Chanel Métiers DÁrt 2013

"The Scottish tradition of long skirts, pictures tweed and tartan"

Date: December 4^th, 2012

Season: Pre-Autumn

Location: Linlithgow Palace, Scotland.

Oh my, Chanel’s new collection! Nothing in the history of my life has ever made me more enticed with Scottish influenced fashion! As Karl Lagerfeld has a interest in Scottish culture and history and Chanel’s recent purchase of company Barrie Knitwear in Scotland, there was no better time to create a Scottish inspired collection. The colour schemes fit autumn fashion so well.

I’m amazed looking at photographs from the women’s and men’s collections, however I’m going to reconstruct 3 looks inspired by the women’s collection.

Consistencies throughout the show I've noticed:

-          Tartan: the over usage of this has been criticized for being cliché in representing Scottish fashion

-          Patterned tights: Mostly argyle, but I've seen some vertical stripes on pantyhose. Again with the argyle, it was seen as cliché by many.

-          Boots and flat shoes: The use of boots and flat shoes are consistent with the overall look of the collection. Practical for autumn, too.

-          Low or undefined waists: Not the sort of silhouette I’m used to, but I’m inspired – especially by that white gown with cascading large ruffles.

-          Knitwear; Coats, woolen scarves, gowns and more! Knits are everywhere to showcase Barrie Knitwear.

Tartan Suit Look

Tartan – the staple of this collection. Here is a tartan suit that I’ll make a look for which is a little more practical, as one of the biggest complaints of this collection was the costume-like look.

Blazer – Topshop / Blouse – Mulberry / Skirt – Azzedine Alaia / Bag – H&M / Earrings – John Lewis / Shoes – Saint Laurent Paris / Nail polish - MAC

Here I chose to only use one tartan piece, as I don’t want to over-do a casual office look. I've teamed the dark tartan Topshop blazer with a white bow-tie blouse and black full skirt. The blazer would go over the skirt to achieve the look Chanel conveys. The outfit accessorizes simply with some dark red earrings, a small black satchel featuring minimal design and patent black leather boots. To add a splash of red, look to make up in forms of lipstick and nail polish – but a darker red, not fire engine. One could wear this to the office (maybe with heels, though) or a music concert.

White Knitwear Look

It seems that the ivory pieces are the most popular from this collection. I've chosen this for a representative of the knitwear used, and because it’s a more practical every day outfit.

Sweater – A.P.C. / Skirt – Diane von Furstenberg / Bag – Tory Burch / Shoes – Rag & Bone / Cuff – Mulberry / Tights – American Apparel

This outfit is pretty consistent with the original. The sweater looks very, very similar to the Chanel one. Under a ruffled beige and white lace skirt, I've used some crescent lace tights and brown simple boots. The fur isn’t really practical for day-to-day wear. To accessorize  there was room for one cuff (you could use more/accessorize more, as I didn't have room) and a buckled brown bag that looks pretty masculine satchel-like. This outfit reminds me a little of the Japanese street-style “Mori Kei”. If you like the look, it’s worth a Google. This is a sweet, comfortable look you could wear for a movie night with your significant other, or to get a coffee with friends.

Black Tartan Look

This dress is one of my favourites in the collection. Here is a silhouette I'm a little more familiar with - fitted bodice and fuller skirt, this outfit was one of the only that had a defined, natural waist. There’s something about black tartan that I just adore, and now I need a dress with this pattern.

Dress – Alexander McQueen / Bag – Mimco / Shoes – Miss Selfridge / Necklace – Wet Seal / Bracelet – Nina Galax

Okay, I went ahead and did the controversial, but I didn't want to! So I've used a dress from Alexander McQueen’s Scottish inspired pieces. His dresses were the only ones that looked close to Chanel! Anyway, we can get past this. I've used a detailed faceted necklace and a bracelet to mimic the detailing featured on the Chanel dress. These seem to be pretty common in stores right now. I've also accessorized with a silver headband. For shoes, I've used silver-toed, black flats to compliment the silver jewellery and a letter shaped patent leather black clutch with a silver clasp.

Before I leave I want to leave you with my personal favourite of the collection – the gowns!

This collection has received a lot of buzz, and I hope you like my interpretations on how to get the look in a more casual outfit! It’s not the sort of post I usually make but I think I will do a bit more on current fashions, as well as older fashions too. My next post is titled ‘Contemporary Take on Classic Nails’, so come back and see it next time I post. See you soon.

Love Claire, xo.