Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (Coco Chanel)
Probably everyone knows the famous Mademoiselle today. They quote her, they strive to imitate her. She had a huge influence on the fashion of the 20th century, founded the Chanel fashion house, and gave the world her signature perfumes under numbers. Coco got her nickname when she sang in a cabaret. She was an extraordinary, brave and bright personality, with great willpower and impeccable taste. We owe to her the modernization of women's fashion, the borrowing of many elements from the men's wardrobe, the popularity of the universal little black dress, pearls, tweed suits, small hats, jewelry and tanning.
Coco Chanel made luxury practical. Most of all, she valued comfort in clothing and embodied this principle in her collections. She said that “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.” Among Mademoiselle's clients and acquaintances there were many world celebrities. In one interview, when asked what events in her life aroused her interest in art, she answered: “Living in an orphanage under the supervision of nuns, I learned to sew. They taught me basic seamstress skills, then I was already smart enough to understand the method. I really got my hand and focus on design at an early age, which is why I had big-name clients so quickly.”
Chanel opened her first store in 1910 in Paris. They sold hats there. Later, clothes also appeared in her stores. Interestingly, the very first clothing Chanel created was a dress made from a sweater. People paid attention to her outfit and asked where she bought it, and in response, Coco offered to make the same outfit for those interested. She later said that her condition was "based on an old sweater that I wore because it was cold in Deville."
Front yard landscaping
When it comes to decorating your front yard, you'll want to think about what features of your home will be highlighted, as well as how you can transform it into an outdoor space that gets lots of use. If you want to spend your holiday time there, privacy will be key. Privacy can be created with a wall or hedge.
Get a new perspective
Before choosing a project, look at your landscape with fresh eyes and a broader perspective. We are so accustomed to our landscape that it can be difficult to determine what others might see. There are two simple tricks to see the landscape from a new perspective. With both of these methods, the goal is to forget what you think about your landscape and instead look at what actually exists.
The first is an old artist's trick. Get far enough away from your landscape that you can see everything at once. Then squint your eyes until the picture blurs and try to clear your memory.
“Paint” your picture to create a landscape
There may be areas that, when viewed blurredly, appear dark and overgrown. Some areas may look messy because there are too many small plantings, statues or pots. Or, you may have an area that is bright and clean, but a little too empty. All these ideas can give you a general idea of which projects to tackle first.
The second technique you can use to see your landscape with new eyes is to take black and white photographs of your landscaping. By adding color, you can make a familiar space feel new, so you see it with objective eyes. Nowadays, most digital cameras have a black and white setting, so this is easy to do even if you are not a techno genius.
Define boundaries and add mulch
Clean edges deceive the eye, creating a neat and well-kept landscape. If the lawn has encroached into the garden beds and created an uneven line, defining a boundary can improve the appearance of the entire landscape.
Start by laying out a garden hose to define the new boundary. Don't make the beginner mistake of creating a wavy "drunk snake" line. Instead, make wide curves that are scaled to the size of your home. Then use a hoe to cut the grass until you have a clean, attractive line.
Define a beautiful mulch line
Once you've established a neat border, add a layer of wood chip mulch for a sophisticated look. The bright color is attractive, smoothes out uneven soil surfaces and generally gives landscaping a professional finish.
Trim huge bushes
If the plant is clearly not intended to be a hedge, then it needs to be pruned. Otherwise, it will feel like the service is out of control.
Prune the shrub at the base, removing any branches that are within 6 inches of the ground. This gives a more open look and works wonders on Rhododendrons and other shrubs that can appear gloomy and overwhelming when sprawled across the ground.
Neat bushes in the yard of the house
Another good task is to carefully trim any plant that touches the house. Plants that lean against your home can cause paint cracking, as well as mold and ants. Trimming plants 20 to 30cm from the house will give the landscaping a more open look and also give you the opportunity to clean the house or paint it if necessary.
Karl Lagerfeld
One of the most influential fashion designers, a man of phenomenal efficiency, a multifaceted nature, the owner of many talents. This world-famous designer of German origin has led the Chanel fashion house since 1983. In addition, Karl is a designer and founder of his own fashion brand, a talented photographer, director, owner of a publishing house and a personal library of 300 thousand volumes. Lagerfeld says about himself: “I’m like a chameleon, several people live inside me at the same time. Creating for me is like breathing. I don't even think about it. When I sit in the Chanel director's chair, I am Chanel. When I go to Rome and I am in the House of Fendi, I am Fendi. I start working on a new collection the day before the previous one is shown.”
