My personal fascination has been focused on Coco’s years in Switzerland. I’ve spent the past two months living in this country known for the Alps and fondue, and can’t help but imagine what it must have been like 65 years ago when the designer frequented the shores of Lac Léman. As Picardie notes in her book, Chanel once said she felt "free as a bird" when visiting Switzerland; her unsmudged red lipstick and conservative clothing concealing a life of lovers, flings, family drama, and a token best friend with a drug problem.
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Chanel’s nickname displayed in greenery across her grave in Lausanne, Switzerland

Following her death at the Ritz in Paris on January 10, 1971, Coco was buried at the Cimetière du Bois-de-Vaux in Lausanne. The turnout for her burial appeared meager in photos, as a formal, more-sizable ceremony had been conducted in Paris two weeks prior. Her gravestone is recognizable by five lions that appear across the top of her headstone; Coco’s astrological sign was Leo, something that defined her to the end. Today, greenery in the formation of her name, "Coco", is perfectly placed across the area where her body rests. Next week, it will be 41 years since she passed.
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The cover of Coco Chanel: The Legend and The Life; Karl Lagerfeld’s illustration of Chanel at rest.

As written in Picardie’s pages, Chanel once said to Paul Morand, "I would make a very bad dead person, because once I was put under, I would grow restless and would think only of returning to earth and starting all over again." I’ll keep my eye on her plot.

In related news, the upcoming apparel and home collection by Italian Fashion house Missoni for Target has fallen onto our radar. The collection will hit shelves September 13. [ Huffington Post]

The luxury goods market is finally picking up pace … and it’s not crawling. Thanks to those who can afford it, this market is steam-rolling back. The New York Times reports: "Many high-end businesses are even able to mark up, rather than discount, items to attract customers who equate quality with price." The article goes on to interview a luxury consultant who pipes in with: “If a designer shoe goes up from $800 to $860, who notices?” For the record — most people.

Tell me about the outfit you are wearing today.

"I started thinking of the design and began work on the hat months ago.

I bought some Chanel fabric from Joel and Son in London [England’s leading couture fabric store] and asked my local tailor to create a Dioresque suit. I then trimmed my hat with frayed pieces of the same fabric. The hat is made from Sinamay, a type of straw and costs around £900."

How did you get started in the millinery business?

"When attending events like Royal Ascot, I could never find a hat design I liked, one which had the wow factor and was a bit different. So I started making my own hats and found it came naturally to me. Other women noticed my designs and also wanted me to make theirs.  In order to become a qualified milliner, I took evening classes at the Chelsea and Kensington College, and finished with distinction. I now own a boutique in Sunningdale which has been has been opened for six years."

How much is the average hat?

"A small hat starts around £65 and the more expensive can go up to £1000, but the average is around £400."

Are you hats mainly off-the-peg?

"There are about 200 styles of hats on display which can be bought off-the-peg. But the majority of my clients want more of a made-to-measure hat, so we change the colour to match their outfits, add extra embellishments  and tweak the designs around their requirements."

Have you had any celebrities wear your designs?

"Both the mothers of the bride and bridegroom at Amanda Holden’s wedding, Lizzie Cundy, Melanie Mar wore one of my hats this year to Royal Ascot and Sofia Hayat, the Bollywood actress."

So began the benefit dinner for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Ocean Initiative on Saturday at the Charles Gwathmey-designed home of Ron and Kelly Meyer, sponsored by Chanel’s J12 line of watches. Not only was the sight inspirational, it’s apparently on its way to becoming a new Guinness world record.

A who’s who of Hollywood (Brian Grazer, Jim Berkus), music (Barbra Streisand, Kenny G) and Fashion (Monique Lhuillier, Rachel Zoe) gathered for cocktails in the backyard, kicking off their Louboutins in the grass, sipping fruity drinks and soaking in the last few rays of afternoon sun while listening to a performance by Jason Mraz.

Drew Barrymore, Kate Hudson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ali Larter and Diane Lane were all dressed in their beach chic finery, but my favorite look was music exec Lou Adler’s — a nautical striped cardigan, knit cap and white canvas sneakers that were very Coco Chanel in the South of France, come to think of it. 

