Posted on

The Dior Fall/Winter 2020 Collection and La Rosa Mutabilis

Maria Grazia Chuiri distills a precious rose from China in her Dior Fall/Winter 2020 collection. Blooming on the icons of the house which is reminiscent of the influence of China on Monsieur’s imagination.

Dior and China: A Story of Rose

While reversing fashion with the manifesto of his collection presented in 1947, Christian Dior distilled in this first collection his love for floral prints and silhouettes of the Orient.

Silhouettes inspired by a fantasized vision of China. A country where Christian Dior had never been before.

China Dreamed of Monsieur Dior

1947 is a key date in the world of Dior. Already because 30 Avenue Montaigne hosted for the first time a collection designed by Monsieur Dior. It was then in 1947 and above all the collection that laid the groundwork for the aesthetics of the house .

In this collection, the Tailleur bar poses the Dior grammar. The silhouettes inspired by China imagined by Monsieur Dior finished determining their aesthetics!

In this first parade we notice all the panache of an overcoat baptized Shanghai, worn with a Tonkinese hat. In 1948, he continued to explore the vocabulary of the Chinese tradition and presented his models entitled ‘China’, ‘Beijing’ and ‘Shanghai’.

In 1950, it was the ideograms that inspired him with a print for a dress from the Vertical line. Even more masterful, in 1955, Dior reinterpreted the traditional qipao dress, worn by Shanghai women in the inter-war period.

But at Dior, they borrowed a bright pink hue, and became a whole: Surprise, cut for Fall/Winter 1955.

And when Christian Dior’s passion for flowers – and roses – meet a rare hope from China, everything falls in place to inspire the Dior Fall/Winter 2020 collection!

The Dior Fall / Winter 2020 Collection, And La Rosa Mutabilis

Imagined by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Fall/Winter 2020 collection distills a print transferring the hypnotic Rosa Mutabilis to Dior icons.

This species of rose from China has the particularity of changing color according to its blooming. Thus applied to the icons that are the Dior Book Tote, the Walk’n’Dior sneakers, the J’Adior pumps and the scarf Mitzah, named after the muse of Monsieur. La Rosa Mutabilis emanates all the enchantments of Dior grammar.

Monsieur himself could not have been otherwise enchanted by such a collection. He wrote in his  Little Dictionary of Fashion in 1954: “I think the floral prints are wonderful – the silk prints, beautiful colors, are perfect for afternoon sets, evening dresses or cocktail dresses. In bright colors too, floral prints can brighten up holiday clothes. ”

Posted on

Moreau, The Blue Train And The Bags Of F/W 2020

It was the story of a ballet which, in the 1920 brought together by Cocteau, Chanel and Picasso. Today, that is the inspiration behind the new collection from the house of Moreau!

In 1886 the “Calais-Méditerranée-Express” was inaugurated – a luxurious train which provided the link from North to South of France. Nicknamed the Blue Train for its blue and gold wagons, the Calais-Mediterranean-Express quickly exceeded the status of simple means of locomotion. Back on track in the 1920s, it was by this train that we got a taste for the joys of sport and outdoor activity in the glorious south!

In these wagons, Moreau trunks accompanied this new way of living and getting around. Undoubtedly, the Blue Train initiated a new way of life, and in particular that of spending its winters at the sea. Little wonder that the Blue Train then became an icon of art.

Le Train Bleu, Cocteau, Chanel and Picasso

Among the works inspired by the destinations of the Blue Train, subtitled “operetta dance”, brought together the biggest names of the past century and marked a number of firsts.

1924 – The ballet ‘Le Train Bleu’ was imagined from the libretto by Jean Cocteau. With the music of Darius Milhaud and the choreography of Bronislava Nijinska, Le Train Bleu was intended to be a satire of the hedonism of society in the 1920s.

A hedonism where Chanel fashion finds a simply natural echo. It is in perfect echo with the awakening of an adoration for sport and outdoor activities. Activities where the Chanel sewing of jersey and other sports materials accompany hedonists on the French Riviera. With Pablo Picasso in charge of canvases and decorations, you can imagine the impact of such a piece on the imagination of fashion and luxury.

And precisely, the ballet “Le Train Bleu”, inspired the Fall / Winter 2020 collection of the trunk maker who undoubtedly experienced it from the inside. The Moreau house, which was founded in 1882, knew how to accompany the era of these eminently solid and refined trunks!

The Moreau Bags of Autumn / Winter 2020

Fedor Georges Savchenko, the artistic director of the house of Moreau, drew on this common heritage to imagine a new collection of highly desirable bags.

Pieces of leather goods, cut from exceptional leathers which echo the wagons, woodwork and velvet walls of the iconic Blue Train.

