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| My Personal Photo |
“There are clothes that keep rejuvenating themselves instead of getting worn out.” -Roberto Juarrozz
Hope you all had a lovely weekend. At long last, The Little Black Jacket Exhibition finally made it to New York. The exhibition commenced with a raucous fete and a window tribute at Bergdorf’s commemorating fifty-eight years of the iconic jacket. It’s safe to say that New York has Little Black Jacket fever.
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| My Personal Photo (Carine Roitfeld as Coco Chanel) |
Originally conceived as a man’s jacket, the jacket is now considered a feminine symbol of elegance. When I think of my style essentials- Chanel’s impeccably tailored, collarless tweed jackets top the list. In addition, to the classic black jacket, I love the ivory and black bouclé, midnight blue and maroon/aubergine versions.
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| My Personal Photo (Anna Wintour) |
Jackets are the crux of professional dressing and a practical way to look instantly pulled together. There’s an effortless nonchalance to the design and construction. The Little Black Jacket is hand-stitched with silk and lined with a fine chain. During the design process, Coco Chanel used the chain to help the jacket to retain its shape while fitting the contours of the body.
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| My Personal Photo |
The importance of fit is evident in the paneling in each jacket that allows the jacket to be taken in or out depending on the needs of the wearer. The paneling allows the jackets to be sized up or down three sizes with ease and flexibility. Everything from the sleeve length to the placement of pockets is carefully considered. Chanel’s jackets are relied upon and trusted classics.
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| My Personal Photo (Sofia Coppola) |
The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited and the accompanying book by the same title capture the timelessness of the Little Black Jacket. The exhibit features one hundred and twenty images of inspirational personalities and muses wearing the jacket. Each photograph is a window into the subjects’ personality, creativity and style. Proving that individuality and something new can be brought to even the most classic garments.
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| Courtesy of Chanel (Scarlett Utzmann Huynh and Vanessa Paradis) |
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| Courtesy of Chanel (Natalia Vodianova and Akuol de Mabior) I had the pleasure of being shown around by the Soho store manager and French press office. It’s always a treat to get to spend an afternoon surrounded by passionate people, previewing a book and discussing elegance. If you are in New York this week I highly recommend stopping by this exhibition. |
Here’s a little video I think you’ll enjoy.
The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited
18 Wooster St
June 8- 15, 2012
12 PM- 7 PM
Such a beautiful post Lindsay! Thank you for giving those of us who live far away a glimpse of this wonderful exhibition. I particularly love the picture of Sofia Coppola. Utter gorgeousness.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I will ever own a Chanel jacket, but I have a fabulous reversible cotton-jacquard jacket by Isabel Marant which is a nod to the classic Chanel I think. From the round-collar jacket to the flap to pearl strands to the LBD - so much good design has emerged from that house - and stays with us decades later. This exhibition sounds like a great tribute.
Ammu- Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Sometimes I think we all forget how lucky we are to have exhibitions and museums right at our fingertips- such a trip.
DeleteSofia Coppola just gets more and more beautiful. It's crazy! I love how she wears the jacket in such an easy way.
The exhibition was such a wonderful tribute and I like the idea of taking one aspect of such an incredible legacy and focusing on it. I loved the Met's Costume Institute's Chanel exhibit back in 2005 but I remember being so overwhelmed by how much there was to see and think about.
Your Isabel Marant jacket sounds wonderful. I love her boucle jackets too. They're such a nice nod without being derivative, I think.
Sp many of the things you mentioned- the round-collar, flap, pearl strands and LBD are some of my favorite items of all time. They're classics and never date.
It was really a lovely tribute. Hope you had a great time in Singapore!
I had a wonderful time - Smith alums are so much fun to be with :) It was utterly inspiring to hear their stories.
DeleteI also had a chance to catch up with the lovely Ms Lin and spend time with my mother who lives there.