After cocktails, the crowd moved to the tennis court for a vegetarian dinner by chef Suzanne Goin. And there was more live music! Jeff Bridges and T Bone Burnett played a set. "After my dad [Lloyd] got ‘Sea Hunt’ he said, ‘Do you want a pool or a beach house?’ " Bridges told the crowd. "We said beach house." Musing on the theme of ocean conservation, he recalled taking walks with his mom on the Malibu beach, where they would see starfish on the rocks. Then one day the starfish were gone.

The event raised $2.66 million for the cause, according to NRDC President Frances Beinecke. "The paddle-out was an amazing way to experience the inspiration of the oceans tonight," she said, adding, "We have hurt them again and again — 90% of our ocean fish are gone, and the pollution that causes climate change is turning the ocean more acidic every day."

The NRDC is now ramping up efforts to protect "the world’s last wild ocean, the Arctic, where melting sea ice will soon open up the region to mining and drilling," she said.

What’s hot right now? We’ve picked three new things this week:

1. Supra Skytop III

Supra‘s popular Skytop sneaker really made this footwear brand what it is today. The latest release of this model is the Skytop III, which is the most technologically advanced in the collection so far. It was first released in the four colorways shown below, and the newest four styles shown above just dropped. Some good looking kicks!

2. 18K Gold Security! Tag

Yes, you read that right—a company by the name of Security! has released a $700 18K-gold-plated version of your typical security tag. The sterling silver pin with white diamonds on the front and back of the piece is “An opulent interpretation of the shoplifter’s worst enemy,” as stated on the company’s Web site.

3. Chanel’s Crotchet Fringe Bag

Kim Kardashian was recently seen carrying this gorgeous new Chanel tote bag around. It’s mesh! Featuring the classic Chanel logo, fringe trimming and silver-tone and leather interlaced chain, the bag is perfect statement-maker for summer.

This news has brought to the fore people’s disregard for the rules. But, how many of us are even aware of the ground rules? Kamini Saraf, socialite, says, “Indians are used to cash transactions and carry many valuables during weddings and other festivals. Customs rules can be quite confusing and the pertinent information should be provided in a simpler manner.”

Anil Kumar, Deputy Commissioner for Customs and Excise Duties says, “People should check the official Customs’ website before travelling. Also, airports have many displays stating the rules. Passengers are stopped only when they are carrying dutiable goods like electronics, jewellery, arms and foreign currency above a certain amount.” Also, when passengers are wearing valuables like expensive watches or designer bags they may exceed the limit. In response to this, Kumar says, “Not every passenger can be checked thoroughly, especially women. And designer wear is difficult to track. We are trying to overcome this problem.”

D. Siva Kumar, a frequent flier, says, “Custom officials do not bother you if you declare your valuables. Once I was stopped while carrying a food item, but as I had declared it I didn’t have to face a harrowing time. But otherwise, the situation can get quite embarrassing. The aim of Customs and Excise, is not to hassle passengers.”

What’s allowed

* A passenger is allowed to carry articles worth Rs 25,000.
* An Indian traveller, who has stayed abroad for over a year is allowed to carry jewellery worth Rs 10,000 (men) and Rs 20,000 (women).
* An NRI or a professional returning home after a stay of at least three months abroad is allowed to carry back household articles worth Rs 12,000.
* Free allowances for both unaccompanied and accompanied baggage are not applicable to fire arms, cartridges exceeding 50, cigarettes exceeding 200 or cigars exceeding 50 or tobacco exceeding 250 gm, alcohol or wines in excess of 2 litres, gold or silver in any form other than ornaments.
* One laptop computer over and above the said free allowances is also allowed duty free if imported by an adult passenger.

In January, Lively was chosen as the face of Chanel’s "Mademoiselle" handbag line by designer Karl Lagerfeld.