His creative abilities manifested themselves already in early childhood. He studied at the Lycée Montaigne at the Syndicate of Haute Couture on the same course as Yves Saint Laurent. Lagerfeld collaborated with a large number of famous fashion houses, creating fragrances, lines of ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, and accessories. After he created his first fur collection for Fendi in 1966, which was a huge success, he attracted the attention of the most influential people in the fashion world.
In the 70s, Lagerfeld began collaborating with famous directors and creating costumes for actors at La Scala. He breathed a new breath of life into the Chanel fashion house, becoming its leader and designer, saying: “Yes, she said that fashion dies, but style is immortal. But style must adapt, adapt to fashion. Chanel had her own life. Great career. It's over. I did everything to make it last, and continue to do so to make it last forever. My main task is to try to transpose what she did into today. Guess what she would do if she lived here now, if Mademoiselle were in my place.”
Friends call Karl the Kaiser (Caesar, in German) for his amazing ability to do several things at once. He hides his age and worries that there is not enough life to realize all his creative ideas. Lagerfeld loves books (he even created the Paper Passion fragrance with the smell of a freshly printed book), draws illustrations for works, cannot imagine life without photography, sews costumes for cinema and theater, produces perfumes, runs his own brand, creates hotel designs, makes short films and organizes exhibitions, produces women's collections.
Unusual bedroom interior
The bedroom is a place for relaxation and sleep, so too bright photo wallpapers or excessive variegation are unlikely to work here. There is an interesting idea: decorate the headboard with open books. Now that e-books are popular, paper volumes, unfortunately, are beginning to become obsolete. However, they can find such non-standard uses. And you don't need to spend a lot of money. By the way, this is a good solution for a student dormitory. But there is no need to spoil library literature. A typical example of using scrap materials.
Another idea for fans of minimalism: a built-in wardrobe behind the head of the bed, which opens using an electric drive. Outwardly it looks like an ordinary wall made of shiny material.
Elsa Schiaparelli
A famous Italian designer of the first half of the 20th century, who is considered a surrealist from the fashion world, the main rival of Chanel, the creator of the ready-to-wear style. Elsa was born into an aristocratic family, from childhood she studied painting, art history, and loved the theater. While working as a tour guide in Paris, Elsa observed how the wives of wealthy Americans were least interested in architecture and most interested in fashion stores. Presumably, it was then that she came up with the idea of shocking the public with unusual clothes.
Having met an emigrant from Armenia, whose knitted sweater Elsa liked so much, she persuaded her to create unusual clothing models together. The fruit of their labors was a very unusual black wool dress with a bow in the shape of a butterfly. Thanks to their work, they attracted attention and received a large order from the sportswear store Strauss. It was this order that brought fame to Schiaparelli and the knitwear factory to the Armenian diaspora. Elsa founded her own fashion house. As she originally intended, she shocked the public with her collections. They embodied her wildest fantasies and dreams, expressing something irrational and incomprehensible. Every item was unique. Many were created in a single copy. Hearts, constellations, hugging arms, snakes, giant flies, unusual designs, embroidery and fancy accessories - all this attracted attention and shocked.
It was Elsa who first invented the concept of “boutique” (a store that sells small series of designer clothes). Many celebrities collaborated with Elsa and gladly purchased her clothes. Schiaparelli had a contract with Hollywood. She was friends with Salvador Dali (it was he who gave her the idea for a dress with lobster and parsley and a phone bag). Under the influence of Dali, Elsa created her most unusual things: a hat in the shape of a shoe or an inkwell, gloves with pockets for matches. Costume jewelry was the embodiment of the strangest ideas; lollipops, medicines, erasers, feathers, pencils, and dried beetles were used as materials.
Elsa often called her fashion house crazy. The popularity of Schiaparelli's collections was enormous; everyone wanted to have these strange clothes, even the Duchess of Windsor herself. But when she had to leave for the United States due to the outbreak of World War II, it was as if they had forgotten about her. Upon returning to Paris in 1944, her style was no longer in demand. Chanel dominated the fashion scene and Elsa decided to leave the fashion world.
Both talented women were fashion innovators, but very different. Chanel created within the framework of the classics, without focusing on brightness and catchiness. Elsa was extravagant, loved to shock and provoke. The contribution of both to fashion is undoubtedly invaluable, although the Schiaparelli brand has not existed for a long time. Elsa's ideas and discoveries can be seen embodied in modern fashion, as if she was ahead of her time. Unusual color combinations, fuchsia (shocking pink - this is also Schiaparelli’s idea!), bottles in the shape of a female body, fur shoes, ankle boots, unusual bags - all these are the ideas of the talented Elsa, who had a huge influence on the world of fashion and style .
