Chanel at Versailles!

With the plush gardens of the Chateau de Versailles (Versailles Palace) as his backdrop, Karl Lagerfeld presented the 2012 Chanel Cruise Collection! The event, held Monday in Paris, France was a refreshing spectacle of 18th century opulence. The finely manicured  grounds of the palace provided an ideal  setting in which to showcase the embellished collection. Singer Vanessa Paradis commented “The palace is the perfect place for Chanel. You couldn’t imagine anything better. ”

Lace and Chanel’s signature tweed were components of many pieces, contradicting the androgynous aesthetic created by menswear-inspired trousers and gold platform sneakers.

Designer Karl Lagerfeld

Mr. Lagerfeld commented on the show’s eccentricity stating, “The image of France has been a little sad: the gray uniform of Europe.  I wanted to give France back some lightness.”

  

  

  

  

   

  

  

  

Met Gala 2012!

Karolina Kurkova in Rachel Zoe.

It’s that time again! Tonight, The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted one of the most fun nights in fashion, the annual Met “Ball” Gala benefitting the Costume Institute! The event brings together some of the biggest names in the fashion industry from designers to models to editors of world-renowned publications. The gala also celebrates the opening of a new exhibit. This year’s exhibit Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations “explores the striking affinities between Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, two Italian designers from different eras…focusing on how both women explore similar themes in their work through very different approaches.” It will be on view from May 10-August 19, 2012.

On the exhibit, the museum’s website adds:

The exhibition will showcase approximately ninety designs and thirty accessories by Schiaparelli (1890–1973) from the late 1920s to the early 1950s and by Prada from the late 1980s to the present. Drawn from The Costume Institute’s collection and the Prada Archive, as well as other institutions and private collections, signature objects by both designers will be arranged in seven themed galleries: “Waist Up/Waist Down,” “Ugly Chic,” “Hard Chic,” “Naïf Chic,” “The Classical Body,” “The Exotic Body,” and “The Surreal Body.”

The Met Ball, also known as “Fashion Prom,” encourages attendees to abandon their fashion inhibitions for the night, and many do just that. Check out my picks as well as pics from the red carpet below!

Beyonce in Givenchy.

Amy Adams in Giambattista Valli.

Paula Patton in Vera Wang.

 

Lala Anthony in Zac Posen.

Jessica Pare in L’wren Scott.

Sarah Jessica Parker in/with Valentino.

Solange Knowles in Rachel Roy.

Ginnifer Goodwin (with a different shoe).

Jessica Stam in Dior.

Kanye West in Givenchy.

Hamish Bowles (right) is fearless.

The Queen Anna Wintour in Prada.

 

And now, a few fashion fails:

Florence Welch…

Coco Rocha…

Mary-Kate Olsen. Maybe I just don’t get it…

Kirsten Dunst. Where did you think you were going???

Any thoughts on the night’s fashions?

Kanye West Presents Dw F/W ’12!

After his 2011 debut was met with harsh criticism, Kanye West returned to Paris Fashion Week with a much more impressive collection. A second-time around might be just what Kanye needed to be taken seriously as a designer. Critics commented that West’s debut collection for Dw was disjointed and impractical. This year’s Fall/Winter collection is said to be more “concise” with lots of black (leather, fur, etc.) and a few neutrals interspersed throughout.

Kanye enlisted the star power of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, rapper/signee Big Sean, Diddy, and Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley and Anna Wintour.

Kim K. stole the show, donning a pair of Kanye's $5800 Guiseppe Zanotti shoes

Check out the pics below!