And of course there was a little shopping involved - striped dresses at Muji and a flax breton from Massimo Dutti. I think I may have a stripe addiction ;)
Ammu- I'm glad you had a wonderful time. Those alumni meetings are always such fun. While we were at HBS it was a 50th reunion- they were so lively and cute to watch:)
DeleteThat's so nice that you got to meet up with Lin and see your mother. I'm curious about how she likes Singapore.
Your purchases sound lovely. I definitely have a stripe addiction- you can't ever have too many striped shirts. Flax sounds perfect for the heat.
I had also been waiting for this and saw on the weekend. The images were wonderful. I absolutely loved Anna W's shot. How amazing to be photographed from the back and have everyone know exactly who you are. Her bob is a vision of precision.
ReplyDeleteThe exhibit also made me realise that the LBJ is not an essential in my wardrobe. I'm probably more of an LTJ (Little Tan Jacket or blazer). (Whatever works, right?!)
I thought Tilda Swinton's portrait was particularly amazing. Her hair is so striking.
Alice Olive- It feels like we've been waiting forever! The images were so great! I totally agree with you about Anna's shot. Her hair suits her so well- it's so precise and intense- love it. I have been thinking about a blunt bob myself. She also has an amazing collection of Chanel jackets.
DeleteGood point about essentials. I'm always a bit hesitant to use that word because it's really about what works for you. I love the LTJ- I've been living in them since the weather has warmed up.
Tilda Swinton's portrait was amazing and that hair is fierce:)
How cute is that little girl? I presume she must be Melanie Huynh's daughter? I love how Sofia Coppola wore the black jacket - striped top and denim with her personally designed LV bag. That black Chanel jacket is my holy grail. Yes, one day I'll own you!
ReplyDeleteChocolate, Cookies & Candies- My goodness she is too cute! Start them young is my motto. Yes, she is Melanie Huynh's daughter- I can only imagine that she will be a little fashionista when she grows up.
DeleteSofia Coppola's look is perfection. I really like that it's ageless and can work with so many lifestyles.
I can see this jacket fitting your style perfectly. Such a holy grail item.
Fantastic post! I loved all the different ways the jacket was styled (particularly the last photo--it's just such a striking and strong look). Now that I think about it, though, I don't myself really own a black jacket! Finding a blazer/fitted jacket that really works is always tough, particularly since I don't really have a 'workwear identity' right now and I tend to view those garments as more workwear than casual wear. I'm still wearing a run of the mill assembly line black suit as a workwear default (and I hate it because it's just so...funeral director to me). Since I will be entering the working world very soon (aka a matter of days/weeks), I have been giving the whole workwear thing a lot more thought. But I think it's unavoidable that it will take some time to reconstruct my style profile in terms of wools and silks when I've been so accustomed to denim and cotton!
ReplyDelete0000- Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really liked that the jacket was styled in so many different and unique ways. I think a lot of people see that jacket and think rich, mature, maybe even a bit fussy and yet so many people wore it in an edgy or sexy way that isn't the connotation that people usually think of.
DeleteI love how strong the last image is. Sadly there just aren't many fashion images that portray that.
It's so hard to find jackets that fit properly. I always have to make sure that they aren't overwhelming my small frame. I love the fitted blazer and jacket worn casually with jeans or over a dress. I feel like it takes it out of that workwear context, but steps it up a bit.
Congrats on finishing LS and moving into the workforce. The transition into workwear is always challenge, but I was just reading in WWD that aside from suits women are shopping much less for specific workwear and finding more items that can be worn for various occassions, which the industry is not happy about. When I started working Theory was my hero!
You're so right about taking the time to reconstruct your style profile.
I would love to see this exhibit, but will have to settle for the book for now. I have wanted a little Chanel jacket since I was way too young to have a love for tweed, and certainly too young to know how much they cost! I´m always looking for lookalikes, but haven't found the perfect one yet. I'll be over the moon when I do ;)
ReplyDeleteMaja H- You would love the exhibit! I love that you wanted one when you were young. I was the same way- I've always loved the tweed jacket even as a little kid.
