Linda Evangelista shot by Karl Lagerfeld 4 Chanel Spring 2012 Eyewear Campaign

"Peplum" features Baptiste Giabiconi, shot by Karl Lagerfeld 4 Numéro Homme

Vintage Karl Lagerfeld

I think of two things when I see the initials 'KL', the first and foremost is my mother's home city of Kuala Lumpur which I was lucky enough to visit six years ago, and creative designer Karl Lagerfeld. The cameo necklace above adorned in pearls and inscribed motifs is a vintage piece by Karl Lagerfeld, with a simplistic black face and strung on a pearl necklace. There is another part of the pendant, a dangling gold disc which again has KL inscribed on it. Not only does the creative genius' initials appear on necklaces but it's also embroidered on some bags and other necklaces if you are lucky enough to find them. Luckily, I have done all the 'hard work' for you and sourced these images from Claire Inc's sold archive to introduce to you just some of the vintage pieces Karl Lagerfeld has designed and whose team has crafted over the years. I love vintage pieces, when I'm shopping at the prestigious department stores in Australia in the city with my mother I simply think how age affects the price of items and second-hand pieces become more accessible to the public.

Another piece fromthe vintage world of Karl Lagerfeld is this rather large pearl which rotates like a globe on this gold necklace. Outside the frame on which the pearl rotates is the word Lagerfeld written, the long chain of the necklace allows you to wear it two different ways, double up or loose. There's also the signature Karl Lagerfeld fan on the end of the chain, one of his more favourable motifs incorporated into his designs. I like the large purple pearl, it really makes this piece unique and different and like a piece of costume jewellery. You would hope that at the price of $315 from Claire Inc that the pearl would have been real, and the gold of the necklace as well. Even if it was gold plating and/or the pearl was faux it's still a lovely piece to be taken on its merit as a piece of a bygone era of the vintage world. Karl Lagerfeld are known for being over sized and chunky- this piece is classically Karl all over.

Isn't this vintage Karl Lagerfeld bag magnificent? I've only seen a few of these bags available online and every time they come up someone snatches them up quick sticks. They're quite popular and easily recognisable as a Karl Lagerfeld design with the large embroidered initials on the side of this suede bucket bag. I like the texture to it and the sort of faded shades of black, as well as the border around KL and the drawstring of the bag. It'd be nice to have something like this but they do go for a pretty penny and buying a new handbag doesn't come without decisions and a lot of thought. At the moment I really need to invest in something with versatility, probably black with just the right size and something I can sling over my body. You can imagine Karl Lagerfeld bags having that sort of used and feeling comfortable when hugged against your body.

Close up photographs of this vintage Karl Lagerfeld bag reveal his fan motif incorporated into the design, at the top of the border around KL which appears to be in leather against the suede of the bag. When wearing suede accessories and clothes, remember to avoid rain at the cost of losing the colour and shape of the material. I learnt this the hard way when wearing black suede shoes and waiting in the rain for a bus in front of school. If you did happen to own a vintage bag made by such a prestigious name:  the head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel, you would hope you would be careful with such a precious item! There's a leaf motif that makes the border of the bag as well as tassels on the end of the drawstring as well. You don't really tend to think about these things but there's a lot of meticulous detail involved in designing as well as making bags.

The vintage pieces from creative genius Karl Lagerfeld are made from only the highest quality of materials, take for example this lovely brooch in the shape of a wax seal like you would find on a letter. It reminds me of Harry Potter when he first finds his letter accepting him into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. On the wax seal shaped brooch, there's more of a coin face appearance with a two dimensional man in profile as well as the words 'Karl Lagerfeld Paris' and his much favoured fan motif. On the back are his initials further authenticating the piece as his design. I like the way they modeled it on a rust coloured blazer- it really showed off the craftsmanship of the brooch and just how smooth the surface of the brooch was.

