Fan Friday...Chanel

Happy Friday, everyone!

I've had a few favorite brands since I was younger, and Chanel has always been one of them. There's just something about the pieces that they offer that makes the clothing both fresh and timeless. Karl Lagerfeld and his recent revival of the brand has really cemented Chanel's permanent place in fashion history.

Coco Chanel started Chanel as a brand in 1909, and was extremely successful in using jersey in her clothing to make womenswear a bit more sport focused and less dressy. Obviously, her list of accolades is long: Chanel No. 5, sealing the permanence of the "little black dress" in our wardrobes, as well as those delicious wool suits. Karl Lagerfeld, as current head designer, has definitely heightened the brand. He is extremely forward thinking but grounded - he continues to take Chanel's past and channel it towards the future. I'm so excited to see even more from one of my favorite brands.

Here are some of my favorite looks by Chanel, as well as some moments from the runway.

Coco Chanel, wearing a signature Chanel suit and pearls. My costume history teacher always said that Chanel was her own best model, and I agree!

Some gorgeous early pieces from Chanel - quilting was very important to the brand!

Classic and timeless Chanel woolen suits

Karl Lagerfeld and his Chanel army

Karl Lagerfeld's genius mind at work - The Chanel Supermarket!!!

Enjoy your Friday and weekend, kittens! <3

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Final Fashion Week Wrap Up...

Happy Friday!! It's time to discuss the trends that we saw at fashion week, not only in Paris, but at all of the fashion weeks. From start to finish, the entire month was incredible. There were so many show-stopping pieces.

Let's take a look at my favorite looks and collection from Paris Fashion Week first! I have two overall favorites, which I think show a great diversity in the trends that we've seen:

Balmain. Overall, the collection was filmy, sexy, and sleek. It had a lot of the colors we've been seeing (neutrals, reds, pops of pastels) and LOTS of sheer fabric. PERFECTION.

Paco Rabanne. I think this has two very important trends: casual sportswear and texture. I love the 3D skirt texture mixed with the casual jersey sweater. So wearable and chic!

But of course, my favorite collection is:

Chanel! King Karl has once again given us a beautiful Chanel collection that can be worn by a woman at any age. The rich fabrics and textures, mixed with the wearable silhouettes and gorgeous watercolors...I could go on and on. A+ 

We saw a lot of amazing things in the past few weeks. There are a lot of big trends, and we can touch on them here a little bit:

-Lots of 1970s inspiration (colors and silhouettes!)

-Pastels (light pinks, oranges, and blues)

-Graphic black and white patterns

-Texture (3D, fringe, layered fabrics)

-Oxfords/low flats

-Filmy, sheer fabrics

-Street-style inspiration

What was your favorite look from this month? It's TOO hard to choose just one. I think that the playing fields were definitely evened this season - all of the cities were equally great and forward-thinking (which doesn't always happen).

Have an excellent Friday, kittens <3 I'll be getting back into the regular swing of my old posts now!

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Instagram & Paris Fashion Week, Day 8...

Happy Wednesday everyone! Important announcement: Fashion Maeven finally has an Instagram! If you like the blog, please follow us on Instagram: @FashionMaeven - HOORAY!!! I'll be 'grammin some of the pictures from the day's post, as well as other more casual pictures. Let me know if there is anything you'd like to see specifically!

Let's get down to business - yesterday's shows were some of the big wigs. Time to peek at the trends and best looks:

It was SEVERE at Alexander McQueen yesterday (in a good way!). Very mixed collection, full of leather and tough materials combined with lace and ruffles. Hard and soft is really prominent for SS '15. I love the futuristic face wear too!

It was a very bohemian and 1970s inspired runway from Valentino! Lots of macramé and lace, as well as heavily beaded and embroidered garments. I love the pastel hues mixed with deeper shades of navy and black. Very wearable collection!

More 1970s inspired print and coloring. Lots of orange and blue - very nautical as well as retro. I love the freshness mixed with older shapes (the shirtdress) and retro fabrics (suede lace-up shorts).

Left: A.P.C
Right: Paul & Joe

Karl Lagerfeld just keeps it coming at Chanel! Set on a city street, the outfits run the gamut from more casual to suits in all different fabrics and colors. Watercolor spots, black and white graphics, multicolored tweeds - there is something for anybody here. Also, THOSE LOAFERS are fabulous and so wearable! 

What do you think about these looks/shows? I know that there's a lot of conversation about Chanel's "protest" but I won't give my personal opinion here. I'd love to hear what you think though!

Enjoy your Wednesday kittens <3

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Prepping for Spring '15 Fashion Weeks...

Hello everyone and happy September!! I took the day off from posting yesterday and enjoyed the long weekend. What did you do?

For the next month, most of my posts will be on EVERYTHING related to fashion week!

Here are the dates so you can keep your schedule straight:
September 4-11: Mercedes Benz Fashion Week - New York #MBFW
September 12-16: London Fashion Week #LFW
September 17-23: Milan Fashion Week #MFW
September 23-October 1: Paris Fashion Week #PFW

Usually, I use a few websites to seek my photos from #MBFW (aside from Twitter/blogs):

http://mbfashionweek.com/new-york/schedule
Mercedes-Benz's website may not be comprehensive of every show happening in New York, but it is a great way to keep track of the shows in general, particularly the major names.

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/
Style.com is extremely handy during fashion week - you can search designers, see every show that's happening, and also see reviews, press, and who is sitting front row.

Which shows are you most excited to see? Who are your favorite models?

Here is my favorite moment from the last Pars fashion week, just as a refresher for the greatness that may see this month:

Happy Tuesday kittens <3

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Your Thursday Confidence Boost From...Coco Chanel

Thursdays can be rough - it's STILL not Friday and there's a lot to get done. I've dedicated Thursday on Fashion Maeven to being a healthy dose of quotes and images from people who inspire me!

Our words of wisdom today are coming from the legendary Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, also known as Coco. She was ambitious, driven, and determined to make her business work. She helped liberate women from the corseted looks that had been prevalent for hundreds of years. Her iconic clothing line and perfume are still the epitome of elegance today. Tweed suits and jersey are a wardrobe staple because of her. She also cemented the permanence of the little black dress into fashion culture forever. This woman really KNEW what was up.

If you're feeling a little down today, here are some of Coco's inspirational words to help you feel a little more chic and fabulous. Embrace your inner diva!!

"I don't care what you think about me. I don't think about you at all.” 

“Success is most often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable.” 

‘A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.’

Happy Thursday kittens <3

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More #PFW

Positively GAGGING on the fabulous fashions at Paris Fashion Week.

Row 1: Alexander McQueen & Balmain

Row 2: Chanel & Christian Dior

Row 3: Lanvin & Louis Vuitton

Row 4: Miu Miu & Nina Ricci

Row 5: Rick Owens & Sonia Rykiel

Finally, some Valentino. It's my FAVORITE collection so far.

What's your favorite?

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