Christian Dior
One of the most famous French fashion designers, to whom we owe ultra-feminine new-look dresses. He had artistic talent, and in his youth he dreamed of becoming a great artist. After his private Art Gallery went bankrupt, he experienced difficult times, poverty and unemployment, but fate seemed to be preparing a different path for him. He began to design theatrical costumes and draw sketches for French fashion magazines. And these sketches became incredibly popular, he began to collaborate with the fashion department of the Figaro newspaper, and he was noticed. I decided to specialize in clothing models, although sketches of hat models were much more popular. Dior was noticed by the famous fashion designer Piguet, but because of the war, Dior's career did not start then.
Upon returning from the army, Christian began working at the famous fashion house Lucien Lelong, where he learned a lot. In 1946, thanks to funding from a textile magnate, Dior's fashion house opened in Paris. At the age of 42, he became famous; his first collection, which he himself called “Crown Line,” was considered revolutionary and was a resounding success. Just imagine the post-war period, when women were so yearning for beauty and sophistication, for emphatically feminine and luxurious outfits. Dior, incredibly sensitive and talented, felt the mood of society, its desires and dreams. Parisian women were so tired of masculine jackets and short skirts that they greeted Dior's collection with delight. Feminine silhouettes, luxurious and bright fabrics, cinched waists, ankle-length skirts (either full or straight), small round shoulders - everything in this collection was the very embodiment of traditional femininity and charm.
But not everything was so rosy. Feminists criticized the collection, saying that the return to crinolines and corsets testified to the oppression of working women. Many believed that after the war, luxury and brightness were inappropriate and blasphemous. However, despite the criticism, the new look captivated the public. Dior's popularity was stunning; his name became associated with luxury and good taste. Each of his collections was awaited with bated breath, and each was a success.
It was only in 1954 that there was a slightly dangerous moment for Dior’s career, when Chanel returned to the fashion arena, who could not stand the “horrors of the 50s,” as she spoke of Dior’s models. But Dior very intelligently came out of the situation by releasing a new collection, light and relaxed. Different than before, but still just as feminine. Silhouettes were more natural, lines softened. Dior’s personal assistant once said after the great couturier’s death that “if Dior had lived, fashion would not be in such a deplorable state as it is now.”
Yves Saint Laurent
One of the leading fashion designers of the 20th century, whom Christian Dior chose as his successor. Since childhood, he drew and loved the theater, made home puppet shows, glued costumes and painted scenery. Laurent worked as an assistant to Dior and was fascinated by his genius, and Dior, in turn, immediately recognized the young man as a future master.
At the age of 21, Laurent becomes the head of one of the most famous fashion houses after the sudden death of Dior and literally saves the brand from financial ruin. He presented his first women's collection, a softer and lighter version of the new look with an a-line silhouette. Laurent was the first to introduce French fashion to the USSR (1959), flying here with 12 models.
It seemed that bright prospects lay ahead as a successor who lived up to the expectations of the late Dior. But it was not without envy and troubles. The owner of the Dior fashion house (Marcel Boussac), according to rumors, insisted that Saint Laurent be sent to military service in Africa, thereby wanting to get rid of the designer. There he learns that he has been fired from the Dior fashion house.
In 1961, the Yves Saint Laurent brand appeared; its first collection was a great success. Oriental motifs, bright colors, inspiration from African countries. Saint Laurent also produces perfumes, works as a theater designer, and creates sets and costumes.
The ideas of Laurent's subsequent collections also received great recognition and became a kind of fashion classic: women's tuxedos (later they became a signature feature of the brand), trouser suits, high boots, high-neck sweaters, black leather jackets, safari-style dresses, ethnic motifs. Laurent becomes the first designer to launch a full-fledged ready-to-wear line, as well as the first designer to have an exhibition dedicated to him during his lifetime at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Giorgio Armani
The Italian fashion designer is called a fashion pioneer of the 20th century, a master of tailoring, an adherent of quality and a great esthete. Since childhood, Giorgio loved art and theater, he himself drew and sewed outfits for dolls. He had a dream of becoming an actor, but his parents insisted on becoming a doctor. After two years of study, Giorgio dropped out of university. He found himself in the world of fashion. Armani created his own brand in 1974, and before that he worked as a window designer in a large chain department store, and also created men's clothing for Nino Cerruti.