Another vintage Karl Lagerfeld bag! This one too has the same bucket bottom shape with a drawstring as the previous one but there's a thicker strap made in leather as well as leather trimming around the ruffled edges, to the bottom of the bag and the drawstring is also in thin strips of the cowhide.The black suede of this bag is in better shape compared to its previously listed counterpart and I like the gold stitched Karl Lagerfeld

I like the angle behind this photographic shot- you can see the minimal wear to the leather and the good nick to the bag. Even though Claire Inc is selling a lot of vintage pieces- due to the prestige behind the fashion houses and labels that it stocks there's usually minimal wear to their items. At I guess I would say they've only been worn a few times for special occasions and never used day-in day-out in someones routine. That just sweetens the deal and makes the price tags on these vintage beauties seem even better with the minimal wear and rare designs of the pieces. It'd be well worth your penny-pinching and saving to be able to afford something like a bag like this- there's even small studs placed strategically at the bottom for the bag to stand up. Now that's clever thinking, and I how the bag stand studs match the gold stitching of the Karl Lagerfeld symbol on the drawstring. Drawstring bags are perfect for those of use who worry about things spilling out of our bags as well as security. Usually if I still feel worried about things spilling out of a bag, I chuck a soft jumper at the top and let it act as a barrier. You could easily do that for a bag like this as well, or if your pressed for space, a light scarf would do the same job just as well.

Gold plated jewellery that's thick and has a lot of character with the letters KL? Karl Lagerfeld's signature characteristics to his vintage jewellery. This necklace would certainly be enough to weigh you down with all those chains, not to mention the clasps. For this photo shoot, the clasps have been chosen as the centre piece of the necklace and to show off the thick piece of jewellery. This is what I really like and admire about the vintage Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel pieces, they're so bold and the gold plating has minimal wear as well. At the moment I'm hunting a vintage Chanel choker myself with a lion motif. That's the top of the wish list for Christmas but it's going to take a lot of time scouring eBay to finally get it. Unless Claire Inc manages to produce one for me. Until then I'll be happy watching other pieces getting sold and sent to the archive records.

Runway Report: Chanel Pre-Fall 2012--Welcome to India!

Karl Goes Bollywood Chic:

Anybody for Samosas? Chanel Pre-Fall 2012 Collection

For Pre-Fall 2012, Fashion GOD, Karl Lagerfeld decided to be inspired by India, even though he has supposedly never been there. Lagerfeld--always a genius in terms of knowing "the latest and greatest" and what's hot--or going to be "HOT", for that matter-- decided that his next collection, the Pre-Fall Métiers d'Art 2012, would be all about India.

Fashion Feast: The Invitation (top photo) and the scene at Chanel Pre-Fall 2012 at the Grand Palais in Paris

The inspiration was "Paris-Bombay" to be exact, and it was a "Diwali" Feast with a runway designed like one UBER fabulous Bombay Banquet. There was even a mini "Chanel Choo Choo Train" traveling throughout the banquet table during the entire show. He's not dumb: guess what country is one of the most up-and-coming luxury-brand loving markets? Yep, India. How best to capture the attention of all those new millionaires and upwardly-mobile middle class in Bombay than to have a fab chic collection based on their Land.

Model Stella Tennant, Chanel Pre-Fall 2012 tweed boucle suit

Maharajah: Chanel Pre-Fall 2012, notched-collar suit with satin turban, modeled by Lagerfeld "boy toy" fave, model Baptiste Giabiconi

The Métiers d'Art Collection is like Pseudo-Couture. The pieces are just that much better than the regular Pret-a-Porter pieces that one would usually see at a "regular" Chanel Runway Show as well as the Chanel Boutique. The pieces have elements of the already exquisitely-made Chanel Pret-a-Porter but just that much added refinement, hand-work, uniqueness to also make them "cousins" of the super-expensive one-of-a-kind Haute Couture.

Androgynous Mumbai: Chanel Pre-Fall 2012, creme shirt-blouse with tie, black-and-creme tea-length flared skirt

The embroideries were by the famed House of Lesage; head pieces by Maison Michel for Chanel; and the shoes, by Massaro for Chanel. So basically, a regular Chanel Pret-a-Porter jacket will set you back about $3,000. A Haute Couture one: $30,000. A Métiers d'Art one: just in between.

Chanel Pre-Fall 2012: Bubblegum pink boucle front cut-out jacket, gold lame skirt

Model Crystal Renn, Chanel Pre-Fall 2012, gold lace dress with head-shawl

Model Arizona Muse, looking very "Cleopatra" as opposed to "Bombay Diva", Chanel Pre-Fall 2012 white sleeveless placket-front dress

Mother-Daughter Model Fabulous: 47 year-old Yasmin Le Bon (looking AMAZING!)--wife of Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon--and her 22 year-old daughter Amber Le Bon, hitting the catwalk at Chanel Pre-Fall 2012--PS: they look like SISTERS!