"Green Lantern" is based on the DC Comic book that follows fighter pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), who becomes the first human inducted into the Green Lantern Corps., a brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order. Each Green Lantern wears a ring that gives him super powers. The Green Lanterns come together to fight a new enemy called Parallax and with the help of his fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Lively), Jordan overcomes his fear to join the fight.

The 23-year-old actress recently made headlines over a string of nude photos, which her rep denied were authentic. She has also been romantically linked to Leonardo DiCaprio, who recently broke up with Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli.

But this wasn’t Tuileries de Paris, the famed French gardens that host fall and spring Fashion shows. It was Rosemont Middle School.

Waitresses served chocolate-covered strawberries and cupcakes topped with interlocking Cs, the logo of the renowned French fashion house Chanel, as the school played host Monday evening to its first-ever student fashion show.

“I wanted the girls to have a professional fashion show,” said teacher Janna Kasmanian, who staged the event as the culmination to her year-long fashion class. “I wanted them to get the experience of what it is like. They worked so hard this year. I wanted to do something they are never going to forget.”

And while the setting was impressive, nothing could upstage the clothes. Each of the 23 student participants modeled collections they had designed and produced during the class. They included avant-garde and formal-wear pieces, as well as those inspired by cultural and historical references.

The short story, by Jean de la Fontaine, tells of a maiden walking to market with a pot of milk on her head. She dreams of the things she can buy when she sells the milk — enough for a new cow — and will then be able to sell even more milk and buy more things. She becomes so excited at the prospect, she skips, then trips, spilling the milk and is left with nothing.

For the young Girl Guide, the fable made an impact: the story is sometimes recounted by Lagarde — the woman who will most likely be the next president of the International Monetary Fund — a reminder than we have to plan pragmatically and not live on dreams.

She is the French Finance Minister, 55, elegant and ranked currently by Forbes magazine as the 13th most influential woman in the world. If Lagarde is appointed to head the IMF — and she is the front-runner by miles — her ranking will jump to single digits, putting her somewhere between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US First Lady Michelle Obama.

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But who is this erudite economist, a former girl scout and competitive swimmer, who will likely become the most powerful banker in the world?

Strangely enough, she’s not even an economist. Her background is law — but she has managed to convince the world’s leading nations that she is the perfect person to lead an institution that shapes global monetary and economic policies and is instrumental in righting banking systems jolted by levels of unprecedented debt. As the president of the IMF, she will determine the fiscal fate of nations, just as a judge and jury in a New York courtroom will determine the fate of her fellow Frenchman, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, on charges of sexually assaulting a maid at a Manhattan hotel on May 14.

Her office in a 17th century building in the St-Germain district of Paris is close to the Luxembourg Gardens, the Pont des Arts, the Quai Voltaire; it’s large, ornate, gilded, baroque in a classically overstated Style — a complete contrast to the 55-year-old silver-haired divorcee who is as comfortable debating in English as discussing in French. For those who meet her, she is disarming, at ease, confident.

Her preferred designer is Chanel, its classic lines complementing a women who is an exercise demon with the ability to function on little regular sleep. Behind former model and First Lady Carla Bruni, Lagarde is the most recognisable and fashionable French public figure.

"She is a very pragmatic woman — and that’s her greatest weakness in my eyes," noted Cryille Lachevre, business editor of the Paris daily Le Figaro and her official biographer in a recent published interview.

"It’s hard to know what she really thinks, and what are her ideas," he said. "It’s a very large question mark."

Pragmatic she is — she opts for Chanel because it rarely creases. "When you have to be running up stairs four at a time because you’re late for a meeting, you can’t afford the luxury of wearing stilettoes or frou-frou dresses that need ironing," she commented recently.

Under Strass-Kahn, there were few question marks about the direction of the IMF. He was aggressive, lavish, bold, pushing and pulling the body into action, overturning its traditional laissez-faire policies and cajoling it to action to deal with a banking and credit crisis that still reverberates.

Intern to Congressman

She was born Christine Madeleine Odette Lallouette into a middle class Rouen family of devout Catholics, both language teachers, on New Year’s Day 1956. Lagarde was a bright and athletic child who would later grow up with three younger brothers. She loved water and excelled at synchronised swimming, a blend of aquatic athleticism and artistry. She learned Latin and Greek, English and Spanish.

