CHANEL IN SCOTLAND

Last night the fashion world's beady eye cast its gaze towards a frosty Linlithgow, of all places, for the annual CHANEL Metiers d'Art show (Pre Fall 13). Yes, seriously, LINLITHGOW!

A location which might seem bizarrely random at first, begins to make sense with the revelation that, no, Mr Lagerfeld and his army of bony-elbowed muses didn't ACTUALLY descend upon the town hall (lovely though it is) but rather the stunning ruins of Linlithgow Palace - birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and James V.

Purty.

Unlike the Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer collections, the Metiers d'Art show, which has been going since 2002, is held one a year in a different location - Moscow, Bombay and Shanghai etc. It's aim is to not only show the Pre collection but to showcase specialist craftsmanship of CHANEL-owned ateliers. And seriously, though as quintessentially French as the Eiffel Tower and frogs' legs, CHANEL does have some genuine ties to Scotland.

Coco Chanel came here in 1925 with the Duke of Westminster and discovered a flourishing textiles industry, as well as fishing, hillwalking and haggis-hunting... Also, in October CHANEL saved 176 jobs in Scotland by purchasing cashmere business Barrie Knitwear. Based in Hawick, Barrie was formerly part of a once-mighty, 140 year old textiles conglomerate named Dawson's that went into administration earlier this year before CHANEL stepped in to secure its future. PLUS, not to mention the iconic CHANEL tweed suit jacket. Ain't nothing more Scottish than tweed, yo.

This Scottish-ness, combined with the romantic notion of Mary Queen of Scots and 16th/17th century royal court life, was the inspiration behind a RTW collection that managed to look both grungy and regal all at once...

Oh, and there was LOTS of tartan, obvs.

What a goofball. CAN I BE YOUR BEZZIE, CARA?

Stella Tennant, I love you!

Isn't it funny to see how others (Europeans, Americans, THE FRENCH) perceive us Scots? Karl has taken aww the stereotypes and CHANEL-ified them, and I love it! But not everyone did...

Several folk on Twitter boked at all the tartan outerwear, ghillie hats and kilts ("Karl clearly just watched Brave and Braveheart back to back!"), while others cringed at the Elizabethan-style ruffles and up-dos by Sam McKnight, straight out of Elizabeth. To be fair to those pointing out the obvious, every single cliche in the book was pulled out of the bag last night - I'm surprised they didn't walk round the runway to a rousing pipe band! But if they had, I'd have been LOVING IT.

I enjoy a bit of Scotland the Brave at the best of times, and SURE it was kind of obvious and maybe a little one dimentional - tartan and knits for winter is hardly groundbreaking, but it wasn't MEANT to be - but it was also utterly, utterly fabulous!

In particular the chunky Doc Marten style boots paired with slouchy jackets, scarves and patterned tights reminded me a WEE bit of the famous Steven Meisel shot from Vogue 92. This is the type of CHANEL I can relate to, not so much the prim, starched skirt suits and pearls... But there was glamour too with the finale of off-white gowns which wouldn't have looked out of place in the Palace of Linlithgow 600 years ago.

Overall it was VERY CHANEL - a little grunge, a little gaudy, chic, ostentatious, and exquisitely crafted and finished. Was it a bit pantomine? Yes, totes. Did I care? Not even a wee bit.

What did you guys think?! Opinion was quite divided last night...

ALEXANDER WANG FOR BALENCIAGA

Finally, after weeks of speculation, it's been as good as confirmed today that Alexander Wang will be the new creative director of Balenciaga, replacing Nicolas Ghesquière at the esteemed French fashion house.

Can I get a HELL YEAH?!

Y'all will know by now that I'm a big fan of Mr Wang here on FFS - or you SHOULD, I harp on about him enough! Although I've been aware of Alexander Wang since 2007, my full-blown obsession started when I picked a coveted Rocco as part of my Net a Porter prize in 2010... What arrived on my doorstep was a piece of expertly crafted, sporty, edgy, hard-wearing pistachio leather with studs and pockets and ALL KINDS of buttery-soft goodness, and that was it... LOVE! Not just for the bag but the brand. And the guy himself, too - just look at his wee smiling face! Adorbs!

So why will he be a good fit at Balenciaga - a formidable, somewhat elitist luxury French fashion house? Because for the past few seasons, it's almost as if previous creative director Nicolas Ghesquière has been paving the way for Wang to come in and set up shop. Balenciaga has been moving towards an edgy, contemporary look with clean lines, exquisite construction and tailoring for a number of collections, and that's what our man Wang does best. Example:

SS07 

Pre Fall 2011 

AW12 

SS13

See? And here's a few snaps of Balenciaga's latest collection for SS13. Hopefully you'll see the similarities... Essentially, to paraphrase Cher from Clueless, I'm hoping you can see why they would, like, MESH WELL together.

Do you see what I'm getting at? It's not even that they're similar so much as I can see a progression from one to the other. Wang will have to adapt and step it up, that's for sure, but he can also relax in the knowledge that no-one will be stepping on his famed edgy, street-chic vibe any time soon.

What else will Balenciaga gain from having Wang at the helm? Well, an unrivalled focus and attention to outerwear, hunners of uber-cool fangirls (models and celebs included), credibility from the YOOF, and, ultimately, massive sales. Alexander Wang has always excelled commercially - something I'm sure Balenciaga can now expect to cash in on.

Also, is it weird that I feel sort of PROUD? I've followed Alexander Wang since he started his own label in 2007 at just 23, and I guess this decision feels like a validation of success through sheer talent - something it's hard not to be pumped about.

So, yeah, ON YERSEL, Alex! Huzzah!

