Schwarzkopf Lightbox by Karl Lagerfeld

German cosmetic brand Schwarzkopf teamed up with Karl Lagerfeld to create the ‘Lightbox,’ an exclusive pop-up store. The store will open its doors in Düsseldorf on April 16; in May, the Eurovision Song Contest will be held at the site. Schwarzkopf, the official beauty partner of the contest, is sure to attract a lot of attention with Lagerfeld’s Lightbox design.

Karl Lagerfeld used silhouettes of international top models to adorn the store’s walls. Supermodels like Coco Rocha, Charlott Cordes and Baptiste Giabiconi, as well as Lagerfeld himself, are some of the famous faces featured. As Schwarzkopf’s logo is a female silhouette, it’s a particularly clever branding choice.

The Schwarzkopf Lightbox pop-up shop will house innovative styling tools, top hairstylists and a cafe for visitors.

Pics by Inner City Style
Words by Trendhunter.com

Diane Kruger by Karl Lagerfeld

If you had asked me last year which actress I would be reincarnated as, I would have promptly said, Cate Blanchett. But right now in this very moment, I would die, (like, Rachel Zoe die) to be Diane Kruger.

Not only does she have enviable style and a breakout role in a critically-acclaimed movie but she has recently been shot for German Vogue by the Keiser himself, Karl Lagerfeld.

In this editorial, titled Dandy Diane, Kruger puts on the men's looks à la Annie Hall and a young Coco Chanel.

Can't you picture her strolling down the streets of New York or Paris in the 1920s or the 70s?

What I loved about the Fall 2010 season was the return of the suit. There were masculine touches in the slim tailoring, the smart shoulders and the pinstripes but it made the suits all the more feminine and sexy when paired with a blouse and great heels.

And Kruger is the perfect model for this male/female power force. It's hard to pull off such a masculine image (suit, tie, hat tilted just so) and still look completely feminine and soft, but Kruger pulls it off beautifully.

Can I be a part of your court Karl?

An ex-assistant of fashion genius Karl Lagerfeld has written a book exposing amazing information about the Kaiser. The book is called Merci Karl! (hee!)

Little tidbits include:

- That he takes "an eternity" to get ready
- He takes photos of himself at every photo shoot and surrounds himself with these photographs
- He surrounds himself with a "royal court" and nobody disagrees with him
- He dumps people "at the drop of a dime"
- He stops acknowledging peoples' existence

What else could you expect from genius? Personally I would be very disappointed if he turned out to be nice. A man like him should not be nice, he should be a cold-hearted, mean diva. The man creates amazing clothes. We should all bow in his presence.

To quash any doubts you may have, I'm posting photos of his Chanel Resort 2010 collection which I forgot to post about when it actually happened because I fainted at the gorgeousness.

And while you look through the photos, listen to Vivaldi's Four Seasons (Winter.) It will put you in the right mood. The collection showed in Venice and had a Carnivale theme with masks, big hats, black cloaks and curly hair. Despite it being a Resort collection, the colours were surprisingly dark and moody; lots of black and dark red. Against the setting Venetian sun it looked very sexy and haunting.

What was I thinking? Chanel flats?

I really need to rip up my credit cards. Yesterday I had time to waste before meeting a friend to see "Rachel Getting Married" so I went to Holt's just to look at beautiful bags. Nothing caught my eye (thank God) until I wandered into the Chanel boutique. And I saw them. The perfect pair of flats ever created. Black lambskin leather with a black patent toe. They were perfect. I had the SA put them on hold for me and I'm supposed to pick them up today. But holy shit they are expensive. And I'm really starting to think that $650 for flats aren't worth it, even if they are Chanel. Hmmm. So I've been debating all day whether I should get them after I get off work. Which means I have four hours to make up my mind.

I took my question to the Purse Forum and asked the ladies there what they thought and got some mixed answers ranging from "Yes they will last forever" to "are you crazy for spending that much money?" Noted.

I do want classic black leather flats but I know I can get amazing ones for way cheaper. But they won't have Karl Lagerfeld's stamp of approval. And I want a whiff of Lagerfeld in my shoes.
I am leaning towards not getting them since I just maxed out my credit card for the Yves Saint Laurent Muse Two bag and I can spend the money saved on Christmas presents. I can't wait for Christmas.

Update: I decided not to get the flats. I'd rather get Christmas presents!

Review of Lagerfeld Confidential

A friend of mine from my former job gave me an advance screener for the documentary Lagerfeld Confidential which I took from him with glee.

Like the doc Valentino: The Last Emperor, Confidential follows Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld around the world, into his homes and in his studio, but unlike Emperor, this documentary is more like a long interview than a insight into the mind of one of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The filmmaker, Rodolphe Marconi, tries to get inside Lagerfeld's head through a series of interviews, and although we learn a lot about Lagerfeld's philosophies on life, sex, fashion and relationships, I was left feeling that I didn't really learn who this man really is.

In Emperor, director Matt Tyrnauer doesn't ask Valentino any questions but follows him around quietly so we get to see the designer show his true nature. But in Confidential, we get a censored version of Lagerfeld.

There are neat insightful parts in the documentary that reveal Lagerfeld's little quirks like the 14 iPods he has laid out on a desk, the dozens of white collars filling his drawers, the thousands of rings on his dresser and the neat racks of black suits filling up a whole room.