Click Below for the Full Chanel Pre-Fall 2012 Métiers d'Art "Paris-Bombay" Collection:

Vintage Karl Lagerfeld

 

I've only ever seen this piece once, I didn't have the money to buy it and now it's gone. A vintage Karl Lagerfeld star shaped medallion with double chain of two lengths for an elegant drape down the neckline.I liked the rubbed off, sort of soft scratched look. The gold plating didn't appear to have been rubbed off from any of the edges and it was just so sweet. I think the photograph that most captured my imagination was the third with it actually shown on a sort of denim Peter Pan collar blouse. That really did it for me- the combination of elegance and vintage chic of a necklace designed by Karl Lagerfeld combined with an everyday shirt captured my imagination.

 

Ever since I spied this piece and had a good explore of the overseas goodies available on eBay, I admire the old school glamour of vintage Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld. The large movie-set style earrings and the choker style necklaces. There's a lovely sort of mystic star and moon brooch by Karl Lagerfeld I may get for myself for Christmas- it would look perfect under a deep blue sheer Peter Pan collar blouse or with a pussy bow blouse tie. 

I must admit, whenever I spy a piece I like to buy I fantasise about the places I would where it and the compliments I would be able to collect.I think how wearing the piece would become part of my daily routine and that it would become part of the normal and I would somehow begin to gain some class, grace and style. None of these things ever happen usually, if it doesn't work out it just kind of sits within my collection waiting to be worn maybe once a month. That is, when I was at school. During these school holidays since I have a part time job I have every intention to dress up within what the store offers and add my own style to it as well. They didn't say anything about our accessories, but they did want us to be dressed head to toe with their brand and represent them.

 

Prince Albert and Charlene Royal Wedding: The "Fashion Royals" Red Carpet!!! Naomi, Karl, Roberto, Giorgio...

Fashion Royals...

This weekend's "Prince Albert and Charlene of Monaco Royal Wedding" brought out all the top royals, from Europe, Africa, Asia...you name it, they were there huney! In addition, it was also a "Fashion Royal" A-List event--where several of Europe's top Fashion Designers and Models also somehow, got one of those prized invitations. It's Monaco, after all:

Euro Royals-Meets-Euro Fashion:

Giorgio Armani and niece Roberta Armani in Armani Prive Spring 2010: Armani, who designed the bride's gorgeous wedding gown arrived with his NIECE--and the director of VIP PR for the House--Roberta Armani. Giorgio, who is (wait for it) an unbelievable, 76 YEARS OLD (he's about to turn 77 next week!), looked very trim and dapper (and about 56 years old!!), while his niece Roberta wore a dress...

"Inspired" by an Armani Prive Spring 2010 black strapless gown with attached side cape detail. The version Roberta wore was "cocktail length".

Naomi Campbell in Alexander McQueen: Supermodel Naomi Campbell arrived in a one-shoulder flower-embroidered mint-green gown from Alexander McQueen Pre-Autumn/Winter 2009 Collection, with Russian boyfriend Vladislav Doronin, property tycoon and Russia's "Donald Trump", albeit a (little bit) hotter version (Naomi ain't no fool! She knows who does and who DOES NOT have private planes darling!).

Roberto Cavalli and his second wife, Eva Cavalli: Eva was a former Miss Austria and a Miss Universe 1977 Runner Up, and she is also Chief Designer and Business Partner for La Roberto! Miss Eva wore a navy blue pant suit with sequin top, HUGE hoop earrings and a FAB navy blue hat.

Karolina Kurkova in Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Haute Couture Fall 2009 (yes, it's three yrs old...almost "Vintage!")--Karolina looked smashing in...

the navy blue suit-dress made from silk taffeta with sequin crystal back "train". Inquiring minds want to know if
A) She ordered it and had it "made to order" (and therefore payed the $50-75,000 cost, which I am sure Karolina can afford) or...
B) Did she just borrow the Archive Runway Sample? Just wonderin'

Finally...

Karl Lagerfeld and his (fill in the blank) Sebastien Jondeau--Karl was of course, present at the Monaco Royal Wedding as he is not only a close family friend but dressed Princess Caroline, her daughter Charlotte, Princess Stefanie's daughter Pauline as well as several others. Lagerfeld arrived with Sebastien Jondeau--who has been recently refered to as "Lagerfeld's "shadow" . Look at Karl's fingerless gloves! You. Do. Not. Want. To. Mess. With. Those...