EcoSalon | Conscious Culture and Fashion » Chanel

Livia Firth Greens the Red Carpet at Tonight’s Golden Globes

Jessica Marati — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:00:38 +0000

Is it just us, or does that red carpet look a little greener?

Tonight, while most people will tune into the 69th Golden Globes to see if The Help will beat out Moneyball for Best Picture, our eyes will be trained on the red carpet pre-show coverage to see Livia Firth kick off her annual Green Carpet Challenge. What can we say? She has us hooked.

Firth, who runs Eco-Age and is married to actor Colin Firth, started the Green Carpet Challenge in 2009 to bring attention to her work in ethical and sustainable fashion. That year, she pledged to only wear upcycled, vintage, and eco-friendly outfits while accompanying her husband on the red carpet during awards season. The following year, the challenge picked up speed when Colin was the Best Actor pick across awards shows for his performance in The King’s Speech. Livia was by his side the whole way through, notably in a gorgeous upcycled Gary Harvey dress at the Oscars.

This year, Firth has recruited an impressive roster of designers who will dress her for awards season in accordance with GCC’s strict ethical and sustainable standards. The list includes Tom Ford, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Stella McCartney.

Tonight’s gown was designed by Giorgio Armani with eco-friendly materials, and Firth has been involved in its creation from day one. Firth described the process as “unreal” and writes on her blog:

To work with Armani was a real lesson in the design process. Everything begins with the material. Fortunately, Giorgio loved the eco material and knew he could work with it. The passion and efficiency of Giorgio’s team has been infectious.

Just before the show kicks off, Livia will release photos of and details about her dress on her Green Carpet Challenge blog at VOGUE UK. We’ll be there too.

Images: VOGUE UK.

Current Style Trends: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Rowena Ritchie — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:41:52 +0000

A hobble skirt, the perfect thing for dubious domestic duties.

Pencil skirts – How can a fashion essential, every wardrobe’s tall drink of water, be a new trend, you ask? Did you see Sarah Jessica Parker in this month’s “Age” issue of Vogue? Looking divine (and disturbingly airbrushed for an issue on “Age…”), she was photographed by Mario Testino in various domestic settings with Matthew Broderick and her kids wearing Marc Jacobs, Chanel and Proenza Schouler’s mid-calf length pencil skirts. While the mid-calf lengths were a trend for Spring 2011, seeing them in a more streamlined silhouette is new. Last time we saw a long, tight garment with a narrow enough hem to impede the wearer’s stride we called it a “hobble” skirt. So while it remains anathema to modern-day practicalities for most of us—anyone other than SJP evidently—damn straight if they’re not the sexiest cocktail party entrance you’ll make this year.

Peplums—Practically an addendum to the pencil skirt trend, peplums—the short ruffle attached at the waistline of a jacket, dress or skirt—are big news right now. Seemingly running counterintuitive to one of women’s greatest figure fears (i.e adding additional width at the hip), their ability to minimize a thick trunk is almost as magical as Harry Potter’s ultimately loyal Elder Wand. If your tastes run to the more casual, pick up a skirt with pronounced hip pockets for the same waist-whistling effect.

Cropped Pants—Pedal pushers, Clam Diggers, Culottes, call them what you like, but brightly colored, cropped, flared (or tapered), high waisted pants have re-emerged for the coming seasons. I know what you’re thinking: Anything that cuts the leg in half can’t look good and ordinarily I’d agree. Yet, the evolving feeling for ’70s romanticism, which is so compelling this coming winter, makes them worth a second look. Forget the exaggerated styles that everyone thinks of from that decade, instead reframe in jewel-colored silky, crepe de chine for a look that is a genuine tribute to the heady, avant-garde, Roxy Music-saturated sensuality of that time. I’ll be wearing mine – when I find the perfect vintage pair – with the highest heels and sheer black tights.

