I’m looking at a photo of Coco Chanel. She’s pouting at the camera. Her gloved hand is clenched into a fist and she’s about to stubbornly thrust it onto her hip to complete a pose of sheer attitude. She’s sporting some Chanel classics – the little cloche hat, the two piece suit with box jacket and the quilted handbag. It’s not hard to believe that this feisty, immaculate female was the face that launched a thousand female careers and liberated millions from the restrictions of the corset.

Today Chanel is in the hands of the great, eccentric Karl Lagerfeld, head of design for over twenty years; an artistic genius with staying power who has propelled the label and his own, to the fashion heavens; the rich and the ethereal can only gain access to those Elysian Fields.

Walking into a Chanel boutique on a window shopping extravaganza is an experience to be remembered. When you step off the street into the cool interior laden with iconic pieces your palms become sweaty, your heart races and the boutique manager will glare at you with eyes that say “Don’t you dare touch that silken sumptuous gown with those clammy hands!”. You’ll simply have to flee, exhilarated having come into contact with the divine, but feeling completely humbled.

Lagerfeld has certainly earned his place working at one of the most valuable brands in the world today. After moving to Paris with his mother he won a competition set by the Wool Secretariat. Yves Saint-Laurent was also a winner. His success won him work at Pierre Balmain and the House of Patou.

By the sixties he was leading Chloe; in the middle of the ‘flower power’ decade he was designing furs for Fendi and he still holds that position today. He even designed for H&M in 2004. In the early eighties he launched his own label, but was unable to resist the offer of transforming the house of Chanel and took on the job in 1983.

His fashion faux pas have been just as important as his work for the most iconic labels in forging his name in Fashion History. His arrogant love of fur, feathers and leather have caused trouble as have some of his creations for Chanel in the 90’s – remember the tv belt, those shoulder pads and that dreadful micro bikini.

But we can forgive him for all his tacky mistakes, as this century he has matured the label and regained its status as the ultimate of chic. This season Lagerfeld brought the dignity of the logo back. The famous linked C’s grace bags, belts and oversized bangles, dripping in Chanel vocab. The shape has been reflected in his oh so cool rounded black sunglasses that have graced the diminutive nose of Mary Kate Olsen to name but one.

He created a special pre-collection show that was held in Monte Carlo last December, a slinky affair, drawing heavily on the 20’s French flapper and inspired by Coco Chanel’s relationship with the Ballet Russe. Long, low v-neck cardigans featured, teamed with extravagant, chocolate wrapper like costume jewellery. His Spring/Summer ’07 collection was all about “Murder under the Sun”, in black and white with ever so lady-like bathing costumes, light tweed mini dresses and spangly high-waisted hot pants. His Spring/Summer ’05 collection let us fall in love with Marie Antoinette all over again with a hint of 18th century volume and romance with tiered net and swash buckling shoes. His exploration of Frenchness has reminded us why les Francais are the height of chic.

Karl - merci mille fois.

Lottie Young