DeleteOver the years I have seen some great lookalikes, so I think it's great that you're being patient. When the one comes along you'll be thrilled;)
Amazing post! I love the way Vanessa Paradis wore the jacket, it's so simple but it works really well. You have such an inspiring blog! I've followed you now. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://unpetitbijou.blogspot.ca/
Tian Thank you for the kind words on my blog. Hear that it inspires others always makes me really happy.
DeleteI love how Vanessa Paradis wore the jacket too. They gave away three posters at the exhibition and her portrait was one of the posters. I agree with you simple really does work best.
oh wow I really love all those photos!! Looks like such a cool exhibit! I would love to visit it if I could
ReplyDeleteTiffany- All of the photos were amazing. Completely different, but really interesting. I love getting little peeks into brands. Cartier recently did an exhibition on NY in the 1970s and their designs- it really was such a great tribute to the brand's legacy.
DeleteThanks for the post! I've been looking at press photos and whatnot for ages, and it makes me so sad I won't be able to make it out to NYC. Alas, I'll just be waiting for the book to be hitting the presses like the others. I also have to agree with you about jackets and professional dress. For some reason I've never been able to feel "right" in a blazer so I tend to reach for classic, collarless jackets (the Chanel LBJ being the dream, obviously). They go seamlessly from the office, to a night on the town, to a casual weekend throw-on piece. A few absolutely perfect jackets are on the list of things I'm constantly searching for to add to my wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteHuman Racing- So glad you liked it! It was so good to see all of the photos together- it really changes the context.
DeleteI think a jacket over just about anything looks instantly more pulled together. It's so true about blazers- they have to fit right and that's hard. Excellent point about the collarless jacket being so versatile. I'm always on the lookout for smart jackets.
Love all these photos especially the one of Sofia Coppola, Scarlett Utzmann Huynh is pretty adorable as well. Just out of curiosity, have you ever been photographed by The Sartorialist? You always look so chic in your outfit posts it wouldn't surprise me if you had.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous-Me too! No one does simple dressing better than Sofia Coppola- she always looks so chic. Little Scarlett is so adorable.
DeleteThank you for the sweet compliment. I have to plead the fifth about The Sartorialist;)
thanks for the gorgeous photos! sad i won't be back in time to catch this exhibit :( my favorite photo is sofia with her SC bag. i have to say the back-shot of AW is also quite witty and apropos.
ReplyDeletemiss sophie- When do you come back to NYC? The exhibits really are one of the best things. Love the SC bag- it's perfection. I had to include the AW shot- it's so witty and imposing.
DeleteOh must have been so exiting to get a tour. Lucky you!
ReplyDeleteThe photos are divine - I especially like the one on Vanessa Paradis!
Thea vintage- Yes, it was so exciting. I love stuff like this.
DeleteThat photo og Vanessa Paradis is so pretty.
Thank you for sharing these pics and your experience! I love the picture of Sofia - she looks so beautiful.
ReplyDeletexo, sam
Samantha- Oh of course! I'm glad you enjoyed my musings.
DeleteOh my gosh- she looks so natural and glowy:)
the portraits are so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteFashion Tidbits- Thanks for stopping by. Yes, so beautiful!
DeleteLooks like a lovely exhibit!
ReplyDeletepetrichore- So lovely indeed!
DeleteLove this post.... :)
ReplyDeleteMelody- So glad you enjoyed the post! That makes my day:)
DeleteI just bought the book but I didn't have a chance to see it because I moved so it's in storage :(
ReplyDeleteEmmy- It will be a nice treat to look at once you're settled. Would love to hear your thoughts on it.
DeleteThis is so much more than i needed!!! but will all come in use thanks!!I am a china tour lover,You can learn more: luxury China tour packages | Tibet tour | 72-Hour Visa Free Travel
ReplyDeleteNice post love reading it
ReplyDeleteLeather Blazer