Facial Hair— Suddenly, it’s everywhere. On men, I mean. Looking around as I write this, there is not one clean-shaven man in the café where all the cool art directors grab their triple shot macchiatos in San Francisco’s multi-media gulch. Sprouting from the hipster/Amish unkempt beard look and the greased mustaches on bartenders that are now as de rigueur as the small batch American whiskies served by the coolest bars in town, its a trend that’s experiencing a sudden growth spurt. A recent issue of Marie Claire magazine reported, “Women rate men with full facial hair as more courageous, dominant, trustworthy and confident than clean-shaven men.” With male-dominated politics going the way it currently is, I say, bring on the hairy.

Feet Gloves— Have you seen people wearing them yet? Brace yourself, because chances are you will soon. Designed to provide minimal support for barefoot runners, these skeletor-looking shoes are going mainstream and being worn to the office, the supermarket and even the red carpet. Vibram’s FiveFingers brand of feet-glove shoes are churning out one creepy looking design after another, including a green renewable merino wool choice, and Fila’s versions are not even promoted as running shoes, supporting the notion that more consumers would like to go “barefoot” in their everyday lives.

So which trends do you think represent either the good, bad or downright ugly? It really is up to you. After witnessing a couple of stylish looking ladies this week pulling off some seemingly crazy looks—one wearing polka dot pedal pushers, the other a pleated skirt, straw hat and the dreaded feet glove shoe, I kid you not—and looking absolutely fabulous, I’ve had a fashion epiphany. One thing is for certain, anyone, with their head up high, shoulders back and a twinkle in their eye can look stylish flaunting as far-out a trend as they desire. But let’s leave the facial hair for the guys, okay?

Northern Women in Chanel

Johanna Björk — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:02:49 +0000

SlideshowReporting from Sweden, Johanna Björk shares the fascinating story behind the creation of a new book on Chanel.

In 2010, photographer-stylist couple Peter Farago and Ingela Klemetz-Farago were given full access to the coveted Chanel archives, which contains couture treasures from the 1920s through today – a dream for anyone in the fashion business, as it had long been for the Klemetz-Faragos. Some of the clothing was deemed so precious it required Chanel-employed handlers to come along for the shoots.

Several well-known models from the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, such as Freja Beha Erichsen, Helena Christensen, Frida Gustavsson, Dorothea Barth-Jorgensen, Iselin Steiro, Edita Vilkeviciute, Sigrid Ågren, Suvi Koponen, Kirsi Phyronen, Carmen Kass, Siri Tollerod and Caroline Winberg, took part in the project and every creation and surrounding — each more fantastical than the other — were chosen specifically for each model.

Close to 300 looks were shot and the result can be seen in the 384-page book Northern Women in Chanel — a new staple for any vintage fashionista’s coffee table. Best of all, a portion of the proceeds goes to Save The Children, a Swedish NGO working to safeguard the rights of children across the world.

The book is accompanied by an exhibit, currently on view at Stockholm’s Fotografiska museum, where these gorgeous photographs can be admired in superscale. Fotografiska itself is worth a visit for anyone even remotely interested in photography, as it is one of the largest museums in Europe dedicated to this art form. Fotografiska is housed in a former customs building right on the water, designed by famed Architect Ferdinand Boberg in Art Noveau style. When I visited, other exhibits on view included a Robert Mapplethorpe retrospective, Chinese artist Liu Bolin’s amazing The Invisible Man and Eleanor Coppola’s Circle of Memory.

Anyone who claims that fashion photography is not art will have to reconsider after seeing this portfolio. The classic, timeless, barren and, sometimes, melancholic settings often elude a vibe that is more Bergman than Vogue. Farago is inspired by opera, dance and art, and this strongly comes through in the images, which have a certain theatricality to them. Overall, it’s a very modern take on classic fashion, the clothing looks more like it belongs in another universe than another era. My only criticism is that they would have chosen more older models; it would have been a nice way to add more character to the project and differentiate further from the fashion glossies.

All photos © Peter Farago & Ingela Klemetz-Farago

Shoes for Spring: The Edge vs The Wedge

Rowena Ritchie — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:56:37 +0000

Haruku ballet flats (above) by Hetty Rose, made from vintage Kimono fabrics.

