Jezebel: Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld Is Very Sorry He Called Adele Fat

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:55:00 EST

Internationally recognized weight-management expert/robot Karl Lagerfeld is walking back his comments to Metro that singer Adele is "a little too fat." The Chanel designer, who guest-edited an edition of the free daily paper (how's that for a high/low collaboration?) was quoted as saying: More »

Chanel Kindly Offers To Sell You Cotton Balls for $20

Cassie Murdoch — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:50:00 EST

Hey there, moneybags! Were you standing in your bathroom this morning, staring at the priceless antique jar you fill with cotton balls, thinking to yourself, "These little wads of cotton just aren't soft enough for my fine face. If only there was something more luxurious I could invest in"? Well, it's your lucky day! Chanel has just the solution for you: Le Coton, "an exquisitely soft tri-layer pad developed in Japan." More »

Coco Chanel Was Allegedly A Nazi Spy

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EDT

A new biography of Coco Chanel sheds more light on her wartime activities, and the house of Chanel seems to be bracing itself for backlash. What was ol' Gabrielle up to during World War II? Palling around with Nazis at the Ritz, basically — but the house of Chanel is denying that its founder and namesake spied for the German regime, and that she was actually anti-Semitic. Coco Chanel had an affair with Hans Gunther von Dincklage, a Nazi military intelligence officer and immediate subordinate of Joseph Goebbels, during World War II, and was close with Walter Schellenberg, the Nazi head of foreign intelligence; she also sought to wrest control of the Chanel company from her Jewish business partners, the Wertheimers, under the Nazi anti-Jewish ownership laws. (She failed because the Wertheimers had secretly transferred ownership of the company to a Christian prior to the Nazi invasion of France.) Coco Chanel lived in Switzerland for nine years after the war's end, in part to avoid prosecution as a collaborator; although her ties to various Nazi figures have long been well-known, the author of Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War has added significant original research to our understanding of that period of her life. The book even makes the claim that Coco Chanel herself was a Nazi spy. Author Hal Vaughan says, "I was looking for something else and I come across this document saying 'Chanel is a Nazi agent, her number is blah, blah, blah and her pseudonym is Westminster.' I look at this again and I say, 'What the hell is this?' I couldn't believe my eyes! Then I really started hunting through all of the archives, in the United States, in London, in Berlin and in Rome and I come across not one, but 20, 30, 40 absolutely solid archival materials on Chanel and her lover, Baron Hans Gunther von Dincklage, who was a professional Abwehr spy." Modern-day Chanel's response? "She would hardly have formed a relationship with the family of the owners or counted Jewish people among her close friends and professional partners such as the Rothschild family, the photographer Irving Penn or the well-known French writer Joseph Kessel had these really been her views." So, basically, she had Jewish friends. Chanel also denies that Coco Chanel spied for the Nazi regime, calls the timing of her relationship with Dincklage "unfortunate" but points out that his mother was English (as though that mattered), and asserts that she approached Winston Churchill about "acting as an intermediary between the Allies and the Germans for a peace settlement known as Operation Modelhut." That makes Operation Modelhut sound pretty benign, but the truth is a lot more complicated; the Times of London called Operation Modelhut a "Nazi plot" that was to use Coco Chanel as "bait." [Vogue UK] More »

Woman Sues Chanel For Letting Her Try On A Too-Small $10K Ring

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:23:00 EDT

A New York woman is suing Chanel after trying on a $10,000 ring at the 57th St. boutique — a ring which she was unable to get off her finger. Three hours in the emergency room eventually resulted in a successful removal that left digit and bauble intact. [Racked] More »

Here's That Chanel Bag Made From Beef Jerky You Didn't Ask For

Whitney Jefferson — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:50:00 EDT

Design student Nancy Wu calls her project — appropriately titled "100% Beef Jerky" — a "lo-fi item," whatever that means. It certainly would've made Randy Savage proud. More »

The Chanel Cruise Show Is For Wealthy Blake Lively Fans Who Like High-Heeled Thong Sandals