But for all of the highs of representing France at a competitive level, there was the low of the death of her father, Robert, when she was 17. Lagarde dealt with the loss by moving to finishing school in Bethseda, Maryland, United States, then to an political internship for a Republican Congressman on Capitol Hill. It was, as she noted later, a visit that would forever change and shape her future life.

She returned to law school in Paris and had a bent for labour law, eventually obtaining a Masters degree from the Political Science Institute in Aix en Province.

In 1981, Lagarde returned to the US and joined Baker & McKenzie, a Chicago law firm specialising in international litigation. She practised anti-trust, labour, and mergers and acquisitions law. By 1999, she was its chairman, the first woman to head the company.

But there was a price to pay. Her career cost her two marriages even though she has two grown-up sons, Pierre-Henry and Thomas. She currently lives with Marseille property developer and entrepreneur Xavier Giocanti, and also enjoys jam making and tending to her rose garden in a country home in Normandy.

Drag on economy comment

If the details of her home life are sparse, it’s because the private lives of politicians are of little concern to the French public. What is of importance to the French is their social life and weekends, enshrined in government policy that cements a 35-hour work week. Within days of returning to Paris in June 2005 to take up a position as a junior trade minister in the end days of the presidency of Jacques Chirac, she earned a telling off from the Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, for opining that the 35-hour work week was a drag on the economy and hurt French productivity.

She held the Agriculture portfolio briefly before being hand-picked by Nicholas Sarkozy to hold the economics brief — one that put her on collision course with French trade unions who rioted to protect their hard-earned liberal working conditions and pensions. She is the fist woman to be the finaince mininster of any G8 country.

Moreover, she has had to use all of her abilities as a sychronised swimmer to be a team player in the Sarkozy cabinet. While he has had a stormy relationship with German Chancellor Merkel, Lagarde has enjoyed cordial and friendly support from Europe’s most powerful woman.

But what will she bring as the President of the IMF? "What has happened with Mr Strauss-Kahn underscores how great it would be to have a woman in the role," notes Kenneth Rogoff, a former IMF chief economist and now a professor at Harvard University. "She is enormously impressive, politically astute and a strong personality. At finance meetings all over the world, she is practically treated like a rock star."

Her fans cite her run in with Bob Diamond, chief at Barclay’s Bank at the World Economic Forum in January as evidence of her astuteness and personality. When Diamond thanked finance ministers for creating a better economic environment, Lagarde commented to sustained applause: "The best way for the banking sector to say thank you would be to actually have good financing of the economy, sensible compensation systems in place and reinforcement of their capital."

Geschichte. 

Chanel-Schmuck ist nie "Made in China". Im Idealfall baumelt irgendwo ein kleiner Anhänger mit Stempel. Ist das nicht der Fall, kann es sich um einen frühen Entwurf handeln, was der Verkäufer mit einer alten Quittung, Foto oder Skizze belegen sollte. Ein goldener Kettengürtel ist wie Perlen-Ohrringe eine Frage des Geschmacks und kann (!) ein gelungener Stilbruch sein. Zweifelhaft ist dagegen, ob Clips und heiße Ohrläppchen eines Tages wieder in Mode kommen.

Farfetch verweist auf Rewind Vintage Affairs in London, wo Chanel-Taschen zur Auswahl stehen, die zwischen 20 und 50 Jahre alt sind. Ein schwarzes Modell aus Jersey oder ein rotes Schätzchen mit Quaste wirkt dieser Tage origineller als eine brandneue "2.55", die inzwischen jede Charlottenburger Abiturientin beim Schaufensterbummel auf dem Ku’damm trägt.

Aus eigener Erfahrung lässt sich sagen: Finger weg von Online-Auktionen. So manch eine hat im Eifer des Gefechts schon für viel Geld einen nach Keller stinkenden Fake-Beutel gelöhnt und sich beim Auspacken vor Wut fast in den Hintern gebissen.