Armani's professional skills in working with fabric led to the fact that, thanks to him, the approach to tailoring men's clothing completely changed. Lightness and smoothness appeared, which, along with simplicity and conciseness, provide his products with special chic and convenience. After the stunning success of the men's collection, Armani began to present women's collections, paying attention especially to working women. In his collections, traditional views harmoniously coexist with the most modern trends. He modernized the classics with great grace and taste. Luxurious materials, experiments with combinations of fabrics, functionality and versatility, casual elegance are the hallmarks of Armani collections.
Ralph Lauren
The famous American designer, who is called the king of the ready-to-wear dress, “discovered America in America.” His company (Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation) produces accessories, clothing, underwear, textiles, furniture, wallpaper, perfumes, and dishes. Lauren has been named Designer of the Year three times and has also been named a Fashion Legend by the US Design Council. For many people, Ralph Lauren is an example of how a person from a low social class can achieve great heights with a dream and talent. Coming from Belarus (his parents met and got married in the USA), from a poor family with many children, Ralph set himself the goal of success from a young age. He was amazed by his classmate's wardrobe, which belonged only to him, and in which clothes were so neatly laid out. In Ralph's apartment there was one closet for everyone. Since then, the future designer decided to work and save money for his dream.
It is interesting that Lauren does not have a diploma in fashion design, but at the same time he is one of the world's best designers. He does not sew clothes himself, but is an inspiration, a designer, and thinks through each collection to the smallest detail. The designer himself says this: “I never went to fashion school - I was a young guy who had his own style. I could not imagine that polo would become what it is. I just followed my instincts."
At first, Ralph worked as a salesman (selling clothes, gloves and ties), then became a tie designer, creating a fundamentally new model (he was inspired by the novel “The Great Gatsby”): a wide silk tie (at a time when thin ties were in fashion). Thanks to an investor, Lauren and her brother opened a store and their own brand, Polo Fashion. People wanted high-quality and stylish things and accessories, the brand was gaining more and more popularity. Lauren produced collections of ready-to-wear clothing (first for men and then for women) and accessories. He was the only one who began to produce sports shirts in 24 shades.
Lauren's collections combine chic, sophistication and at the same time ease, simplicity and brightness. “My clothes are a vision of what I believe in. Someone once told me that I was a writer. It's true - I write through my clothes. It embodies a story, not just clothes,” Lauren said. Ralph's wife inspired him to create collections of women's clothing: “My wife has good taste and her own style. When she wore shirts, sweaters and jackets purchased from men's stores, people always asked where she got them. I associated her appearance with a young Katharine Hepburn - a rebel girl on a horse with hair flying in the wind. I designed shirts for her." Lauren introduced Western clothing into fashion. And polo shirts never seem to go out of style.
The boy Ralph's dreams have come true: he is one of the richest people in the world, he has a strong family, three children, he owns a ranch and is one of the world's largest collectors of vintage cars.
Interesting solutions for the bathroom
The eternal question: are plants appropriate in the bathroom? Most florist experts believe that they will feel quite normal in this room. You just need to choose plants that tolerate high humidity and temperature changes well. A more creative option is also possible: make a real green wall from decorative mosses and ferns. Why not a miniature summer cottage?
An equally interesting design is a bathtub in an ordinary apartment, made in the shape of a hammock. A real gift for hedonists, epicureans and lovers of a good rest.
Shell-shaped sink. It is interesting both as a self-sufficient modern piece of furniture and as part of a “marine” design.
A sink placed on the frame of a regular bicycle. This idea doesn’t require any expenses, but it looks good. “Yellow Submarine” is a good design for a bathroom or a combined bathroom, based on the famous song by Paul McCartney. A stylized lamp in a metal “mesh”, a “periscope” above the sink and a mosaic pattern on the walls with fish, octopuses and other sea animals.
Roberto Cavalli
The famous Italian designer calls himself an "artist of fashion" and is famous for his exotic and spectacular collections of clothing and accessories. His fashion house adheres to the philosophy of femininity, chic and bright temperament. The designer himself said in an interview that his fashion “became successful and relevant because other designers continued to produce monotonous things... For a long time, designers tried to dress women equally with men. I changed this trend. I try to emphasize with my clothes the feminine, sexy side that is present in every representative of the fair sex.”
His grandfather, the famous artist Giuseppe Rossi, and his mother, who was a dressmaker and designer, had a great influence on the development of Cavalli's talent. As a child, helping his mother with sewing clothes, Cavalli realized that he wanted to study design and fashion. He was one of the best students at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, studying textile printing technologies. Even then, he created a series of floral prints, which attracted the attention of large factories in Italy. Cavalli always loved to experiment; while still studying at the Academy, he began to come up with different ways to dye leather and fabric, he was then only 20 years old.
