Chanel is a house known for its signatures that not only changed the course of fashion history but still resonate today - the Little Black Dress, the tweed suit, costume jewellery, Chanel No5. These signatures were inspired by Gabrielle Chanel's taste, life experience and travels - but it was Karl Lagerfeld who took these signatures and ingeniously adapted them for the twenty-first century woman. From his first days at the helm of Chanel in the 1980s, to his creative application of the Chanel logo to everything from biker boots to a space rocket, King Karl's reign at Chanel is nothing if not legendary.
The elegance of the Little Black Dress. The simplicity of the Breton shirt. The luxury of the fragrance. These signatures exemplify the image of Chanel.
Bringing to life the story and designs of Gabrielle Chanel, the most influential couturiere in the history of fashion, Chanel in 55 Objects is an exquisite collection of bespoke illustrations and captivating text. The chic drawings depict her most iconic innovations including fashion, fragrance, jewellery and accessories, as well as the places, motifs and people that inspired her.
An enigmatic, daring and astonishingly creative designer, Yves Saint Laurent is credited with the elevation of haute couture to fine art, turning the fashion show into a spectacle of breathtaking proportions, and revolutionizing the gendered norms of womenswear.
Describing Saint Laurent's beginnings in Algeria as a precocious boy making miniature garments from fabric scraps, Little Book of Yves Saint Laurent depicts, in beautiful photographs and insightful text, the designer's ascent from fashion student to the right-hand of Christian Dior. Going on to found his own fashion house in 1961, Saint Laurent created his famous 'le smoking' trouser suit, brought the leather jacket to the mainstream and astounded the fashion world with his blend of elegance and artistic drama.
