Chanel Spring 2012

Florence Welch performing in a giant clam at the Spring 2012 show.

[This post was done as an assignment for my Creative Fashion Presentations class at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It is blog post #4. If you are not a student at FIT, feel free to read, comment, and obsess over the photos anyways, because HELLO -- It's CHANEL, and I'm pretty sure you'll LOVE it!]

For this assignment, I focused on an article in the New York Times blog by Cathy Horyn. If you have no idea who Cathy Horyn is, then we have a lot in common. Or, at least we did as of earlier this week.

A few days ago, I was at a coffee house outside campus while on a break between classes. Thanks to my new phone [finally!] I can now waste even more time by Googling random fashion shows not only from my awesome apartment, but from virtually any place I please.

Cathy Horyn attends about as many shows as Anna Wintour.

As I browsed through the New York Times' Runways blog [which apparently exists - who knew?!], I came across this article written by Ms. Horyn, who discusses the Paris shows of those whom she is dining with. She gives an insite to Kanye West's odd attempts, and describes the Celine Spring 2012 collection as a 'club sandwhich'. Honestly, the article was a little wordy, but by the end, I was hooked!

So, when it came time for this assignment, I already knew which blogger I would focus on -- None other than Ms. Cathy Horyn! But as for the collection I would zero in on, well, that wasn't too hard either. After all, when in doubt, choose Chanel! [Yes, you can quote that.]

The main factor that draws me to Horyn's writing is her dictation. She's so detailed, which allows the reader to picture the garments as well as the atmosphere as if they were actually there. Here are a few examples of Cathy Horyn's descriptive language:

1. SILHOUETTE & DESIGN

"...Mr. Lagerfeld’s new pared-down suit silhouette: a lean skirt or dress in ivory or black wool worn with an opened, cropped jacket."
"The shapes were soft, mostly short and slightly rounded, with a sense of mobility."

2. DETAILS

"No Chanel braiding or chains."
"...embroidered along the edges with slivers of mother-of-pearl."

3. COLOR

"...silver leather or white with black lines."

4. FABRIC

 "...ties formed from the linings, often printed chiffon."
"Many fabrics had a glistening effect..."

5. CREATIVE “JARGON” 

"...other materials that reflect Mr. Lagerfeld’s obsessive interest in techniques that give lightness to clothes."

Below are my Top 10 favorite looks from the Chanel Spring 2012 show! :)