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:15:00 EDT

Yesterday in Cap d'Antibes at sunset, Karl Lagerfeld presented Chanel's cruise collection — a bunch of clothes for ladies of sufficient means to spend their northern-hemisphere winters vacationing in warmer climes. Each look was accessorized with several million dollars in jewelry. "This is about the women of Cannes, women who mix bathing suits with real pearls and diamonds," explained Karl Lagerfeld. "After all, you can't wear fakes into the water." After all. More »

Watch Freja Beha Erichsen Make Out With Anna Mouglalis

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:00:00 EDT

Oooh boy: Karl Lagerfeld directed another one of his insane, model-filled Chanel short films. The ones he keeps on making because apparently the Kaiser has nobody in his life to tell him that his films are terrible. Let me be that person, Karl, because this needs saying: you have Michael Bay's sense of pace and structure, Jean-Luc Godard's mundanity, and, um, Jean-Luc Godard's sideline interest in yellowface. But without any explosions or Anna Karina. You are a very talented designer and you say entertaining things in interviews and you made a good documentary subject in Lagerfeld Confidential and I even believe that you have read most of the 10,000 million books that line your home, Karl Lagerfeld, but not everybody gets to be good at everything they try, sorry. This trailer for your latest is interesting only because Freja Beha Erichsen makes out with Anna Mouglalis in it, and even that is kind of a cheap trick. With Kristen McMenamy as an heiress whose batteries badly need replacing. More »

Black And White And Schmancy All Over

Sadie Stein — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:35:00 EDT

Was there a dress code? Or do stars just hear "CHANEL Tribeca Film Festival Artists Dinner" and assume through long practice that it's an occasion for black and white? More »

If You Buy Angelina's Diamonds, You'll Get A Teeny Tiny Love-Letter To Brad

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:45:00 EDT

Angelina Jolie's super-expensive jewelry collection includes one piece with a diamond that has a special, laser-engraved message on it, invisible to the naked eye. "It was a love letter to Brad," explains jeweler Robert Procop. Jolie's jewelry collection, too, might as well be invisible to the naked eye: it's only viewable at a Beverly Hills gallery, and to see it, you must first be invited. And when it goes under the hammer (proceeds to charity, natch), the auction, too, will be invitation-only. [Scoop] More »

Chanel: For The Dystopian Baby In Your Life

Sadie Stein — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:41:00 EST

The vibe at Chanel may have been post-apocalyptic, but the Kaiser certainly sees one thing in our future: onesies. Lots and lots of onesies. More »

It's Time To Shut Up About Michelle's Damn Dress

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:40:00 EST

As you may have heard, Michelle Obama recently wore a red Alexander McQueen evening gown to a state dinner held in honor of the Chinese president, Hu Jintao. This apparently made a lot of people very unhappy. More »

The Best Of Haute Couture Week

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST

Nilina Mason-Campbell ran around Paris to get a fresh look at couture. Not the runway-shot, brand-manicured take we always get. The street-skulking, exhilarating flash-and-grab honesty of the perennial non-ticket-holder! (It's not our fault we don't know any PRs in Paris.) More »

Ladies, Tom Ford Would Do You Too

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:36:00 EST

Artist John Currin interviewed Tom Ford, and joked that sometimes innocent statements are "The small acorn that will grow into a great oak of a scandal later." Well! Ford then claimed, "I'm one of the least materialistic people that exist."

"Calvin Klein, Go Back In The Closet!"

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:46:00 EST

Village Voice nightlife columnist Michael Musto has sharp words for Calvin Klein, seen here with boyfriend Nick Gruber. "Get a grip on yourself, girl, and nail some dignity to the floor before this kid steals it all away from you."

