Alexa Chung had an interesting argument with Karl Lagerfeld on the set of a Chanel shoot for the Little Black Jacket exhibition. Why? Because she refused to wear a beard. Read on for the details…
The Little Black Jacket exhibition that came to Australia last year was a big success- but not all the celebrities enjoyed the experience.
Alexa Chung has now revealed she fought with Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld – about their idea to give her a beard.
The Chanel photo project, which showed some of the brand’s most famous and stylish fans wearing the iconic black jacket in almost every way possible – with jeans, with dresses, as a hat – was shot by Chanel’s head designer, Lagerfeld himself.
And Chung, who’s famous for her mix of low and high style, was perfectly amenable when she told she’d be dressed as a ‘tomboy’ – with jeans, a denim shirt, a crown and the jacket thrown on top.
However, she drew the line at their next innovation – to give her fake stubble.
“Karl came up with the idea,” she said. “And Peter [the make-up artist] said “So. We’re going to make the brow stronger, and we were thinking stubble for the face.” And I was like, Can we all stop thinking about stubble for the face?”
They tried it despite her protests – what Lagerfeld wants, Lagerfeld gets – but Chung said she looked “like Oliver Twist”, and the photos were scrapped.
“They thought I’d be down with it, they thought I’d think it was funny, but I was like, Not if Dakota Fanning is being Marilyn Monroe,” said the star firmly- and that was her final word on the subject.
Image: Alexa Chung beardless for Chanel.
It was one of the big surprises of the night – Michelle Obama beamed in to announce the winner of Best Picture at the Oscars.
However, not every media centre was thrilled with her outfit.
The First Lady was wearing Naeem Khan, who also dressed George Clooney’s date Stacey Keibler and starlet Nina Dobrev – a night of coups for him.
Her metallic gown, which she wore flanked by members of the US military, was cut low in the bust – not enough to be immodest, but enough to be on-trend and showcase her admirable arm muscles.
When the Iranian state media broadcast the ceremony, however, Obama was covered up to her neck with short sleeves.
It was to meet the ‘modesty’ requirements of the Muslim nation about women on television, though often foreign women are allowed more leeway than Iranian newscasters or presenters.
The Photoshopped version features a boat neck with capped sleeves, and the US media has erupted with discussions of what it says about Iranian standards for women.
No word from the designer himself on how he feels about the Photoshop job, but we doubt he’ll start adding sleeves and high necks to the First Lady’s outfits from now on.
Image: Michelle Obama presenting for the Oscars.
Rescu. loves bringing you new and exciting labels who are doing fashionable things in an ethical way.
And Maiyet, who are making a huge splash with fashion bloggers and the magazine world, are one of the hottest sustainable labels in the world.
They partner with artisans from places like India, Kenya, Indonesia, Peru and Mongolia to produce their pieces, which are all oriented towards a floaty, bohemian woman of the world.
It’s all part of their relationship with Nest, a non-profit that helps artisan businesses in underprivileged parts of the world to reach their full potential. Now that’s a hell of a way to feel good about yourself while looking fabulous.
It was founded, not by a designer or a group of creatives, but by a partnership between the one-time head of cult label Band of Outsiders and an ex-humanitarian policy maker. That’s one pedigree you can’t ignore.
So what sort of things does Maiyet produce? Think some of the world’s best craftsmen in one label – carved jewellery from Kenya, carved block printing from Jaipur, handwoven cashmere from Kashmir.
You can search their website by type of product or by where it’s made, sifting through Italian, Kenyan and Colombian artefacts for some truly spectacular fashion finds.
It was only launched last year, but it’s going big – with a huge campaign starring Daria Werbowy and cult jewellery that’s already been snapped up worldwide. It’s not inexpensive, but for a piece you’d normally travel thousands of miles to find, we’re loving it.
Image: Maiyet 2013.
