Demna Gvasalia knows how to turn imitations in the opposite direction – think of his DHL T-Shirtfor Vetements or the Bazar shopper for Balenciaga. His newest take on transforming a completely unsophisticated non-luxurious item into a must-have piece for fashion victims around the globe is his latest accessory for Balenciaga Men and targets originally the male customer. Playing with consumerism, he sent down the runway the so-called ‘Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote Bag‘ which looks like a copy of the iconic IKEA‘s ‘Frakta Tote‘ in shape, size, and color.
The only difference? The absence of the IKEA logo on the handles which makes sense, of course, the material (the IKEA version is made from 100% recyclable polypropylene whereas the Balenciaga tote is made of leather), and not surprisingly the price.
I would really like to get into Demna’s head, creative genius or making fun of the fashion world? I somehow tend to believe the latter. What do you think?
This morning while I was working on another post, I got an e-mail from Louis Vuitton that made my heart leap with joy and that I wanted to share with you immediately. The French Maison is collaborating with Jeff Koons for a collection called «Masters» for which the famous American pop artist remixes the iconic artworks of the old masters and presents them in a way that encourages new interpretations.
Since Marc Jacobs enlisted Stephen Sprouse to create the now-iconic graffiti range in 2001, Louis Vuitton has led the way in the fashion/art collaboration stakes. Koons, whose Balloon Dog (Orange) holds the record for the most expensive art work by a living artist after it sold for $58.4 million at Christie’s New York in November 2013, follows in the footsteps of Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, Daniel Buren and Damien Hirst by partnering with Louis Vuitton.
For his collaboration with Louis Vuitton, Koons seeked inspiration from his Gazing Ball series that he started in 2013 as a series of plaster reproductions of famous ancient sculptures, each one set with a blue mirrored sphere. It’s these hand-painted Old Master reproductions that appear on the limited-edition Masters range of iconic Louis Vuitton handbags as well, from Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Titian’s Mars, Venus and Cupid, Fragonard’s Girl with a Dog, Van Gogh’s Wheat Fields and Cypressesto Rubens’ Tiger Hunt.
The beautiful interior of the Rubens Palm Springs backpack (more photos below…)
The name of each original artist is emblazoned across the front, and their biography and portrait are featured inside. Absolutely new for Louis Vuitton is that a collaborator features his own initials on the bags. A sign for the importance of his status.
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection
Fragonard Speedy 30
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Titian Neverfull MM
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Da Vinci Speedy 30 in Poppy
Fans of Koons’ Inflatables series get their money’s worth; each piece is finished with a leather tag in the shape of the inflatable rabbit that Koons famously cast in polished stainless steel in 1986.
My personal three favorites are:
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Rubens Palm Springs Backpack
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Rubens Keepall 50
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Van Gogh Montaigne MM
The Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters collection will be available from April 28 in stores and at louisvuitton.com. Below you can enjoy the beautiful teaser.
«Techno Rococo – Airy Spring Confections from Fendi», that was the title for the brand’s S/S 2017 show. When a collection is designed by Karl Lagerfeld, you can always count on perfection. For the Italian house, he mixed references of the 18th century with athletic details that would not only appeal directly to very cool Japanese girls but to every fashion lover around the globe.
Just have a look at this hybrid of boots and socks that is so stunning for me. Moreover, the bags are also too die for. Laced, embellished, flower embroidery, heavily accessorized, everything is intensely, gloriously spring-like that screams MUST-HAVE!
Céline’s message is clear. Simplicity is the key, but in a modern and stylish way. For S/S 2017, Phoebe Philo’s transported this message not only through her beautiful collection but first and foremost through the accessories. To be a trendsetter this season, you need to look no further than the Céline Clasp bag.
Coming in three distinct sizes, each is incredibly versatile with its understated design. The Medium Clasp is perhaps the most straightforward of the three, a contemporary briefcase with a ’50s approach for a woman on-the-go.
MEDIUM CLASP HANDBAG IN CAMEL BOX CALFSKIN WITH PATINA
32 X 22 X 8 CM (13 X 9 X 3 IN)
CHF 3.200
Then there is the Mini Clasp that makes a great companion for day and night. It has the perfect size for carrying your bare necessities and its cross-body strap makes it a convenient, hands-free option for shopping or a night at the club.
MINI CLASP SHOULDER BAG IN SCARLET NATURAL CALFSKIN
23 X 20 X 3 CM (9 X 8 X 1 IN)
CHF 1.600
The best version of the new must-have range is definitely the Cabas Clasp. This oversized beauty has an exaggerated shape with slim straps, a true eye-catcher thanks to it being almost the length of one’s torso. The perfect bag for women who love carrying their entire lives in their purse.
CABAS CLASP IN BLACK SMOOTH CALFSKIN
43 X 60 X 10 CM (17 X 24 X 4 IN)
CHF 3.550
The new range is now available at Céline boutiques in many different leather styles and colors.
“Everyone called her Coco but her real name was Gabrielle. It’s the perfect name for a handbag that has all the codes of CHANEL,” explains Karl Lagerfeld.
In in the beginning of January, I told you already about the new It-bag alert, the GABRIELLE by CHANEL (for the previous post, click here please).
But who is Gabrielle? With the launch of this new bag that bears the name of the founder of the House, Karl Lagerfeld has been continuing the tradition and enriching the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel who created a handbag in February 1955 that freed up women’s movements. Her design was a bag with lines as beautiful as they were functional, by this she revolutionised the world of fashion and accessories.
