THE LITTLE BLACK JACKET

Today I went to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea to see CHANEL's photographic exhibition.  This is being presented in major cities of the world in conjunction with the release of Karl Lagerfeld's new book, "The Little Black Jacket: CHANEL'S classic revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld".

Over 100 famous people, male and female, from the world of cinema, music and fashion have been photographed by Karl Lagerfeld in the iconic Chanel jacket, each wearing it in their own individual style.  

I was amused to see Carine Roitfeld looking very much like Coco Chanel in a hat, ropes of pearls and holding a little scissors on her fingers.  I smiled too at a rear view of Anna Wintour in the little black jacket with her famous neatly bobbed hair.  Then there was an exuberant Sarah Jessica Parker with the jacket pulled up over her head with a crown on top and a bare midriff.  Legendary supermodel Linda Evangelista looked cool smoking a cigarette and wearing her jacket with black trousers.  Alice Dellal, model and drummer (the face of CHANEL's "boy" bag campaign) was studded and punked up in a black leather jacket over her little black jacket.  Jane Birkin and her daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, both wore the jacket very casually with jeans. Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco looked beautiful - like a modern day take on Marie Antoinette - with her hair piled high on the crown in a half-up, half-down style and a garland of white flowers around her neck.  

The list could go on and on but there are two more I must mention that really impressed me.  I was so very struck by Tuki Brando, the model and grandson of Marlon Brando.  He wore his little black jacket above a black studded belt at his hips, his long hair side-parted and I did see a definite resemblance to his magnificent grandfather.  Finally, there was Vanessa Paradis, the French actress and singer, her long hair tumbling over her shoulders, wearing the black jacket so prettily and demurely over a flimsy white lacy dress and holding a mini white lace parasol. Then came the twist, her hand with it's dark painted finger nails was lifting her dress up at one side just enough for the viewer to see her stocking top and suspender.

I really recommend this exhibition.

After this I must write about my own little black jacket.  I'll be doing just that in my next post.