French designer Coco Chanel spied for the Nazis during the German occupation of France in World War II, according to a new book on sale Tuesday.
“Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel’s Secret War,” by Hal Vaughan, expands on long-standing evidence that the iconic designer had a double life and was the lover of a spy, Baron Hans Gunther von Dincklage.
Vaughan’s book reveals that not only was Chanel recruited to the Abwehr military intelligence organization, but that von Dincklage was himself a “Nazi master spy.”
It takes a lot of time and dedication for a luxury brand to establish an ‘it’ bag along the lines of a Mulberry Alexa or a Hermès Kelly bag, but when Chanel launches a whole new handbag range, you can be almost certain, they will be instant classics.
The new collection will draw inspiration from an androgynous style based on a hunter’s cartridge that founder Coco Chanel used to wear herself.
“Chanel used men’s underwear to make dresses,” the house’s creative director Karl Lagerfeld explained. “She had this boyish attitude, in fact it is the very spirit of Chanel. She got it from Boy Capel, the great love of her life…”
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in Shanghai will hold an exhibition during winter 2011 on Chanel, the iconic haute couture label.
Titled Culture Chanel, it will trace the many inspirations behind the designs of the French house. It’s the latest move by a luxury label to expand its presence in the cosmopolitan Chinese city.
Running from January 15, 2011 – March 14, 2011, the exhibit will showcase over 400 items “including clothing, artworks, manuscripts and films.”
“Coco Before Chanel,” biopic of celebrated fashion designer Coco Chanel is based on book “L’Irreguliere” (The Nonconformist) by Edmonde Charles-Roux, directed and written by Anne Fontaine and Camille Fontaine.
Audrey Tautou stars as Gabrielle Chanel, known as Coco, before she became famous. Watch the trailer (in French) after the jump…
Chanel is to cut 200 jobs as fears grow that the supposedly recession proof luxury market is falling victim to the global credit crisis.
The staff cuts are a direct result of declining sales, part of the overall slide in luxury spending that was not alleviated by the recent holiday shopping season. Among the jobs are 16 posts at the brand’s boutique on rue Cambon in Paris in the heart of Paris’s fashion district.
The job losses, described by some commentators as the label’s worst crisis since founder Coco Chanel fired all her staff at the outbreak of war in 1939, represent almost 10% of the company’s production workforce.
Karl Lagerfeld opened his pre-fall 2009 Chanel show last week with a ten-minute silent short film about Coco Chanel — his directorial debut!
Last year, Karl Lagerfeld brought Paris to London, and this year he brings Moscow to Paris, highlighted by his silent film presentation. He shied away from the subtle, with elements of Russian folklore tying the collection together, including elaborate headdresses, thick fluffy knits and sparkly gold boots.
