chanel, my belle

what i really love about karl lagerfeld as a designer is that he creates these massive collections that evolve visually as they travel down the runway. for couture fall 2009, he starts with the foundation of the quintessential chanel tweed suit, accentuated by couture construction and accoutrement, and then he travels from day to evening, his pieces becoming more elaborate as the show goes on, with the addition of trains and beading and draping and gloves, each piece becoming increasingly ornate.

the idea i laid out yesterday of creating an outside story based on an entire collection is something i feel karl already does. there's a distinct evolution to his collections, and he produces such vast amounts of clothing that there's room for the story to develop strongly and intricately. there's an incredible method to his madness.

i will say, though, i do not like the cut of the skirts comprising the first quarter of this collection. i feel like the length of the skirt in conjunction with the height of the booties make the model's legs look stubby, by accentuating the largest part of the calf. yes, fine, they're models and they're inordinately thin regardless, but no matter what size you are, you still don't want the largest part of anything on your body being framed solo. other than that, it's all exquisite, of course.

*photos taken from style.com