“Fashion is about two things: the evolution and the opposite,” was Karl Lagerfeld’s proclamation to press during a preview of his spring couture collection. I’m not sure he was referring to the flat and the wedge, but the Chanel model wearing pretty black ballet shoes with transparent ankle straps did appear a strike against a suddenly dated stiletto.

This season, it’s about choosing the thin edge or the wedge. The divergent shoe choice reflects an unusual unfolding between successive fashion era influences. The tunics and square-shouldered cuts are clearly inspired by the spare minimalism of the 1960’s, shown side-by-side with relaxed tailored ensembles informed by the free-flowing heyday of YSL in the 70’s.

From my recent experience of graceless clomping through Mumbai’s higgledy-piggledy streets, I can’t agree with Harper’s Bazaar’s assessment of the new platform as, “the hip, walkable flat wedge.” It is, however, the only option for anchoring the billowing looks of the 1970’s. Flowy is one thing, floppy, another.

I’m sticking with last summer’s wood wedges with tan leather straps and studs from Celine’s standout collection. They’re the perfect balance of polish and rustic, and justifiably informing many similar looks this season.

Coclico’s Morphos Wolf Wedge (above) in soft grey suede.

For those of us not blessed with a high instep that naturally makes wearing high-heeled shoes comfortable, the return of flat shoes in the form of ballet flats and oxfords is welcome news. The lack of height and weight of the shoes requires a tapered leg and streamlined silhouette. While a nude oxford updates black skinny jeans nicely, the tight silhouette of the ballet flat provides a risk-free point of accent for injection of this season’s trend for neon hues. Bright yellow, orange and red are key colors for shoes and bags this season.

Vegetable tanned leather megumi ochi style 1984 taupe oxford (above).

The ingenious use of stripes, novelty prints and color blocking as seen at Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander and most arrestingly, Prada, are influencing accessories designers too. If you, like me, are irrationally tempted by the trend for pink jeans as soon as the weather thaws, a bright red ballet shoe would amp up the look.

Recycled Babylon Flat (above) in red, by Olsen Haus.

The Temporary Tattoos Trend: Get Ready to Ink Up

Katherine Butler — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:39:17 +0000

Tattoos are hot right now. It seems like you can’t click on a celebrity rag without seeing the latest ink on the arms of starlets like Scarlett Johansson or Megan Fox. But not ready to write out your thoughts on your inner wrist? Not to worry, because temporary tattoos are the Next Big Thing. In fact, the JWT Intelligence Think Tank lists them as a “thing to watch” in 2011.

What exactly does the mainstreaming of tattoos mean? For one, you now can get temporary skin art from Chanel. For $75 clams, apply limited addition markings to your skin that look like earrings, necklaces, and the iconic Chanel logo. Beyonce’s mother’s fashion label, House of Dereon, is also offering temporary skin art for a more affordable $16. And finally, JWT Intelligence reports that you can even get temporary tattoos made of gold in Dubai.

But what if you just want a good old-fashioned henna tattoo? I live in Los Angeles, and for years I would make a bimonthly trip to Venice to get a henna tattoo. Henna artists line the Venice beach walk and they do spectacular work. I’d get hennaed up and spend the next week or two sporting artistry on my hands. Best of all, I could mix things up. Some weeks I’d have hands covered in designs, other times I would just go for a simple symbol.

Almost all the time, people thought my markings were permanent – which, naturally, pleased me like an teenager eager to fit in with the cool kids. (I don’t have any permanent tattoos.) But after years of getting temporary black henna tattoos, I have to wonder – is the ink safe? As it turns out, if the artists were using black ink – probably not.

Traditional henna, as seen above, can be very pure. The art of henna, also called mehndi, has been practiced in India, Africa and the Middle East for centuries. Pure henna is actually a paste made from a dried henna plant. It can be mixed with lemon juice and cloves, or it can be mixed with essential oils. It creates a paste that is applied to the skin – and when it falls off, it leaves a dark brown marking that will generally fade after a week or two.