And so, these experiments led to the fact that in the early 70s, Cavalli himself invented and patented a leather printing system that made it possible to dye it in six different colors. This revolutionary invention instantly became popular with various fashion houses. Stretch denim jeans are another hit from Cavalli, providing the House with prosperity and success.
Roberto Cavalli's bright and extravagant clothes are in great demand among fashionistas all over the world, worn by the most glamorous celebrities on the planet. Cavalli believes that a woman should have character and a strong personality. In one of his interviews, he said: “Beauty comes from within, and is a reflection of the individuality of each person... Beauty is a calling card that helps at the first meeting, but is completely useless at the second.”
Find your chip
Try to contribute something of your own, feel the soil. For example, the famous interior stylist from Norway @onlydecolove (Katerina Dima) keeps her feed strictly, keeping it in the same color scheme. In all its laconic graphite interiors, the hand of one master can be traced. Find your own handwriting! The author of @stylizimoblog Nina Holst, twice awarded the title of the most read interior blog in Norway (in 2013 and 2020), often photographs her own home, where her adorable dog flashes in different locations.
@onlydecolove, @stylizimoblog
Valentino Garavani
The founder of the fashion house Valentino, a famous Italian fashion designer, loved to draw since childhood, in his youth he loved art and was interested in fashion. He was an apprentice, studied at the School of Fine Arts in Paris, and at the School of the Chamber of Haute Couture. He worked in several fashion houses, then opened his own atelier. His works were distinguished by sophistication, excellent cut, expensive fabrics, handmade decoration, and sophistication. In 1960, the Valentino brand appeared.
Thanks to a meeting with the architect Giametti, the future general director of the fashion house, Valentino gets the opportunity to engage only in creativity, without delving into the intricacies of business. He himself said: “I only know how to draw dresses, receive guests and decorate a house, but I don’t understand anything about business.” One of the collections of the 60s featured red outfits, which later became the hallmark of the Valentino fashion house. The fashion designer says: “Red is the best color. It suits any woman, you just have to remember that there are over 30 different shades of this color.”
For many years, the designer has dressed celebrity celebrities; many of them preferred to purchase exquisite wedding dresses from him. Among his clients were such legendary personalities as Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor. At the Oscars, many actresses shone in outfits from Valentino. In 2007, the famous fashion designer announced his retirement from the fashion world, and in 2008, a farewell show was held at Paris Fashion Week, where all the models walked the catwalk in red dresses, and the audience gave a standing ovation.
Post useful information
Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge with your subscribers for free, you’ll see it will only benefit you. For example, we run the #artadvice section. It is knowledge that distinguishes you from the masses of other people. Provide consultations to impress with your expertise, and the next time a subscriber has a question about decor or arrangement, he will turn to you.
@arthuntershop, @pikova_design
Diane von Furstenberg
Her career began with the fact that she was an assistant to the owner of a large textile factory, Ferretti. Striving for independence and self-reliance from a young age, she was determined to create her own dresses. It was the creation of the famous wrap dress that made Diana famous. At first, the dress was puzzling because it looked like a robe and had no buttons or zipper. But after trying it on, it turned out that this dress was a real masterpiece, as it fit perfectly on any figure, was slimming, did not wrinkle, was easy to put on, and was appropriate in any situation.
Diana wanted to help women look more feminine and charming. She said: “Looking at what they offer to ladies in New York stores - everything is somehow shapeless, sexless - I thought that it would be necessary to reintroduce a dress into fashion - feminine, sexy, flirty and eternal. With the dress on the market, recognition awaits me - I got this idea into my head, and, in general, it turned out to be prophetic...” Diana’s collections were a resounding success, and she began to expand the range of the DVF (Diane von Furstenberg) brand. Perfumes, accessories, and furniture appeared.
When her popularity began to decline over the years, Diana began publishing books in Paris. But she returned to the fashion industry a few years later, making a name for herself with the release of a silk hoodie, Silk Assets. The huge success contributed to the fact that the fashion world remembered the famous and comfortable wrap dresses. And since then, the popularity of Diana’s collections has not decreased, and she has been consistently successful in presenting her feminine collections to the world. The brand also produces shoes. Many celebrities are fans of the DVF brand's work. By the way, a copy of the famous wrap dress, which has been popular for more than forty years, has been presented in the collection of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1973.