It is in the sophistication of Victorian ceilings, chandeliers and the universe of the Blue Train that the lines of the new pieces from the house of Moreau can be read.

Exceptional pieces, without fashion, which also take on inspired shades. The colors Nénuphar and Cumin follow the wake of the Blue Train to recall, on the Nacelle bags and the Brégançon icon, the charm of the sunsets from the south of France, that of the olive trees of Provence and the lemons of Menton.

Other shades of blue, Izmir and Canard underline the sophistication and the passion of the Blue Train en route to the Mediterranean Sea. Daring colors, coupled with the soft but graphic curves of the Vicomte BB bag.

An invitation to travel, to discover the no less sumptuous boutique at 49, Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré.

Posted on

The Most Desired Bag In the World: Hermès’ The Kelly

The Kelly Hermès is a simple and impeccable bag that became iconic on the arm of Princess Grace Kelly.

The History of Kelly Hermès

1892 – Robert Dumas-Hermès imagined, from a rider’s bag, the Haut à Courroies bag, the most famous ancestor of ladies’ handbags. Made purely for practical purposes, it was intended for functional use.

His goal: to convey the riders’ boots and saddle. Designed for this purpose, the bag has a simple, refined and architectural aesthetic. A trapezoidal shape with only one closure, two straps, and a small padlock.

1935 – The Hermès house decided to make an absolutely feminine version, that was also more urban. The idea was again to adapt to the needs of the time. For ladies, Hermès imagined a travel bag. Because of this, the first belt bag takes a smaller dimension.

To make it, one worker shapes each bag, throughout the stages of its production.

American actress Grace Kelly whose engagement to Prince Rainier of Monaco was announced today, smiles as she leaves the Philadelphia Country Club, on Jan. 5, 1956, after the engagement announcement luncheon, closely followed in the doorway by the 32-year old prince. (AP Photo)

1956 –  the bag became famous. How? Alongside her husband Prince Rainier III of Monaco, Grace Kelly, princess of Monaco, was photographed during a plane descent which had become legendary.

The photo ended up on the cover of Life magazine. We see the princess covering her barely rounded belly with the bag. She actually was hiding an early pregnancy there. Not yet official, a  rounded belly of a future mother hidden behind a bag. It didn’t take much to create the event.

And Hermès, a discreet and majestic family brand, seemed to certify its refinement.

The First It-Bag in History?

In 1977, the saddler renamed the travel bag named after the princess. The Dumas-Hermès brothers call it “Kelly”.

It was rigid at first, but it quickly adopted a more casual appearance with the arrival of a very flexible leather – Gulliver calfskin. Sewn inside out and turned inside out like a glove, it was a new look, more modern and relaxed, a style that accompanies women.

A Kelly Hermès is classic, noble and generous fashion, like the princess.

Today, the bag is cut in the most luxurious materials. In ostrich or crocodile, leather is still the material of choice.

It is made in many colors, twenty materials, and in eight sizes, which vary from 15 to 50 cm in width. Evolving at the same time as generations of women, it accompanies them at all times and in all situations.

Sport or city version, its evening dress with gold and diamond jewelry padlocks, it is the emblem of French luxury. Versatile and absolutely perfect.

In 2004, for his first fashion show produced for the house at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Jean Paul Gaultier revisited it for the first time. This is because the saddler focuses on creating items that go through time as needed, and not museum objects.

The result of this first conversion by Jean Paul Gaultier? The long Kelly Shoulder, to be worn under the arm. A fashion icon which, in classic or more contemporary versions, is undoubtedly the ultimate bag.

To own a Kelly is to own a myth. It is to hold fresh beauty and distinguished elegance by hand. It is possessing a piece of the Princess’ grace which gave it its name.

Posted on

The 30 Montaigne: The New Dior Icon

This is a story of an address that, overnight, became the global epicenter of Haute Couture – Today, 30 Montaigne becomes a bag.

Which Dior Bag to Choose? The One Who Tells Everything

On December 16, 1946, a few months before the New Look revolution, the superstitious Christian Dior chose 30 Avenue Montaigne to set up his workshops. He then entrusted the decoration of the place to Victor Grandpierre – the watchwords: sobriety and elegance. The idea: to allow only Christian Dior’s designs and silhouettes to inspire the eye and the ladies. “A dream office and a haven for wonderful things.” This is how the founder of one of the houses that made Parisian Haute Couture after World War II liked to define his workshops at 30 Avenue Montaigne.

