"Once Upon a Time…" By Karl Lagerfeld

                

               "Eternal Icons of Chanel, reinterpreted by Karl Lagerfeld" (2002)

                - Danièle Bott, Chanel: Collections and Creations

I have to admit that I haven't always been a Karl Lagerfan. There is no doubt in my mind that he is an artistic visionary, with the propensity to propel fashion beyond the narrow realm of the catwalk and in to the world of 'art' at large. However, in my heart I have not always taken to his work at Chanel. In my mind, the stars, stripes and denim of his Spring/Summer Collection in 2008 were lightyears away from the stylish girl we once knew as Coco Chanel. And the dark, masculine cubism-inspired collection of Fall 2012 reminded by more of German folk tales than of elegant French silhouettes gliding through the streets of Paris. In short, I feel that all to often we see more of Karl than of Coco.

But Lagerfeld is not only the Head Designer of the fashion house called Chanel. He is also Creative Director. A title that enables him to construct upon the brand, the name and the image that together encapsulate that 'je ne sais quoi' that makes Chanel…well, Chanel. In 2013, Lagerfeld directed a series of short films, starring Keira Knightley, which pieced together the legacy of the fashion house through the story of Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel. 

To me, this reveals the raw essence of Chanel. Unconventional sophistication meets timeless elegance. Delicate femininity entwined with unshackled masculinity. Both romantic and powerful; both vintage and now. 

To me, this proves that Coco is still at the core of the style called Chanel: that fashion is merely an interpretation in a small limited time frame that changes from season to season… And Karl Lagerfeld too has proven that he has earned the position as that 'interpreter'.

"La mode se démode, le style jamais"

- Coco Chanel

Radiant Orchid

As we rolled in to 2014, I waited in anticipation for the colour that would take the year by storm from everything from the catwalks right down to your local design ateliers. Pantone had set the bar high. The worldwide authority on colour had nailed it three years running and truly made me believe that those tints and tones were painted across the background of the stories that I lived. 

                            2013                2012               2011

2011 marked my first year of university, and I spent many-a-moment looking at the world through Honeysuckled-glasses. Then when 2012 came in a whirlwind of ambition and glory, I found myself swooped up by the Tangerine Tango of the Olympic flame on the summer streets of London. And last year I was lost in Emerald city like so many others, bewitched by its deep elegance and the promise of its luminescent livelihood.

   Source: Pantone

Convinced that nothing could top the winning streak, my heart sank a little when I discovered that the Pantone Colour of the Year is purple. I have never really been able to wrap my head around the colour purple. Whilst its softer tints hint at a meek romance, the louder shades of violet are vicious and vain, and all too often vulgar.

But perhaps that’s what’s so captivating about the hue…the mystery of it all. It sits comfortably on the colour spectrum, somewhere between cool colours and the warm colours, whilst exuding neither feeling. Instead it appeals to imagination of the beholder. According to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, Radiant Orchid is an “invitation to innovation”, encouraging “expanded creativity and originality”.

Burberry Prorsum's Spring/Summer Collection '14 stems beautifully from it's inspiration behind The Petal, the runway bag of the season. This English Lace Fitted Shirt exudes confident elegance.

Karl Lagerfeld's pursuit of art in fashion has tumbled in to yet another playful whilst powerfully feminine collection for Chanel this season. The fashion house most classically associated with the elegance of black and white found an outlet in vibrant tones of purpley-pink with Look 16 RTW SS14. 

Christian Dior's SS14 collection was bathed in a mystical element - a collision of textures, shimmers and silhouettes that elevated the unwary show to the transcendence which inspired the very looks. 

"Temperley dipped in heady, ethereal romance" might just be this season's fashionable embodiment of Radiant Orchid. The bold richness of the hues have me hooked, but the gloss of the fabrics and the A-line silhouette elevate the irresistibly feminine look completely.

Although an ethereal glow emanates from the Radiant Orchid at first glance, a profound sense of harmony resonates at the core. The balance of fuchsia, purple undercurrents and vibrant pink traces expresses an unyielding confidence: a captivating charisma that both empowers and enchants. I have found myself entranced by the soft luminescence of a new year full of promises unfolding before me… 

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