Has Anyone Seen Coco?

Coco Chanel, that is, not Chanel. Or Karl Lagerfeld, or any of his garish cerise and turquoise quilted 2.55 bags which I’m sure Coco would deem fine… for a carnival.

The progression of a fashion house is of course, a matter of evolution, but Lagerfeld’s recent collections have swung the elegant Chanel pendulum almost back to the gaudy, elaborate and lavish art of dressing women like dolls, not women, which Coco herself was so opposed to. Preferring a sophisticated palette of neutrals and mature monochromes, Coco Chanel’s signature style was one of refined femininity which freed women from the constraints of their decorative garments and taught them how to dress for comfort and practicability. Luxury and glamour were by no means neglected; her designs offered a Jekyll and Hyde juxtaposition of subtle daytime prettiness and flawless evening sophistication with an unwritten rule that all any woman needs in her evening wardrobe is an LBD and a string of pearls.

It is difficult to picture Coco herself choosing to add a hot pink jersey version of the classic 2.55 bag to her ensemble, although after scrutinising the bag in question for a good few minutes it is, admittedly impossible not conclude that the workmanship and finish is every bit as immaculate and luxurious as its more understated black leather and lambskin equivalents. And admittedly, as much as every girl aspires to look as classy and composed as Mme Chanel, in today’s often grey and dreary landscape there can’t really be anything wrong with injecting a bit of Paris Hilton pink optimism into our lives. Any 2.55 bag is better than no 2.55 bag, non?

Lagerfeld’s Autumn Winter 2010 collection, on description alone, would hardly be recognizable as Chanel. Global Cooling, Yeti boots and Faux Fur gilets do not an epitome of French style make. Yet somehow, this collection defies contemporary fashion in a way which Chanel herself may just be proud of.

The overtly sexualised hourglass female form was something Chanel aimed to alter. Her designs, whilst remaining playfully flirtatious and feminine, freed women from the constraints of tight corsets, structured skirts and over-exposed cleavage. She pioneered the alternative, gamine model of femininity by loosening clothes, allowing room to breathe and hinting at the figure instead of openly displaying it. Ever defiant and innovative, perhaps she would have approved of Lagerfeld’s new silhouette for 2010, the top half swathed in heavy layers, emphasising long, slim legs heightened with sky high heels and skin-tight leggings. Ok, so wearability was clearly not high on Lagerfeld’s list, but his versatility was impressive, managing to completely turn this silhouette on its head, concealing the top half with snug soft leather biker jackets leading to fur covered mid-sections and wide leg trousers. Whatever your strengths – slender legs or petite décolleté and waist, this collection will emphasise it to the max whilst keeping you warm enough to brave even an Antarctic winter, but be warned, lashings of self-confidence and a suitable occasion are also imperative.

Highlights included a surprisingly wearable leather jacket with fax fur detail and quilted breast pockets, combined with a showstopping earth-tone ethnic necklace. There is something in the clinically perfect tailoring and sharp lines of a typical Chanel design which always makes me think of it as a ‘cool-toned’ Fashion House. In opposition, Dior, DKNY and Pucci are examples of ‘warm-toned’ brands, more often than not using a warmer, earthier palette. All of the jewellery exhibited in Lagerfeld’s Autumn/ Winter collection broke these rules, but then, Mme Chanel herself is reported to have said that Elegance is refusal. The tribal themed triangular structured necklaces were strikingly feminine, universally wearable and seasonally adaptable from Boho summers to Autumnal soirees.

If there’s one thing Chanel achieves without fail each season, it is must-have investment piece. Remarkably in a collection mainly consisting of ensembles resembling ski-wear, Lagerfeld has succeeded in creating two: the aforementioned necklaces and a range of deliciously eclectic maxi-bags fashioned from contrasting panels of quilted leather, faux fur and tweed. Large enough to hold your entire life whilst making you look minute in comparison, these bags truly are must-haves (ie. as you watch the catwalk you think “I need one of those” rather than – or at least slightly before – “That is divine and I want it now”).

Maybe it isn’t such a tragedy that Mme Chanel’s signature style has become softened into a subtle hint here and there. To mimic her entirely would prevent progression and development, whereas with experiment comes fresh, of-the-moment flashes of Lagerfeld’s genius, ever-changing and evolving. To give Coco Chanel the final word: Fashion is made to become unfashionable.