Lagerfeld isn't portrayed as an eccentric genius as many interviews claim him to be, but we understand why he is seen as such: His sunglasses he wears everywhere even in the dark (although when Lagerfeld is unaware of the camera we do see his eyes a few times); his admission that no one knows who he really is, even his closest friends, because he wants to be an illusion for people; his ultra-liberal views on relationships, marriage and love; and his honest and sarcastic sense of humour.

Unfortunately we don't see him make a collection which I was hoping for. We don't really get to see his creative process. Instead, we see him design a few sketches and he tells us what kind of pencils he likes to use. I would have liked to see him at the Chanel atelier going through the process of making a collection from start to finish. We do however get to see him backstage at a Chanel show but it's very brief and I didn't get much out of it.

Certainly it's an interesting documentary to watch for Lagerfeld and Chanel aficionados, but I was left wanting more.

Chanel S/S 09: Shopping bags, guitar cases and other gorgeousness

I always look forward to the Chanel show because I can expect gorgeous clothes, perfect tailoring, great bags and a modern take on the classic tweed suit.

This collection in a way was a summary of all the trends seen this season: Sheer materials, jumpsuits, metallics, crop tops, harem pants, lingerie and statement jewelry.

My favorite part of the collection was a bag: a cute take on the Chanel shopping bag made in leather.

The collection brought out all of the elements of classic Chanel: Tweed, the 2.55 (albeit with the chain handles on the side of the purse), camellias, bows and suits. But it was Lagerfeld's modern additions- sparkly embroidery, bolero jackets, black patent swimsuits and ruffled sleeves that made it special.

Bags
I have never seen a designer make a leather version of their shopping bag. It's genius. Brilliant marketing and I bet the leather is buttery soft and will sell for thousands.

Sheer
It seems that every designer has jumped on the sheer bandwagon this season but Lagerfeld does it in a modest way; pairing it with a statement necklace and lace.


Harem pants
These can only work on models but I love that they are paired with a tweed jacket.

Classic suit
The belt necklace is so rock and roll and really gives this suit a young edge.

Statement necklace
Black jewelry doesn't get enough credit and I think it takes an incredible piece for black to really shine through such as this one.
Statement jewelry

Feathers
Feathers was all over the runway last season but is still going strong now.
Ruffled skirt
It's a bit folksy especially with that guitar but in a chic gypsy sort of way.


Crop top
This crop top works because it's under a small jacket and a metallic sheer top.

More from Paris: Karl Lagerfeld Sp09

Sorry guys for no recent outfit post, I have been so busy with work this week that by the time I get home, am so tired that I end up in PJs. Please bear with me, enjoy one of my favorites designer Mr. Lagerfeld's--just love him.

THANKS to everyone one for always taking their time to stop by and leave such sweet comments--you guys are the BEST!!!! :)
xoxo











photocredit: style.com

Karl Lagerfeld, there is no one else but you

The Times Online has a great interview with Karl Lagerfeld. I have read many interviews with the designer, but none of them has come close to really capturing his intelligent but self-deprecating personality as the author has done here.

Here are some highlights:

- “I’m mad for books,” he says, sitting motionless behind his black Dior shades. “It is a disease I won’t recover from. They are the tragedy of my life. I want to learn about everything. I want to know everything, but I’m not an intellectual, and I don’t like their company. I’m the most superficial man on Earth.”

- “I have no problem with journalists – many are friends,” he says. “Only if they are really stupid, or if they’ve got bad breath, or if they smell. Yesterday I had a problem. I said, ‘I’m sorry, you’ve got to tell this woman that she needs to be taken away. Her smell is not possible.’ ”

- “They sent a private jet,” he says. “I said, ‘It’s too small. I need a bigger plane.’
It’s fun, no?”

- Did he not like the idea of boarding school? He screws his face up in disgust. “It was out of the question. I hated the idea of being in a dormitory with other people. No, no, no,” he says, hitting the table as he speaks. “My sisters were sent away because my mother thought they were boring. I was not boring.”

On how he went for a walk with his uncle, and when they passed by a famous German poet, Lagerfeld didn't recognize him:
- “I was 10 and he slapped me in the face. I had never been slapped in the face by anybody. When we returned to the house, my uncle shouted at my mother, ‘Your son is as shallow and superficial as you!’ I will never forget that.”

- "The worst thing is when friends say, ‘Remember the good old days?’ Forget about the good old days! That just makes your present second-hand. What is interesting is now. If you think it was better before, then you might as well commit suicide immediately.”

-I’m just trying to get behind the many faces of Karl, I suggest. He laughs. “This reminds me of when Annie Leibovitz photographed me for Vanity Fair. I didn’t know her very well then, and she said, ‘I have to spend three days with you to see what’s behind.’ And I said, ‘Annie, you’re wasting your time. Look at what you see.’ ” He casts his hand theatrically over his face. “There is nothing else.” Why do you want to be known as superficial? “I like that image. I don’t want to look like an old teacher.

If you don't wear this ugly vest, you will die: Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld wearing a safety vest for a French PSA. The text says: "It's yellow, it's ugly, it doesn't go with anything, but it could save your life."
I love you Karl.