easiness, but also for how simple it is to dress it up and down.  The ease of the trend is an appealing factor and draws many people in, since most people want to be comfortable while still looking good. Not only can the majority of women wear the trend, celebrities and stars have also been seen around sporting similar trends. All over the runways, models have strutted down the catwalk in these maxi skirts.

Karlie Kloss in the Lanvin Spring '11 runway show

You can dress this great trend for night and day. It is more popular to wear the skirt during the day. Wedges are a chic way to complete the outfit. They elongate your legs while wedges are casual enough to wear during the day, and can also be transitioned into night time. These wedges specifically are neutral enough for you to wear bolder accessories, but they stand out enough to be noticed. 

 I would also pair the maxi skirt with a cute wrap scarf.   To add interest, you could add a scarf with a fun print or a bright color. Scarves are a very simple way to make an outfit dressy or make it casual. This bright orange already makes any outfit pop and is already a summer trend in itself. You will be sure to look good with this great scarf wrapped around your neck.

A bright orange scarf made by Madewell.

The Maxi skirt is always a great piece of clothing for a woman to have in her closet. Whether you dress it up or down, you are sure to look good either way. It is an easy way to put together a chic outfit. So move over mini skirts, new lengths are coming to town!

Attention Grabber

The black silk Balenciaga gazar wrap that covers the head of the model embodies her. The form fitting dress smooths over her body like it was made just for her. The large silky head piece almost drowns her head, not allowing anything but her head to show through. It is impractical for  an everyday outing, but it is somewhat intriguing. What was Balenciaga thinking when he made this? Was it made for style, warmth, drama? I cannot imagine anyone wearing this in modern times without being thought of as crazy or being fined by the fashion police, yet on this model she seems to have an elegance. She stands with confidence and poise. Her position is like a tree and with the “chou” wrap atop her head, she even looks like one. She seems unaffected by the world around her and is rooted to the ground. Although this is not a wearable piece, it is so haute couture. This is definitely an attention grabber.