Introduced during the S/S 2017 runway show (see photo above and the next two below), this new bag draws from the futuristic spirit of the collection with a mischievous wink to Gabrielle Chanel. Indeed, the designer was inspired by the shape of augmented reality glasses, and also by the binocular cases gentlemen would wear over the shoulder at the racecourse. We know menswear gave Gabrielle Chanel the idea to design, among so many other things, bags that were both practical and aesthetically pleasing.
Fitted on a rigid thermoformed base, the main body of the bag is extremely light and ultra-supple: this contrasting structure gives it perfect stability and enables women to find their belongings with ease. In tune with the search for comfort advocated by the founder of the House, it hugs the silhouette, moves with the gait and never hinders it. Its adjustable strap comes with a double chain interlaced with leather in both golden and silver metal.
An original detail that allows for three different ways of wearing it: either over the shoulder, across the body or both at the same time, with the chain going over one shoulder and then diagonally over the other. It thus adapts to the wearer’s character, situation or mood.
Crafted from aged calfskin with a quilted body and a smooth base, in black or white unicolours or bicolours (black/white, navy/black, beige/black), CHANEL‘s GABRIELLE bag comes as a hobo version, itself available in three formats, a backpack, a large shopper and a supple purse contained in a rigid half-case. This purse exists in numerous versions: in addition to the leather version there’s black python and also vibrant shades of yellow, pink, red, blue and aqua. The lining is a garnet-hued cloth, the ultimate reference to the first-ever bags created by Gabrielle Chanel.
With CHANEL‘s GABRIELLE bag, Karl Lagerfeld renews the distinctive codes of the brand and perpetuates the history of a House: a beautiful tribute to its founder who always put comfort and women’s freedom at the heart of all her creations.
Below you can enjoy some of the new models from the Paris Cosmopolite Métiers d’Art collection that feature some amazing special editions of the Gabrielle collection.
The pieces from the S/S 2017 collection have already hit the shelves this week, so hurry as those will sell out fast.
Jimmy Choo‘s printed ‘Candy‘ clutch bags demonstrate the brand’s playful approach to cult classics. The interior is perfectly proportioned to house just your essentials. Conceal the silver chain strap inside to carry it as a clutch. The slogan will be statement enough!
Attention lovers! Also in 2017, MIU MIU introduces a capsule collection especially for Valentine’s Day. Pink and red, sparkling details, the offering draws on the playful juxtaposition of different elements. This quintessentially feminine collection will make the perfect gift!
This season, I am truly in love with Dolce & Gabbana‘s playful take on their box bags. The extravagant pieces look like something children would take to kindergarden in the morning but unfortunately they come with a high price tag. Nevertheless they are fun to look at… and definitely collector’s items.
Bag aficionados, here we go! Meet CHANEL‘s new GABRIELLE bag. The official advertising campaign is announced to launch on April 3rd 2017, photographed by Karl Lagerfeld and featuring four guests of honour: Kristen Stewart, Caroline de Maigret, Pharrell Williams, along with Cara Delevingne.
Pharrell Williams, Cara Delevingne and Karl Lagerfeld at the Chanel Collection des Metiers d’Art Pre-fall 2017: Paris Cosmopolite Show at Hotel Ritz on December 6, 2016 in Paris.
All four of them have woven strong links with CHANEL. Kristen Stewart has appeared in several fashion and beauty campaigns since 2013. Model, music producer and writer, Caroline de Maigret is also a close friend of Karl Lagerfeld. Pharrell Williams appeared in the designer’s short film that celebrated the Paris-Salzburg collection; he composed the film’s music and was the face of that same collection alongside Cara Delevingne, who is ever loyal to Karl Lagerfeld.
First presented at the S/S 2017 show, CHANEL’s GABRIELLE bag is like a mischievous wink to Gabrielle Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld wanted it to have the same aesthetic and practical spirit in that blend of strength and elegance that characterises CHANEL handbags. Fitted on a rigid thermoformed base, the main body of the bag is extremely light and ultra-supple: this contrasting structure gives it perfect stability and makes finding belongings effortless. In tune with a continuing search for comfort advocated by the founder of the House, it hugs the silhouette, moving with the gait and never hindering it.
Its adjustable strap comes with a double chain woven from leather and golden and silver metal. A highly original detail permitting several ways of wearing it: over the shoulder, across the body or both at the same time, with the chain going over one shoulder and then diagonally across the other.
Stay tuned – more to come in April! I am already in love… #TheCHANELGABRIELLEbag
Looking for new and creative ways to show your loved one how much you care? You don’t have to save romance just for February 14, why not make every day Valentine’s Day! Saying «I love you» has never been easier, especially for those finding it hard to express their feelings directly. Gentlemen, here we go, I have the perfect gift.
Dolce & Gabbana‘s printed metallic leather box clutchis crafted from laser-cut metallic leather and printed with a playful message designed to look like lipstick. This Italian-made accessory has a handy internal mirror and the label’s signature flower-embellished padlock. Attach the strap to carry it over your shoulder.
Balloon Dog (Orange) © Jeff Koons
With Jeff Koons in New York City in 2013 for the 
Gazing Ball (Ariadne), 2013, Plaster and Glass
The beautiful interior of the Rubens Palm Springs backpack (more photos below…)
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection
Pharrell Williams, Cara Delevingne and Karl Lagerfeld at the Chanel Collection des Metiers d’Art Pre-fall 2017: Paris Cosmopolite Show at Hotel Ritz on December 6, 2016 in Paris.
