Little Black Jacket Exhibition - London

Little Black Jacket Exhibition

-London-
12 October - 4 November 2012

By Karl Lagerfeld &Carine Roitfeld

Classic. Chic. Can only mean Chanel. 

The most stylish exhibition to hit the world this year has made its mark on London, this October at the Saatchi Gallery. The exhibition is set to hit over 10 capitals, from Tokyo to New York from London to Moscow. 

Based on the iconic jacket design that Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel introduced to the world of fashion over 50 years ago, and yet is still a major feature in all current Chanel collections. Karl Lagerfeld has continued the legacy of Coco Chanel's creation by keeping true to the jackets signature silhouette and cut. 

Chanel is a brand that has created its own language in fashion, with its unique codes and symbols of flare. Over the years it has paved its way into establishing its trademark stamp of style, from quilting, to the internationally recognized logo of interlocking C's and the stable garment to any collection the French fashion house creates, The Little Black Jacket.

The Little Black Jacket has graced the shoulders of many celebrities from fashion designers, musical sensations, actors, supermodels, film directors and fashion icons, all photographed by Karl Lagerfeld and styled by Carine Roitfeld. An overall of 150 Black and white images, each featuring a Little Black Jacket being worn in the persona of the individual that is being photographed. The breath taking imagery leads you into a world of Chanel, allowing you to appreciate the superior elegance of the Little Black Jacket, that has lived on for decades being admired by the men and women. The stars wear identical Chanel Jackets, a black, slightly boxy, collarless tweed, with a single row of silver buttons.

(Video: The making of a Little Black Jacket) 

The exhibition not only featured a star studded list of female women but also of influential men, which can come as a surprise as Chanel do not cater for menswear. Like many of Chanel's famous designs, the Little Black Jacket, originates from menswear being based on a groomsman's jacket. I believe that the mens participation in the project makes this exhibition a lot more unique and unexpected, to the audience. Just shows that such a mass amount of timeless elegance in one garment can even have men wanting to wear it. 

I truly enjoyed the unique and simply idea of the exhibition, Karl Lagerfeld kept the images focused on the individuals personality and how they would wear the Little Black Jacket, clear studio images. If your unable to make it to an exhibition in your city, then there's a whole website (www.thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com) dedicated to the exhibition, just log on and check out behind the scenes footage from many shoots.-★

Explore the London exhibition held at The Saatchi Gallery, in a short video I have put together.

All images taken by SKarman

Little Black Jacket: 12 October - 4 November 2012

Rob Pruitt for Jimmy Choo

Rob Pruitt for Jimmy Choo 

Art & Fashion Collaborate:

New York based contemporary artist Rob Pruitt recently launched a new collaboration with London based luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo. Much of the collection is based around Pruitt's main fascination that is a constant inspiration to his work, the beloved lovable animal... Pandas! 

The collection which is available now, includes glitter zebra sandals, slippers, silk scarf, key chain and adorable glitter angel and devil panda clutches, priced at £9500.00. The exclusive angel and devil panda clutches, are incrusted with over 11,000 hand applied Swarovski crystals and finished inside with black leather lining... WOW...thats some serious SPARKLE!

In a press release Rob Pruitt shared his story: "The panda is a recurring image seen throughout the body of my artwork. It’s a symbol that reminds us both to tread lightly and to appreciate the adorable. They represent the harmony of yin and yang."

Simple concept, yet executed in such a fabulous manner and a whole lot of glitter. Rob Pruitt broke out onto the art scene in NYC, during the 80's with his colourful, pop-art influenced work and his latest art collect was influenced by the master of pop-art Andy Warhol. Jimmy Choo;s creative director realized the potential in his bright and playful style of art and knew that this would balance out perfectly with Jimmy Choo's classic elegance. 

Jimmy Choo creative directors Sandra Choi and Simon Holloway said. "We sensed that Rob's twist on Jimmy Choo glamour would yield something very collectable and uniquely beautiful." 

This is not the first time that Jimmy Choo has collaborated with artists, I believe the strong relationship with fashion and art is continuing to flourish in the industry, with more influence and appeal to different audiences.-★

(Video: Exclusive interview with creative directors of Jimmy Choo & Rob Pruitt animation)

Michael Agwunobi

Michael Agwunobi

The man behind the 'TRILL' T-shirt:

Exclusive Interview

Michael Agwunobi a 21 year old London born Nigerian boy that is making his mark on the urban fashion scene with his garish and outspoken t-shirts... he is bringing a whole new language to fashion. This exclusive interview with the man himself, will invite you to discover the journey behind his street-style creations that have gone global. 