Inside Kimora Lee Simmons's Diamond-Filled "Satellite" Closet

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:05:00 EST

The hourglass Simmons keeps in her wardrobe is filled with "over 5000 little diamonds. And they're real." ("Over 5000 cubic zirconias" doesn't have the same ring.) This, her "satellite closet," she warns is only "a smaller version of the Mothership." More »

Kate Moss Makes Out With Transsexual Model For LOVE

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:32:00 EST

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The first cover of LOVE's "androgyny" issue has dropped, and it features Kate Moss and Lea T., K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Hot. Brazilian Lea T., who was born male, was Riccardo Tisci's friend and assistant before he convinced her to begin modeling. [@THELOVEMAGAZINE]

At Golden Globes, Stars Wear Endorsement Deals On Their Sleeves

Jenna Sauers — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:17:00 EST

If there was one thing that stood out on the Golden Globes red carpet — well, one thing besides Helena Bonham Carter's purposefully mismatched shoes — it was the number of actors who selected dresses to fulfill their contractual obligations. More »

Chanel Video Dares You To Distinguish Models From Dummies

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST

We're not entirely sure what this...is...but it looks like Karl had a fever dream after watching Mannequin (or maybe after watching the Amber Valletta horror vehicle Dead Silence), woke up, and thought, "What a tremendous concept for zee new video!" More »

Blake Lively: Chanel Is A Purse Made Of Dreams

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:48:00 EST

Oh, the nauseating sincerity of the celebrity spokesmodel: "It's more than just a purse. It's a quilted case full of lipstick, love letters, and the dreams and possibilities that I have always felt every time I see that beautiful 'CC.'" More »

Ridiculous L'Oréal Ad Stars Patrick Dempsey, Jessica Alba, Jane Fonda And Just About Everyone Else

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:35:00 EST

This new French L'Oréal ad is like celebrity spokesmodel whack-a-mole. We spy Beyoncé, Patrick Dempsey, Jessica Alba, Freida Pinto, Claudia Schiffer, Rachel Weisz, and Jane Fonda... It's funny to watch them all say, "Parce que vous le valez bien." [YouTube]

The World Is Chanel's Billboard

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST

Chanel is apparently turning the Musée D'Orsay in Paris into a giant, sparkly, 2,890 square foot billboard for No. 5 perfume. We hope the museum is being rewarded handsomely for its services as a host for corporate messaging. [WWD]

Zooey Deschanel Sues Steve Madden

Jenna Sauers — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 11:41:00 EST

Actress/grammatically creative indie songstress Zooey Deschanel is suing footwear knocker-offer/convicted felon Steve Madden for reneging on a $2 million contract. For that sum, Deschanel would have spent 13 days "designing" and promoting a line called "Zooey's Shoes And Accessories." [NYPost]

Kate Middleton's Wedding Attire As Imagined By Designers Who Will Never Dress Her

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:15:00 EST

Who has a lot of opinions about what Kate Middleton should wear the day she becomes a princess? Designers, that's who! From Karl Lagerfeld, who favors "high boots," to Christian Lacroix, who designed an Elizabethan bodice, everyone has a fantasy. More »

This Male Model's Music Video Is Four Minutes And Two Seconds Of Awesome

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:48:00 EST

Karl Lagerfeld's boy-toy Baptiste Giabiconi's first dance single — yes, he has a dance single — sounds a little like Ke$ha, if Ke$ha had DJ Pauly D hair and sang to really, exceptionally trashy house music. His video is amazing. More »

Blake Lively For Chanel?

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 11:35:00 EST

Blake Lively is rumored to be the face of an upcoming Chanel handbag campaign. [E!]
Having Linda Evangelista in its ads has apparently driven up Talbot's quarterly profits by 17%. [WWD]

The Terrible Rise Of The Lara Stone Lookalikes

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:18:00 EST

Lara Stone is a successful model and we basically love seeing her everywhere. But what we don't love is seeing all the girls who look like Lara, kinda-sorta, that the modeling industry is now promoting to ubiquity. This must stop. More »

Tom Ford Thinks A Lot About Fat Women And Their Rolls Of Fatty Fat

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:39:00 EST

Tom Ford, a man who immobilized his forehead with Botox, thinks people should go naked. Especially, well... "Fat women almost always look better without the constraint and lumpy pinching of clothes, all the straps and elastic squeezing and sucking." [ContactMusic]

Lesbian Model Infiltrates World-Famous Nude Calendar [NSFW]

