A Day With The Iconic House Of Chanel

Part 1

Bahya Oumlil-Murad, Joel Goodrich and Karen Tamblyn

March 10, 2009......A full day awaits San Francisco's fashionable guests. As we arrive to the Grand Palais, it is chaos, major celebrities are making their big entrance as paparazzi are frantically covering them, trying to catch the best (or worst) shots of the A-listers-filled scene. Rachael Zoe, fashion stylist to the celebrities, from LA was one of the first to be spotted.  

James Hince, Kate Moss, Mario Testino

Claudia Schiffer (Photo: CBS )

Across from the main entrance, seated in the front row were supermodels Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, her boyfriend  Jamie Hince, and Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Testino (famous for the 1997 Vanity Fair cover of the late Diana, Princess of Wales).  Also spotted among the elite were Freida Pinto, star of Slumdog Millionaire, and Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko.

Olga Kurylenko (Photo: Red Carpet Fashion Award)

Freida Pinto (Photo: CBS)

As the show began and the supermodels walked the amazing runway, Chanel presented a collection that kept true to the core of the legendary Coco Chanel designs.  The dresses and suits were extremely elegant, dominated by black and white and adorned with over the top ruffles, bows, camellias, or pleats at the neck and cuff.  A lot of outfits had a very Victorian, almost Gothic, feel. 

Models and Karl Lagerfeld

Runway Models

Model

Chanel's iconic suit was presented even shorter and slimmer.  The theme was true to Chanel, all about elegance and timeless pieces.  A strong counterpoint to the gloomy economy, it was a message of exuberant consumption and style.  Karl Lagerfeld accented this collection with a touch of pink and green seen in chunky sweaters and dresses as well as in the classic tweed suit.

Guests would never imagine that the fashion industry faces challenges in this shaky economy. Karl Lagerfeld presented a bold, confident collection that was as abundant and sumptuous as  the legendary Coco Chanel. 

Angela Dotson, Karen Tamblyn, Mark Calvano, Bahya Oumlil-Murad

Joel Goodrich, Gail Sanders and Olivia Decker

After the show, our fashionable SF people, including Olivia Decker, Joel Goodrich, Mark Calvano and Bahya  Oumlil-Murad, enjoyed a fabulous lunch at L'Avenue joined by special guests from New York which included Gail Sander, Sonja Bebber, and others.  The affair was hosted and organized meticulously by the fabulous VP Client and Business Development, Angela Dotson.  A-listers Jessica Alba and Eva Mendez were seen at L'Avenue during lunch.