But throw some modern technology into the mix and you could end up with a toxic soup. Black henna ink can contain para-phenylene diamine (PPD). This is the ink commonly used by street vendors. At best, PPD can cause an allergic reaction. At worse, it can cause cancer, reproductive issues, neurotoxicity and more. Skin Deep gives it a rating of a 10, which is practically saying it was made in the vat of a nuclear reactor. So if you notice your henna artist is using black ink, be sure to ask him or her about the ingredients he or she used.

Image: Henna by Heather – Mehndi in Boston / Providence M

Are Resort Collections Dead in the Water?

Abigail Doan — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:22:49 +0000

With the winter winds now howling outside my home here in Eastern Europe, it seems natural to let one’s thoughts drift to warm weather destinations and beach side resorts. My stroll down Rue de Rivoli in Paris last week reminded me that for upscale designer labels, resort wear collections are de rigueur at this point in the annual fashion calendar. Whether or not one has a sunny holiday getaway on tap, one cannot help but to wonder if resort collections are indeed a thing of the past. With the bulk of designer pieces barely moving off-shelves in retails stores and jet-setting jaunts frowned upon by the eco-conscious set, why are designers and retailers continuing to generate these capsule collections in a market that is already saturated with goods? Tradition can be a lovely thing, but surely we can make do with some of our spring/summer favorites and timeless pieces from the reserves of our fair weather stash?

Marc Jacobs Resort 2011

There is no doubt that wardrobe shopping for a snowbird beach holiday warms one’s winter-weary bones in a way that outshines layering with heavy woolens. But shoppers who frequent big name department stores might not realize that designers who create resort collections (also known as cruise collections or pre-collections) are feverishly creating these ready-to-wear holiday offerings in addition to their bi-annual collections for spring/summer and autumn/winter. This has been a celebrated tradition for decades with high-end fashion houses such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, and Marc Jacobs, to name a few, creating for both retailers and magazine glossies expecting this high-octane output.

Chanel Resort 2011

It is hard to believe, though, that in this current era of environmental awareness and increased assessment of waste in the fashion industry, that we continue to support and glamorize this overt demonstration of fashion excess. Resort clothing and accessories can surely be handpicked from chic designs that are available all year long and from warm weather favorites of the past year. The pressure that designers continually face in generating additional offerings for each resort cycle is undeniably impacting their ability to institute better (sustainable) production models from start to finish. If shoppers refused to partake in this phenomenon, retailers might be forced to reconsider the viability of resort wear essentials overall.

“Interim” collections no doubt confuse us as much as the weather does these days, so it only makes sense that stores would want to aid us on this front rather than cloud the issue with ill-timed floor displays. Perhaps the emphasis should increasingly be on eco travel destinations that celebrate looking fabulous in whatever gear it takes to comprehend the beauty of a region while also walking lightly on the beaches we all share?

Main Image: Jonathan Saunders Resort 2010

Drawing Fashion Exhibit Illustrates a Dying Art

Amy DuFault — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:18:58 +0000

The London Design Museum’s exhibit “Drawing Fashion,” which runs now through March 6, 2011, is a unique exploration of 20th and 21st century fashion illustrations reminiscent of a time when couture and glamor were far more chummy than today. The exhibit reflects the artistic style of each decade, through Art Nouveau to Art Deco and Pop Art.

Exhibit fashion curator Colin McDowell told Vogue, “Each drawing exemplifies the period it came from which is why illustration is so special. I want this exhibition to kick-start people in thinking ‘Why don’t we use illustration again?’ I collect Vogues and my favorite one is from 1923 – it’s so beautiful because of its drawings,” says McDowell.