I first saw Michael Agwunobi's distinctive 'Trill' T-shirt online being worn by Billboards number one pop artist, Barbadian singer Rihanna, while photographed in New York City on an airport dash. Rihanna, paired her white 'Trill' T-shirt (£39.99) with Bape Camo pants and her  Isabel Marant cotton and linen coat, and finished  her outfit off with a black Alexander Wang Rocco Duffle bag and Super Ilaria Gold sunglasses.

From that moment I was intrigued to find out the story behind the t-shirt.

(*)- How did it all begin? 

'I do photography as a hobby, in order to bring out the best in your picture you needed to have an editing software in my case it was photoshop. I love doing anything creative so after my photoshopping skills developed, sometimes when I was bored I would randomly design something on photoshop being a quote, symbol or image. Prior to starting my brand I had been using Tumblr for a while. I followed new up and coming brands watching them start from the start and slowly progressed it inspired me. So one day I thought let me give it a try and see how it goes. I wanted to start with something special, so I went with black tees with faux fur leopard pockets. It started off slow but with a bit of promoting it started to pick up. Thankfully its still going today.'

(*)-How did the idea behind the design's & logo's come about?

'What inspired me to start making these t-shirt designs, was actually a brand called SSUR they are the people behind the *Comme des Fuckdown* beanie. I thought it was quite cool how they made play of logos or brand names. What I do is make play of brands that are in trend but mix it with a popular saying or word, for example the 'Trill' tee which has  stars on the shoulders similar to Givenchy and the word "trill" which is coming out of everyones mouth these days.'

(*)-Who is your Dream Customer?

'In the future i'll be making cut & sew clothing. So a dream customer would have to be Kanye West as he is known for being a very stylish man, so for him to buy something from me would be a massive sign.'

(*)-What other products are you looking to create for Michael Agwunobi? 

'Hats, watches, bags, jackets, shirts, sweaters and pants.'

(*)- Who is Michael Agwunobi's style icon?

'Theophilus London. We both share a slim physique so anything that looks good on him may also suit me.' 

(*)-What does the future hold for Michael Agwunobi?

'That the name "Michael Agwunobi" comes first ahead of Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps and any other famous Michael's when searched on Google (laughs). Also to be known globally, having stores in Milan, Paris, New York, Los Angeles and of course London.'

Raw fashion garments like these are becoming immensely popular, with their expressive logo's and powerful messages. I really appreciate the authenticity of street style with an urban spin, its relaxed yet with a major impact, effortlessly. Fashions main outcome to the world is to create a statement, get noticed and be heard, I feel that many contemporary undiscovered designers like, Michael Agwunobi are willing to take it to a whole new level.-★

To purchase your very own Michael Agwunobi t-shirt go online: 

www.michaelagwunobi.co.uk

Vogue Cafe in DUBAI

(Image: Taken from a  Vogue Korea shoot) 

Vogue Cafe to open in Dubai 

From Fashion to Food:

Conde nast publication the provider for all top luxury fashion, lifestyle and home magazines, is set to branch out into the UAE in a way new element. Vogue magazine, recognized world wide as a brand for fashion lovers, providing the world with the latest in stylish and current news on fashion. Vogue has since grown to many countries around the world, being defined for its classic glamour in the world of print media.

The Vogue Cafe will be located in the new worlds largest Shoe store, that is being build inside The Dubai Mall. The Dubai Mall is noted to be the worlds largest shopping mall in the world, catering from Middle Eastern traditional fashion, to European designers and exclusive restaurants. Dubai is known for its glamour, glitz and over the top lifestyle, fitting in perfectly with everything that Vogue represents.

Alongside the Vogue Cafe, Conde Nast restaurants will also be opening a GQ Bar in a five star hotel in the United Arab of Emirates. Branching into the Middle East is many of the ways that Conde Nast is trying to expand its market onto other elements and not just through publication.

(Image: Vogue Cafe to open in The Dubai Mall 2013)


 Sister establishments of Conde Nast Restaurants such as  Vogue Café, GQ Bar and Tatler Club are already in operation in Moscow, where they cater to a high-end clientele. New openings include the GQ Bar in Istanbul and Vogue Cafe Kiev, all set to open in 2013. I am pretty sure that soon enough there will be a London based Vogue Cafe... I can imagine the finest couture coffee beans, serving up a perfect blended beverage. I guess we will just have to hold tight up till then!-★

(Image: Vogue Cafe in Moscow, Russia)