Jenna Sauers — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:45:00 EST

Karl Lagerfeld's Pirelli calendar is getting lots of press for his inclusion of Julianne Moore in the famous nude periodical, and for his introduction of naked men. But what's potentially more interesting is Lagerfeld's gender-bending depiction of Freja Beha Erichsen. More »

Angelina Jolie Lends Her Name To Crazy-Expensive Jewelry

Jenna Sauers — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:45:00 EST

Angelina Jolie is shilling fine jewelry again, with former Asprey executive Robert Procop. This black necklace she wore to a Salt premiere is one of their pieces. The jewels will be "priced individually," with proceeds going to Jolie's charity. [WWD]

Julianne Moore Does Nude Calendar Pinup For Karl Lagerfeld

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:38:00 EST

Karl Lagerfeld gave the Pirelli calendar — which traditionally features "artistic" nude shots of top models — the theme of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. And he added one (clothed) Julianne Moore and, a Pirelli first, several (unclothed) men. [Telegraph]

Women In Their 50s And 60s Are Fall's Most Surprising Ladymag Trend

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:48:00 EST

When Tom Ford guest edited Vogue Paris' Holiday issue, he put in an editorial that's a little unusual for a fashion magazine: it features only "mature women" who haven't gone under the knife. More »

Karl Lagerfeld Thinks It's OK Kate Middleton Is A Commoner, Because She's Fashionable

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST

Krazy Kaiser Karl, on Kate Middleton and Prince William: "For the royals, apparently the royal blood is not in demand any longer." But no matter, because Middleton is "beautiful and elegant," and "chic in a way the position needs." [WWD]

Naomi Campbell Allegedly Set To Marry In An Ancient Egyptian Temple

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST

According to reports in the Arab press, Naomi Campbell is going to convert to Russian Orthodox faith so she can marry her scary-rich oligarch boyfriend, Vladimir Doronin, in a massive ceremony at the Temple of Luxor on the Nile! [P6]

Hells Angels Sue Alexander McQueen For Liking Skulls

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EDT

The Hells Angels is suing Alexander McQueen and Saks Fifth Avenue for selling clothing and accessories featuring skulls. Apparently the Hells Angels believe they own skulls? We guess we wouldn't want to be the ones to tell them otherwise. [NYPost]

Amy Winehouse's Line For Fred Perry Is, Predictably, A Mess

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:35:00 EDT

Amy Winehouse's line for Fred Perry is out, and the clothes look a little like the kind of argyle-tastic thing André 3000's girlfriend would have worn to go boating in 2003. Only shorter. [Yeeeah]

Michelle Obama Gives Another Ladymag Interview

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:45:00 EDT

Michelle Obama is in Harper's Bazaar, a magazine that once creepily hired Tyra Banks to impersonate her. Obama wore her own clothes for the shoot, and she talks about wearing "a little tutu fairy costume" for a childhood production:

The Future Of Cosmetics Is A Brave New World

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:53:00 EDT

Self-adjusting skin cream. Intelligent foundation. Prosthetic cheek pads. All these and more are the future of cosmetics, if companies like Lancôme and Clarins are to be believed — and what a weird, Technicolor future it is. More »

Alleged Sexter Brett Favre Might Lose His Denim Endorsement Deal

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:55:00 EDT

Brett Favre's unsolicited-penis-picture-sending ways might cost him his endorsement deal with Wrangler. The company wouldn't comment on the athlete's future with the brand, but said it was following the story, "like everyone else." [WWD]

Gisele And Tom Share An Awkward Car Ride

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:45:00 EDT

After Tom Brady's game on Monday night, maybe-cheating Gisele Bündchen called shotgun for the ride home while he was relegated to the back seat. (They have a driver.) Clearly we can infer that she is a castrating Brazilian super-harpy. [People]

Gisele Says She's Not Cheating On Tom Brady

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:10:00 EDT

Gisele Bündchen's rep says the art dealer she was photographed getting cozy with is just a close, personal man-friend. [DigitalSpy]
Bündchen celebrated 15 years of modeling by pulling another version of her favorite cover pose for Brazilian Vogue. [MadeinBrazil]