CHANEL ICONIC 11.12 BAG MEETS THE GREAT CINEMA.

A film directed by Inez and Vinoodh, featuring Penélope Cruz and Brad Pitt introduced the Chanel F/W 2024-2025 Ready-to-wear show. A tribute to the film "A Man and a Woman" by French director Claude Lelouch, and released in France in 1966 before its international distribution and recognition. It captures the beginning of a love story in Deauville, a place dear to the House and is the inspiration behind the collection imagined by Virginie Viard, the artistic director of the fashion collections. 

Back to 1966, since the original film budget was so low, the director had to shoot the film in just three weeks; to save money, he shot the interior scenes in black and white and the exterior scenes in colour. The actress Ainouk Aimée wore her own clothes and personal accessories, including a Chanel bag, her favourite one, which she wore on and off screen, from morning to night.

With this campaign, Chanel continues to build on its longstanding relationship with cinema. Virginie Viard has always been passionate about cinema, particularly the New Wave, and wanted to pay tribute to Claude Lelouch's masterpiece. A work that smoulders with refined romance, with that legendary beach scene..., the horizon as far as the eye can see... the eternal sea..., and of course, Deauville. The seaside resort where M.lle Chanel  opened a hat boutique bearing her name in 1912, and where she presented her first Haute Couture creations in 1913, certainly not a coincidence, but if it actually exists, it is marvellous in terms of finesse. The campaign video directed by Inez & Vinhoodh repeats some of the film's original sequences with Penélope Cruz and Brad Pitt and instantly identifiable with its modern and rectangular silhouette, the iconic Chanel bag and its impeccable allure, which lasts a lifetime, to then be handed down from generation to generation. 

Collection after collection, it appears in countless variations of colour, shape and material. Over the years and the collections, countless designs have paid tribute to the famous bag, reinforcing its status as a unique iconic object.

JANUARY HOME-DECORATION: HOW TO LIVEN UP YOUR HOUSE AFTER CHRISTMAS.

Taking the tree down and un-decorating the house can feel like a big letdown. In fact, I know some people who leave their tree up right through February, because it seems like such a sad event to take it down. Even if you, like me are not prone to such extreme solutions, you may feel that your home needs a few enlivening touches, throughout January, so here’s a few tips on how to decorate after Christmas to get you through winter’s darkest days.

4 Strategies for Mid-Winter Decorations

1) Turn on the lights. One of the things that we like abut Christmas is the twinkle lights on porches, trees and, well, everywhere. Bring out candles both in every room and outdoor, and actually light them up. If you have pets or kids, the battery-powered candles are a really respectable stand-in. Tiny LED party lights and fairy lights are also very trendy right now; they look very farmhouse-chic in a hurricane vase or mason jar. Other options can be mercurised candle holders/hurricane lamps for a chic, vintage style, or miniature lighted houses, for fairy vibes.

2) Go white and green. These neutral Christmassy colours will carry you through the next mid-Winter weeks, and you can get some extra mileage out of season rustic florals such as hellebores, bulbs, pine wreaths.

3) Carnival theme. Get inspiration from the Carnival theme, with figurines display and table arrangements with brightly-coloured flower centrepieces. Mix it all up. 

4) Refresh the rooms. A complete room re-design says fresh! By using your furniture and objects in a whole new arrangement, You can have an entirely new look with a one-day room re-design. Now, it is also a great time to paint. If your walls have a brown undertone, or a muted feel, mid-winter is when you see it the most. Why not pick a lighter, brighter color and enjoy it right now? Decorate your home after Christmas, and get a jump on your New Year organizing projects. With the new zero-VOC paints, there’s no reason you can’t paint in the middle of Winter. How exciting! And if you are not ready to such dramatic changes, opt for a renewal on a smaller scale, by changing the colours to complements, furniture, or perhaps, adding a glimmering crystal chandelier.

Starting this week with a clean house and a clean slate will make you forget that yesterday you thought it would be sad to see Christmas go, and it will actually feel good! Now, do you have another way to perk up your home's winter look? Please do tell!