THE LITTLE BLACK JACKET

 

CHANEL opens its Little Black Jacket exhibition in London at the Saatchi Gallery.

 Over 100 black and white photographs of Karl Lagerfeld's favourite muses wearing the label's iconic jacket - both men and women - fill four expansive rooms, all taken by the Chanel helmer himself. Although the French fashion house has included images of expected personalities such as Alexa Chung,Vanessa Paradis and Daphne Guinness, it also celebrates more surprising names - from Kanye West to one of the label's youngest catwalk stars, Hudson Kroenig. Each picture effortlessly captures its subject's personality, a testament to the close relationships Lagerfeld has with the industry's biggest names. Daphne Guinness is as dramatic as ever, decked in sparkling jewellery;Georgia May Jagger oozes sex appeal wearing little more than a black bra and dishevelled hair; while Carine Roitfeld looks like a contemporary Coco Chanel in her pearls and hat. If nothing else, it is ample inspiration in how to sport your tweed black jacket - Chanel or otherwise.   

 

 

 

 

 

Chanel launched her short, boxy, tweed jacket in 1954, as part of her postwar comeback collection (she was pitting herself against the acres of fabric and full skirts of Christian Dior's New Look, a look she felt was far too old-fashioned for the modern woman). The jackets were a triumph of style and wearability. Assembled without bust darts to make them supple, lined with silk, with sleeves with a slight curve for comfort, they were structured (a small brass chain was sewn inside the bottom of the hem to make sure it hung perfectly) but the wearer could still raise her arms above her head, 'since a garment's elegance lies in the freedom of movement it allows', as Chanel put it. 

Since then Karl Lagerfeld may have paired the jackets with jeans, swimming costumes, even sequinned shorts, but at Chanel's workshops on rue Cambon the jackets are still made the same way. It is, says Lagerfeld, the item every designer dreams of inventing. 'Some things never go out of fashion in the world of fashion: jeans, the white shirt and the Chanel jacket.' 

 
Linda Evangelista, Model 


Sama & Haya Abu Khadra, Fine art and film students 


Sofia Coppola, Film director 


Claudia Schiffer, Model 


Alexa Chung, Model and presenter 

 
Stella Tennant, Model 

 
Tilda Swinton, Actress 

 
Georgia May Jagger, Model 

 
Freja Beha, Model 

The exhibition is at the Saatchi Gallery, London SW3, from 12 to 28 October  

Little Black Jacket (Thames & Hudson, £50), by Karl Lagerfeld.