These illustrations, hailing from the likes of artists that have worked with Chanel, Dior, Comme Des Garcons and Alexander McQueen bring to light a neglected area in the fashion world that began as an advertising tool pre-photography and only continues now in a handful of design houses. While it seems a dying art, the very much alive exhibit, collected over the past 30 years by Joelle Chariau of Galerie Bartsch & Chariau, is a compilation of artists like turn of the century illustrator Lepape to current artists like Mats Gustafson and Aurore de la Morinerie.

Antonio, New York Times Magazine, 1967

Gustafson, an illustrator who’s advertising campaigns have been utilized by Bergdorff Goodman and Chanel, told the Huffington Post his work has always been about “the shapes he draws attention to” and how working with designers such as Yohji Yamamoto has enabled him to complement his own style with theirs. “You have to somehow fall in love with whatever you work with, to find the most interesting perspective or the beauty in whatever you do. When it really clicks between you and the designers, then of course it is more dynamic and more exciting.”

Mats Gustafson – Red Dress -Yohji Yamamoto, 1999

While illustration expresses fashion in a more exaggerated way, inviting us to interpret clothing through more of a designer’s lens, the artist has the task of being the bridge for us to see how the designers wanted the clothes to really look on a body.

Chariau, with her 30 years experience on the art says: ”their work is interesting as fashion drawing, but is also interesting from an art perspective.”

Watch this video interview with collector and co- founder of Galerie Bartsch & Chariau, Joelle Chariau and illustrators Mats Gustafson and Francois Berthoud at the Drawing Fashion media view.

The Design Museum shop will be stocking exclusive exhibition merchandise including limited edition prints, posters and postcards while a book called Drawing Fashion will also be available at the exhibit.

Top Illustration from Antonio-At Home, New York Times Magazine, 1967

Sustainable Luxury: An Emerging Trend?

Kelly Drennan — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:43:24 +0000

According to the 2007 WWF Deeper Luxury Report, the luxury industry lagged behind other brands of consumer products when it came to sustainability. They claimed the cause to be lack of consumer awareness and public demand.

The report ranked a number of companies that included Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermes on a sustainability scale, and no companies were given a score higher than a C+. Many brands even failed to get a passing grade.

Three years ago, this report was thought to be the tipping point of the industry. After all, many luxury consumers are increasingly well-educated and concerned about social and environmental issues. Yet the luxury brands were missing out on opportunities to become sustainable leaders.

So where do luxury brands rank today? Particularly the luxury fashion brands?

The answer is not an obvious one. In fact, it is very difficult to uncover the luxury fashion companies who are demonstrating ethical excellence. Given the increase in multinationals who report on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) behavior, it would seem that either luxury brands are slow to engage, or they are doing a poor job at communicating what steps they have taken toward sustainability.

Is it accurate to say that consumer awareness and public demand is still at fault? Or is it that executives have simply become complacent? There are likely a number of reasons why this sector has a poor track record.

But let’s start with the sustainable luxury consumer. Who are they? Let’s face it, they are not you and I. Rather, they are a small percentage of the population who, by definition, can afford indulgence. They are not driven to consumption by necessity, but rather out of pleasure.

I’m not convinced that the reason for this sluggish shift is entirely due to a lack of consumer awareness. It could be that the luxury consumer has simply become accustomed to a lifestyle of waste, and can’t be bothered to make any changes in their shopping habits. Given the resources available to them, awareness is at their fingertips. So if they are truly hungry for sustainable luxury brands, they should know where to find them.

But maybe they are truly concerned consumers, keen to indulge in products that have a lighter environmental footprint. The only obstacle they face, however, is the lack of options available to them. Certain sectors are undoubtedly leading the way in the world of sustainable luxury. There are many options for the home, the car, and even travel. It appears however, that it is the luxury fashion industry that is digging in its heels.

So if its not about a lack of consumer awareness, it may have something to do with the complacency of companies – particularly those where there is a generational gap in decision-making. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it right?

Wrong. Clearly it is broken. The reality is that we cannot continue to deplete our earth’s resources at the rate of those before us.

We must all come together in this crucial paradigm shift, and luxury brands have the ability to take a leadership role.