Maria Grazia Chuiri And the Dior Heritage

We know the fascination of Maria Grazia Chuiri for the codes and history of the house of Dior. So last February, at the same time as she introduced the Fall/Winter 2020 collection to the world, the current artistic director seized the opportunity to celebrate the lair. The private residence at 30 Avenue Montaigne had indeed inspired more than one signature for Monsieur – chairs with medallion backs, canes, gray Trianon and toile de Jouy. Here is that the 30 Montaigne bag honors the soul of the house of Dior. Flocked with CD initials, the bag takes on the sober but graphic allure of the Dior couture. An ideal bag sometimes dressed in the legendary Dior Oblique canvas, or in blue and burgundy – all of the discrete luxury so dear to the house bequeathed by Monsieur!

Posted on

Fendi’s Peekaboo, The Baguette and The Dolce Vita – Spring/Summer 2020

A first collection without Karl Lagerfeld that promises happy times for the Fendi house – even just by having a look at the new Baguette and Peekaboo!

“Reality. I always start from reality. Given that I am a woman, I want to give real clothes. That is why I don’t call this pret-a-porter but vrai-a-porter. I think that the greatest homage is to see your clothes on people. That’s why I wanted to start by simple things, like emotions, for example: the feeling of a sunny day, when you feel really free, ready to go out and when you meet people and you are an optimist towards life”. The vision of Silvia Venturini Fendi for Spring/Summer 2020 breathes everything that is Dolce Vita. Exquisite pieces, a concept of Fun Fur worked in a light and delicious streak – Fendi distills a soft and aristocratic attitude. 

In this spirit, the iconic Peekabo bag is cut on green raffia and scratched with glitter. Concerning the Baguette, the first it-bag of the modern era, it is thought up in a combination of pearls – in tones inspired by the sunset of Southern Italy. But don’t be fooled – the women of Fendi Spring/Summer 2020 are not candy sweets. 

They have style, a lot, a true attitude. “I wanted to have fun making small Hawaiian shirts in shearling, retro bathrobes with thermobonded mink on the Lycra of Bikinis, power dressing tailored vests in cushioned sponge” says Silvia Venturini Fendi. The result? An endless amount of desirable silhouettes! Glam and cool, simple and most of all decluttered of a certain austerity. 

Posted on

Prada And Adidas – A Meeting Of Icons

When Prada and Adidas collaborate around an exclusive capsule collection, it is to better revisit two of their icons. 

The Bowling bag from Prada. The Superstar from Adidas. The capsule collection of two of the most innovative houses from the past decade promises to please a number of aficionados. It must be said that the concept has a lot to offer – not two separate pieces but truly two pieces that are imagined and sold together.

The Prada Bowling bag and the Adidas Superstore cannot be bought separately, the pack constitutes a limited and numbered edition of only 700 pieces. Here, the Prada name engraves itself on the legendary Superstar from Adidas while the iconic Bowling bag of the 2000s is declined in a broken white – the iconic shade of the Superstar!

All that’s left to do is wait until December 4th to try to acquire the result of a much awaited collaboration. When the most avant-garde house of elegance meets with the brand that was able to inject youth into the daily silhouette – it creates something truly desirable!

Posted on

The Prada Bowling Bag – Return Of An Icon

The graceful return of a key piece from the “Sincere Chic” wardrobe of Prada – seen for the first time in 1999. 

The anti-conformist Miuccia Prada has often created some of the most desirable items in fashion from the past thirty years. After the return of the Pocono, the Italian maison surprised the entire world with its 2020 Resort show through its latest remake to date – the iconic Bowling bag. 

September 1999, Prada is a figure of a new luxury vocabulary: the “jolie laide”, a silhouette that is uninhibited and earnestly desirable, finding its culmination point in the Spring/Summer 2000 Collection. Baptised “Sincere Chic”, the show showcases the codes that have now become iconic for Prada. As it’s star – the unexpected and curved Bowling Bag. 

It is an immediate success. The Prada store have to put in place waiting lists to manage the high demand for the Bowling Bag. Now reedited for it’s 20th birthday, the it-bag has also been reimagined. 

In a color-block version that is more pop – the Bowling Bag preserved its silky-effect leather – a true savoir-faire of the Prada maison. A new vision of the icon, refined and extremely cool!

Posted on

The Accordion Bag by Chanel

cha_pf18_det_002_jpg_1850_north_499x_white.jpg

The Accordion Bag by Chanel: the elegance of the quilted 2.55 meets the gussets of the traditional instrument from Hamburg. Chanel’s Métiers d’Art runway took place in the same German port town where Karl Otto Lagerfeld was born. More than six decades later, he’s making a triumphant return. The creative director is celebrating the greatest era in his native city, composed like an odyssey. By occupying the Elbphilharmonie for a runway, what with its surreal and dreamy architecture, Karl Lagerfeld is articulating the junction between various times and spaces.