YOKO ONO:FASHIONS FOR MEN

If you were ever in any doubt of Yoko Ono's insanity, maybe her collaboration with Opening Ceremony will prove to you once and for all that, YUP, she's utterly MENTAL.

The capsule collection entitled 'Fashions for Men 1969-2012' is based on a book of illustrations by Yoko given to John Lennon as a wedding gift. And what were these illustrations? Oh, only some garments INSPIRED BY JOHN LENNON'S "HOT BOD":

"I felt it was a pity if we could not make clothes emphasising his very sexy bod. So, I made this whole series with love for his hot bod and gave it to him as a wedding present. You can imagine how he went wild and fell in love with me even more."

Um... Okaaaaay?

Just... Seriously, just wait...

It's a bum.

ROFFLE!

WOW.

Yes, that's a jock strap. And, YUP, those are knee pads. Where is my wee wide-eyed emoticon when I need him?!

No denying it, this is absolutely batshit insane, but I kind of applaud it for that. In Yoko Ono's world, what guy wouldn't love a pair of black breeks with a massive white hand cupping their junk?! Not John Lennon, that's for sure. Now there's an interesting visual...

If you are crazy enough to want to buy something from this collection, it's on sale over at Opening Ceremony now. (Along with these Mishka wooden-heeled boots. I DIE.)

Just some random mentalness folks. AND WHY NOT.

SCOTTISH BALLET PRESENTS: THE NUTCRACKER

Based on ETA Hoffmann's classic tale, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, this classic ballet (scored by Tchaikovsky) is back at the Theatre Royal and touring the country this Christmas thanks to Scottish Ballet, and I literally COULD NOT be more excited!

I've talked loads about Scottish Ballet in the past, waxing lyrical about the amazing Alice in Wonderland and discussing at length the sumptuous costumes in The Sleeping Beauty, and while those were out-of-this-world, I feel like I've been waiting for YEARS for SB to roll out The Nutcracker again, as it's my absolute all-time favourite.

My mum first took me to see it in Glasgow back when I was in Primary school - it was my first ever live ballet and I was instantly hooked! That performance sparked a life-long obsession with both ballerinas (remember my Darcey Bussell phase, Maw?) AND the story. I mean, it's got everything - Christmas eve, toys, a handsome prince, a magical dolls house, an evil governess, mouse baddies, sword-fights, SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES, candy canes...

Stunning photos, right?! 

It's not just the dream-like quality of the festive story and score which makes me love this ballet above all others, but I'm sure the nostalgia of having seen it as a child and playing the video of the Warner Bros film over and over has helped me feel so fond of it.

Seriously, anyone else remember this film?!

Ballet fanatics among you may well have sussed that after The Sleeping Beauty last year and now with The Nutcracker, Scottish Ballet have tackled two of the notorious Tchaikovsky triple - the third being Swan Lake. If I were a betting woman I'd stake money on that being next year's shout... Although I suppose it's not particularly festive, or massively CHEERY either, but a girl can dream, right?

Touring dates are below and tickets are available to book online now. Honestly, go and see it if you get the chance!

Theatre Royal, Glasgow 8 – 29 December 2012

Festival Theatre, Edinburgh 8 – 12 January 2013

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen 16 – 19 January 2013

Eden Court Theatre, Inverness 23 - 26 January 2013

Grand Opera House, Belfast

Theatre Royal, Newcastle 6 - 9 February 2013

FAN BINGBING FOR ID

I've mentioned being a fan of Fan Bingbing before but this latest editorial shot by Chen Man for iD's Role Model issue has pushed my love for her into full blown obsession:

Absolutely stunning, no?! Loving seeing that Alexander McQueen dress again, previously worn by Florence Welch at this year's Met Gala.



According to Forbes, Fan Bingbing is the third most famous celebrity in China and it’s easy to understand why. The 31-year-old Asian beauty is China’s most hard-working actress, with a creative output per annum more akin to another actor’s lifetime work. With her dainty doll-like features and porcelain complexion, she is also a poster girl for the new generation, her passion for fashion and ability to play with her appearance revolutionising the reputation of young women in China today. Born in Qingdao, Shandong, and raised in Yantai, Shandong, Fan Bingbing originally wanted to become a dancer. But on graduating from Shanghai’s Xie Jin’s Star School and Theatre Academy she fell in love with television drama instead, eventually making the transition to the big screen. In 2009, Fan Bingbing starred in a whopping six films – Shinjuku Incident, Sophie’s Revenge, Wheat, Bodyguards and Assassins, East Wind Rain and Future Cops – leading Chinese Elle to pronounce 2009 “The Year of Fan Bingbing."

Read more and watch the behind the scenes video at iD online.

KARL WHO?

KARL by Karl Lagerfeld at Net a Porter... Why? Because it's the most perfect collection ever and I can't stop obsessing about it. Actuals.

These bits in particular...

I mean, it's REDONK good, right? And sure, the dresses and jackets are over a grand, but some of the other bits n pieces are surprisingly affordable, like that iPhone case is only £35 yo (BUYING) and those leather fingerless gloves are £85 (BOUGHT). As for the insane bikini, who DOESN'T want Karl Lagerfeld's cameo on their boobs n butt? That's a redundant question, surely.

By the way, y'all may have been expecting a Halloweeny type post but NAW! I was working lates over the weekend and on actual Halloween night too, so, ALAS, yet another year spent jealously "liking" pals costume pics on Deathbook whilst chugging tea and watching The Sixth Sense (why is it on every single year?). But thanks to this collection and this awesome wee dude on google images, I'm ALL SET for my costume for next year...

IT'S HAPPENING.