According to Graydon Carter, editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair: “For the new generation, luxury brands that will not take environmental issues into consideration will lose most of their appeal. Modern brands must address these questions. Ignoring them would be old-fashioned and would equal a return to the previous century.”

If we all aspire for luxury, then the same could be said of sustainable luxury. Will our younger generations flip through Vanity Fair and Vogue magazines, ogling ads for sustainably made Chanel bags, or hemp silk gowns by Versace? Possibly. One can only hope.

Images: chad davis, dr_vaibhavahuja, Sarah McD

Ode to an Eco Cuff

Rowena Ritchie — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:10:37 +0000

Coco knew her accessories: “It is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure, ” she declared. As the fashion revolutionary who ushered in a modern era of dressing, pioneering the use of jersey knit and costume jewelry, she understood the value of a well-placed piece to accent a simple silhouette.

And yet there is timelessness to Blank Verse’s handmade jewelry pieces that predate even Mademoiselle Chanel herself. Representing a potpourri of decorative time periods, each one-of-a-kind piece is re-purposed from scraps of leather, surplus fabrics, buttons, beads and vintage lace, then beautifully recalibrated into the pure nowness that is eco-chic.

Blank Verse is obviously the name given to a form of poetry, but neither rhyme nor reason explains the enthralling nature of the upcycled jewelry collection by designers Jane Farrar and Laamie Young. Their materials are rummaged from family and friends, flea markets and vintage shops, and are handmade in the ladies’ sunny Santa Cruz studio.

In true eco-chic style (i.e. less is always more), let your accessories do the talking this spring. Pair a cuff from Blank Verse with your daily “I’ve got a planet to save” uniform of green-designed jeans and a tee, then notice if your entrances and exits start to take on a slower, more poetic nature.

Available at branchboutique.com.

Before Chanel, Coco Was Eco

Luanne Bradley — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:00:46 +0000

Not since Scarlett O’Hara upcycled those curtains to make a crazy green velveteen dress have we seen such industrious textile make-overs on the screen.

Yes, Anne Fontaine’s Coco Before Chanel is the quintessential tweed rags-to-riches saga, in which a poor but clever French girl and her sister climb the ladder from the orphanage to the chateau by making great contacts at a tavern where they sang a funny ditty, entitled Coco (hence the nickname for Gabrielle Chanel).

I took away much from Audrey Tautou’s brilliant portrayal of the iconic designer, mainly a reminder why monochromatic, pared-down simplicity has always ruled in the chic department, and how this can be arrived at with the three R’s: recycling, reducing and reusing.

Coco’s early homemade ensembles were reconfigured men’s tweed suits and women’s work aprons – a collection you might spot on Etsy or other sites where crafty visionaries are putting their green spin on fashion. She takes an old tablecloth plaid dress and embellishes it with a white ribbed bib and cuffs. Her lover’s suits become her riding clothes. Sailor tops she spotted in Deauville inspire simple, blue and white striped cotton tees.

You’d never know this was the genius who would put quilted handbags, designer perfume and the famous pocketed Chanel suit on the map, becoming the true first lady of fashion.

Any Project Runway addict will love watching the textile transformations in the film which yielded both handsome and hideous results. You can just hear host and judge Heidi Klum snort, “It’s just so Octoberfest!”

Would the early Coco have had a chance on Project Runway? Certainly in a green competition, you know, one of those challenges in which designers are tossed newspaper, candy wrappers or high volume acrylic wedding gowns and ordered to remake them into something Tim Gunn finds has the wow factor.

The wow emerging in the extraordinary executions was the lack of wow, the architectural lines and basic black palette which allowed the most important aspect of glamor to shine through: the woman. That was the magnet for “Boy”, her painfully handsome lover who appreciated her gift, and that is what attracts a recession-strapped audience to the sullen-eyed heroine.

In a decadent and wasteful Edwardian society married to costumed corsets, frills and other excess, Coco proves women of real style can wear curtains and still be the belle of the ball.

Image: Time out