The Chanel Métiers d’Art collection presented looks like characters, sometimes from the past, sometimes from the present, but always here and now. The highly symbolic navy motifs of the Hamburg of yesteryear, filled with sailors most notably, is released in the purest Chanel vein here – with all the exceptional crafts of France. Chanel’s fashion prowess is today yielding a bag as funny as it is fascinating: the Accordion bag, with two gold chained straps. The traditional local instrument meets the distinct and legendary 2.55 quilted motif, making for something that’s pure and simple chic.

Amidst a philharmonic concert, these workshops once more demonstrated their ability to integrate themselves into the present day under the auspices of Chanel. The moment oscillated deftly between a respect for tradition and a desire for lightness and mischief. This was the perfect occasion to introduce the Accordion bag, that incarnates the animated nature of Hamburg in the 60s. It’s as improbable as it is desirable!

Posted on

Dior Lady Art, the Second Collection

dior_ladyart2_david_wiseman_1-1-1024x683.jpg

Dior introduced the Lady Art project in November 2016 at Art Basel Miami. This iconic bag, first bequeathed to Princess Diana on a visit to Paris, would be revisited by a number of renowned artists. The fine arts have long been at the heart of Dior’s creations – Monsieur Dior counted a number of friends in his inner circle that were some of the most influential in their time. Names like Max Ernst, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, and Pablo Picasso were often shown off in Christian Dior’s gallery. This is the heritage that Maria Grazia Chiuri is working with today; you may recall her Spring/Summer 2018 collection that put a spotlight on artist Niki de Saint Phalle.

This time, for Dior Lady Art #2, the brand is teaming up with 10 contemporary artists from across the world, most notably from the UK and the U.S. These artists are big figures in contemporary art, such as Friedrich Kunath, Jamilla Okubo, and Spencer Sweeney. The latter is transforming the Lady Dior into a kaleidoscopic piece through his favorite material, silver mirror fragments. After more than 60 attempts, the Seoul-based artist finally arrived at a dazzling and captivating new Lady Dior. This exuberance suits the magnanimity of the bag’s lines quite well.

Another notable bag is Davis Wiseman, who surprises with perforated flowers on a metallic calfskin material. “My sculptures in ceramic, bronze, argyle, always start with a drawing. I then imagine how different elements, often inspired by nature, come together. I followed the same process for this bag. I first imagined a floral motif that working with perforated leather allowed me to create.” Finally, perhaps the most hypnotic piece is Friedrich Kunath’s – a rainbow with the colors of a Hollywood sunset. “I was born in East Germany and I work in Los Angeles. I like to explore the array of emotions between sadness and optimism. Here I wanted to evoke the graphicness of a beach towel on Venice Beach with the idea of a melancholic Parisian winter day. The rainbow is a nod to my paintings.” This yields a calfskin Lady Dior printed in relief with clouds of lambskin. These exceptional pieces are available now.

Posted on

Tod’s Faubourg Saint-Honoré Pop Up Store in Honor of the Sella Bag

tods_sella_bag.jpg

The Sella by Tod’s marvelously incarnates the philosophy, DNA, and aesthetic so adored and defended by Diego Della Valle’s brand; with measured distinction but no complexes. Its graphic lines and minimalism is made for an active and sporty woman. And the Sella has a secret: its multiple changing looks. The new version of the Sella is imagined as the key element for an outfit. In mini, petite, or large sizes, this Tod’s piece is available in a variety of colors and features smooth leather with a double handle, ring charms and keychains, a zipper, varnished leather edges, a removable strap, and patch pockets. The Sella is the fruit of a chic, timeless breed of craftsmanship that’s 100% made in Italy.

On October 2, Tod’s inaugurated its new pop up store dedicated to the bag – in its Faubourg Saint-Honoré boutique in Paris, the must-have of the season got a worthy setup indeed. This leather bag is inspired by production techniques of master saddlers; it’s thus only natural to find a mounting dynamic here. Galloping horses, conveyors of luxury and liberty, denote the stylistic ardor of the Tod’s Sella bag. In colorful pony veal or quilted with a tricolor graphic, the Sella’s distinctive lines open a new chapter in the timeless elegance that Tod’s has built. To incarnate the chic and class of the Sella, the brand invited muses and celebrities for an exclusive cocktail mixer. Naomi Campbell, Isabelle Adjani, Zanita Whittington, Chriselle Lim, Danielle Bernestein, Derek Blasberg, Giovanna Battaglia, and Inès de la Fressange were all present, with a Sella in hand!