'It has become the symbol of a certain feminine elegance, nonchalant and timeless, which means for all time'.
Karl Lagerfeld
Back in November 2012, I visited the Saatchi Gallery in London to see The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited Exhibition by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld.
The book is Lagerfeld and Roitfeld's reinterpretation and celebration of Chanel's iconic little black jacket. Over 100 beautiful black and white photographs of Lagerfeld's favourite muses filled four expansive rooms at the Gallery and the pictures, in black and white portrait format, were taken by the designer himself and styled by Roitfeld, stylist and former French Vogue editor.
The exhibition was lavish and impressive and I can remember studying each photo very carefully, and with the due absorption that it deserved to soak up every detail. Each photo, whether of a man or a woman, captured the individual style and personality of its subject, all wearing the iconic Chanel black jacket. A range of accomplished models, actors, singers, rappers, fashion editors, and designers are styled with their own individual flair.
The exhibition, and the beautiful book of the same name with Roitfeld gracing the cover, celebrates the versatility and classic endurance of an inimitable item, designed for women but worn by men also.
If I am ever lucky enough to own my own Chanel Little Black Jacket, I will definitely take inspiration from one of these stunning shots.
A girl can dream...
