The 12th of October saw an influx of the fashionable as they queued their way in to the Saatchi Gallery, bowing down to world-renowned French fashion house, Chanel. The eagerly- anticipated ‘Little Black Jacket’ exhibition was the culprit behind such infectious hysteria as 113 photographs shot by the iconic Lagerfeld himself, were hung upon the gallery walls. Having already jetted his way to the fashion capitals of the world, Japan, New York and Milan, the Creative Director behind the big C, finally made it to London. This was his second visit in half a decade to the city so evidently the leather-gloved German behind the reinvention of Chanel, thought it worthy.
Having attended the first day of the exhibition, it is fair to say the monochrome photographs were not colourless in terms of muse, as each image was the quintessence of emotion. Each individual shot gave a newfangled look to the tweed jacket. Whether it was Daphne Guiness donning a crisp Mokuba Charvet shirt or Daphne Grueneveld rocking Kiki de Montparnasse lingerie. Each photograph was not merely a tangible substance however, as they captured what is felt at the very core of each human being. Within the photograph we can begin to comprehend their culture, religion and philosophy as we explore how the iconic jacket is worn.
The photographs exhibit people who have walked through the doors of Chanel as to which Lagerfeld has greeted behind his signature dark glasses. Models such as Aymeline Valade and Akuoi de Mabior grace the wall, accompanying actresses such as Virginie Ledoyen, twins Sama and Haya Abu Khadra and architect Junya Shigami. The jacket moulds itself upon each and every individual as creator Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel envisaged, when the powerhouse opened in 1913. It was this very jacket in which counteracted against the ‘new look’ of Christian Dior, following World War II. Chanel was not prepared to lose the dominant image women had worked for throughout the war however, so turned her quilted back away from Dior’s full skirted, shoulder padded numbers.
Chanel conceptualised a jacket ‘to do things in’ as the pockets were hand stitched upon the exterior, with the infamous chain draped across the garment, in order to reign in the feminine figure whilst still upholding its utility. The jacket changes throughout the photographic continuum, adapting in terms of style, posture and poise in order to represent the identity of the wearer. For example, singer Lilly Allen has the coat draped in a cape-like fashion across the shoulders whilst model Goergia Mae Jagger screams sex appeal. ‘There’s a whole load of people who can fit and wear the jacket in so many ways and that’s what’s cool about it’ says British model Alice Dellal. The personality of the characters within the portraits comes to life under the dusky monotonous tones, as the notorious ‘little black jacket’ is one size, fits all.
Within today’s homogenous society, we seem to have blurred the distinction between garments and style as we seek only to possess runway duplicates. Style is in fact something in which we all embody, whether we consider ourselves ‘fashionable’ or not. It is anchored within our very identity and the exhibition conveys this notion with precision. It seems the ‘Little Black Jacket’ is not so little after all.
