The Luxe Chronicles

Luxury: A Reprieve for Lacroix?

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. France's newly minted culture Minister, Frédéric Mitterrand, has expressed his intention to assist Christian Lacroix in finding a solution to his current financial crisis. Describing the potential loss of Lacroix's couture business as "un désastre culturel" (a cultural disaster), Mr. Mitterrand has vowed to step in and in his words "ne pas rester inerte" (not remain passive). En toute déférence Monsieur le Ministre, il était temps!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Haute Couture: God Is In The Details - Why Not Just Enjoy Them?

Every couture season, it's the same story: chroniclers of fashion invariably question the future of the tiny industry. Usually, they point to the dwindling number of couture clients throughout the world and surmise that it's only a matter of time before there are none left and legendary couture houses are forced to shutter their ateliers forever. Of course, the fact that the future of Christian Lacroix's couture house looks increasingly bleak hasn't helped matters. "Was the sunset at Chanel symbolic of couture’s fading light?" asks New York Times' fashion critic Cathy Horyn.

Fashion: Vive Lacroix!

And vive the spirit of solidarity that binds the French fashion community!

Fashion: Chanel Inc. on How to Make Friends and Influence People

Many journalists, writers, online editors and bloggers received the above notice from Chanel's corporate parent recently politely instructing them to refrain from what the company considers an inappropriate usurpation of their brand name (please click on the above image to read). Not since Apple Computer tried (unsuccessfully) to prevent the use of any and all images resembling that most ubiquitous fruit, the apple, has a brand sought to push the limits of trademark infringement law this far.

Fashion: Vionnet Exhibit Opens at Paris' Musée des Arts Décoratifs

Oh to be in Paris! This statement is true any time but it is especially true now that the long-awaited Madeleine Vionnet, puriste de la mode exhibit is opened at the musée des Arts décoratifs. Like any hardcore follower of fashion, the exhibit is at the very top of my 'To Do' list for the summer and I plan to take it in just as soon as I can. Until then, I've decided to get into a Vionnet state of mind by re-reading Sophie Dalloz-Ramaux's Madeleine Vionnet: Créatrice de mode (2006, Cabédita - Collection Archives Vivantes).

Luxury: Are We Preaching Into the Wind?

Social responsibility seems all the rage right now. Terms like "ethical luxury" and "sustainable luxury" have crept into the lexicons of luxury CEO's and marketeers alike. It's hard to tell where this new social conscience will lead but it does remind me of the debate over the ethicalness of wearing fur. I came across these images of Blackgama adverts and Peta's 2005 parody on a blog called Planet Fabulon (a veritable visual feast of glamorous imagery which I highly recommend).

Fashion: Oh Glenda! What Have You Wrought?

Everyone from media professionals to fashion bloggers are up-in-arms over U.S. Harper's Bazaar July issue featuring Angelina Jolie. Rather than commissioning a cover shot especially for the purpose as is customary for most high-end fashion glossies, the publication resorted to using a paparazzi photograph from one of Jolie's many red carpet appearances instead, a tactic more closely associated with tabloids like the National Inquirer than a blue-chip fashion magazine of Harper's Bazaar's stature.

Luxury: Much More than Meets the Eye at Van Cleef & Arpels

When it comes to the luxury industry, there are some brands where what you see is essentially what you get. Then, there are others that are so multi-faceted, so rich in history and tradition that exploring them is not unlike peeling back the layers of an onion, only much sweeter smelling and infinitely more exciting. I was given the opportunity to discover this for myself recently on a recent jaunt to Paris as a guest of legendary fine jeweler Van Cleef and Arpels.

Luxury: Christian Lacroix Speaks Out

There is something absolutely heartbreaking about the financial crisis currently afflicting venerable French couturier Christian Lacroix. Regardless of whether or not you appreciate his particular aesthetic, the potential closing of a couture house is a tremendous loss not only for the designer himself but for the petites mains (pictured above) and all the various specialist craftsmen who make it all happen.

Fashion: When Life Refuses to Conform to Fantasy

I just got back to London after two days spent in Paris. Wouldn't you know that I did not witness even one scene remotely similar to the ones depicted in the June/July issue of Vogue Paris. I'm bitterly disappointed. Is it too much to ask that Parisians conform to Terry Richardson's fantasies of Parisian life?

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles