I loved the beach scene and the Italian Gardens, his last I think just before he passed. I worked with Karl for two years, an incredible experience. I was supposed to take over the tailoring side but passed over the opportunity and ended up working with Ines de la Fressange. The head of 'flou' at Chanel is one of my apprentices. As for the witch herself I've read so much on her that I gag at the stuff people praise her for. She hated both jews and gays and was an all round bad person.
What incredible insight, what was Karl like as a creative leader for you in the tailoring side? (Also, did you get to meet Ines, I used to ADORE her so much)
@@understitchYT I worked for Karl at Chloé along with Viard, we 'tolerated' each other. Karl was incredible, I was head of the workroom. He would give me gifts and flowers to my home and wrote me to thank me each time. It was a LOT of work and dedication, no private life possible. I then worked for Ines, head of her collection then I was head of developement at Kenzo (LVMH) then after a stint in south america then dressing the Saudis I became director at the new Ines label. I left to retire but we still converse often. I got on so well both both Karl and Ines, I sometimes miss couture but not the long long hours !
What an incredible CV, its so nice to hear that Karl and Ines were both lovely people (and yes, Ive heard the rumours about VV being a tad difficult), would you mind if I pinned your comment for others to find? I just find your perspective really interesting. Also, can I ask who you worked with in Kenzo? Theyve had a few changes in recent decades 🥰
I was just thinking, would I have seen you in the BBC secret world of haute couture documentary? The one where they go into the atelier and seemingly spend a long time with the artisans. Its one of my favourites so itd be so incredible if you were 🥰
@@understitchYT No problem, I left Kenzo in 2006 after a struggle with yet another dumb president ! I was there 6 years and completely restructured the system. I worked with Gilles Rosier then Kim Laursen who was designer at Lacroix before being replaced with the amazing Antonio Marras. I set up the fashion show workrooms and teams and it was a fantastic three years, amazingly creative. I went to Antonios shows in Milan and his parties in Sardinia. It was an incredible sometimes impossible workload but I still managed to make it fun and never took the business seriously. I used to tell my team when stress took over that we weren't curing cancer, it was frocks !
Very well researched! She was disliked for underpaying her staff and being a bully. Not just for being a collaborator. She did have a tragic life her early life meant she was very insecure and ego-oriented. Overall a very sad person. My grandmother was in the Resistance and actively hated her. No Chanel for her!
Yeah the whole strike of her workers was an awful situation, she didnt budge even when they were on the streets, very money hungry lady, not very nice at all Actually, the guy the Wertheimers left the business in the hands of, Felix Amiot, also had very mixed reports. Some sources say he protected his workers and people fiercly in that time. Others say he helped them to get the sootlight off of his business, and he did have very high up links in the nazi party himself (though it appears he really didnt agree or care about their views and mostly saw them as just another way to get ahead) I agree that Chanels early life probably contributed to her being not a very nice person, she had to work extremely hard to network enough to have even her first millinery shop. I suppose that came with more sacrifices than we will ever know Has your grandmother ever talked in depth about it, when I was researching there was paper after paper after paper on how hated she was even well after the war, it mustve been tough, but its not undeserved
@@understitchYT It was mainly the role she had as a collaborator that made Gabrielle Coco Chanel so hated. The oppressive treatment of staff didn't help. They went on strike and she fired them and locked them out! This reflects a kind of persecution complex, she seemed to think the world was against her, and in her early days it certainly was. So in a way she was a natural fit for fascism because she wanted her place in a position of power, and she wanted order and revenge on anyone who slighted her. But you filled in the blanks for me about why Churchill silently and deftly intervened to prevent her being tried at the end of the war for her misdeeds. It previously made no sense to me that he did that. But the fact that she had something on Churchill about his intervention to protect Edward and Wallis' interests makes sense. Churchill was a rabid monarchist and would do anything to protect the institution as a whole hence his compromised position. Chanel was extremely emotionally deprived, unwanted and unloved and was put into a convent/orphanage when she in fact had a living parent. She was constantly scheming and saw her survival as dependent on the favour of males. She was a kiss-up kick-down sort of person but that reflected her hardscrabble start in life. On the plus side she was highly intelligent and individualistic. Freeing up women from the dreaded corset is not to be understated. My great grandmother was a reluctant corset-wearer and she had to stop playing piano even though she was concert pianist level because she was compelled to not threaten men by societal standards. She was so talented her teacher offered to teach her for free, but her parents declined and made her work in a hat shop. Imagine! In her later years she said in French of her married life (her husband would slam the wooden cover down on her hands if she played piano): "I live the life of a dog." she also advised my aunt "never marry take many lovers". I took note! Though you and I recoil, Chanel has to be seen in the context of the times and the subjective experience of her deprived early life. IMO. But you've done extremely well with your video, it's articulate and thoughtful and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
@@understitchYT Not at all! As I said above, itwas thoroughly enjoyable. I love an extended exchange and exploration of views. We're not on twitter thank God!
I was recently in a Chanel store and the leather was literally coming out of the chain on a display bag, hats had indentations, jackets looked like they were made in a sweatshop…. I used to be a client but this was just the last straw for me. I can accept Chanel being boring but not their quality for that price…. The sad thing is I have vintage pieces that are 30-40yrs old and still look better than the new ones from 2022. Only vintage Chanel for me from now on 😅
I think these days most people don’t know what genuinely good quality garments look like and every brand, from high street to designer takes advantage of that. I used to collect vintage stuff (think pre-victorian), and the quality difference between a normal garment back in the day to what we called as designer now is absolutely shocking, that’s why I look for more of a meaning in clothes because we are very rarely paying for quality these days 🤷
The fact that quality has drastically decreased with many fashion houses while prices rise isn't discussed enough. One can't solely depend on brand recognition for luxury. Yes we love designs, presentations and colors, however quality is a key element of luxury.
There is no tactile reason to buy from these high fashion brands anymore, its simply not a luxury product in the same way that term used to mean. If you put value in the brand name, then that can be a luxury. But its not as clear in product anymore and thats a shame
In my personal opinion I think a lot of Chanel's failures in recent years can be attributed to greed. They hiked up their bag prices dramatically even as quality continued to fall because they know their faithful clientele and reputation as an "investment" bag would continue to turn out profits for a long time. But people aren't stupid -- even the most loyal customers will eventually recognize they're being taken advantage of and lose their brand loyalty. When it comes to clothing, Chanel's apparent desire to play it "safe" and stick to designs that have previously guaranteed financial success may also be a reason for the stifled creativity. It's not about fashion anymore, it's about money. Sadly I predict that at some point in the years to come these shortcomings will culminate in a large-scale fall from grace for the brand. (Also your videos are so amazing! Interesting and informative. I love your channel)
Greed, or commercialism? This idea of unending growth is just so unhealthy. I think thats why Hermes has done so well over the last few years because theyve allowed their growth to happen more naturally with few price increases (as we can see in how the chanel flap is the same as a birkin in price now) But yeah, people arent stupid, theyre getting sick of this situation where it feels like the brands that promised to give them something, no longer care about their customers at all and just are trying to rip them off. Few are avoiding this level of inauthenticity these days and its hard to watch them fail so hard 😬
It seems to me many heavily advertised brands like Gucci, Prada, LV, YsT have considerably dropped the quality of their products and rely on stupid young consumers who're influenced by social media. Rich People who understand the quality don't buy these brands anymore.
@@helenab9973 in my opinion social media itself changed the fashion industry in a very negative way. The models are more look like angry robots and the quality of fabrics are nowhere near even yo the 80’s -90’s. Back in the days the designer names were huge and represented philosophy not only status. People were way more modest about flaunting their wealth. It was like the wealthy lived their own way of life and we didnt follow them on social media. Now people in slums wearing fake chanel and LV and gucci shirts and trousers… fashion is dead unless something revolutionary happens again just like long decades ago when women could throw the corset to the corner. To me is extremely boring watching all fashion houses ate dying literally no creativity no original line max Hermés the only one could be faithful to its values and significant designs.
I have seen so many youtubers complained about Chanel quality issues (SuperDacob, Romina Rose May,...) and I cannot find the reason to justify the price point of their accessories and bags. Chanel is now a huge advertising company riding on the back of Jennie no less
The Chanel product has not been reflected in the price for a long time, the prices significantly more reflects the brand equity than the quality of the products (a really good example of this is anything made of plastic, very cheap to produce but sold for different prices across all the different brands), but with all the recent price increases, it’s just become ridiculous and their customers arent happy any more
Chanel accessories are subpart, in ready to wear and Couture the have no match, perhaps Dior is on their level, but Chanel is king in quality in clothing
@@gerardoarenasss the couture is made with a high quality, absolutely, not denying that, but my ish with the couture is that its so extremely similar to the ready to wear that its not exhibiting what the couturiers at the maison can actually do. It feels like a wasted talent to me
My mother began working with Chanel about 20 years ago; said it was the nastiest company she ever worked for and was glad she got out. Anyways, after Lagerfeld that was it.
She worked cosmetics; about 2006, she brought up at a meeting that she was embarrassed that when darker-skinned women would ask her to match them she had no colors dark enough. The AE replied “Well, when they finally decide to buy our product then we will cater to them.” Woof. I’ve worked for them as a fragrance model and have my own stories. I even tried to get into one of the ready-to-wear shops at the recommendation of my AE, but the store manager was hardly a professional when it came to keeping appointments and so nothing came of it. The only things good about Chanel are No. 5 (my nana used to wear it, she was a Joan Crawford type), Inès de la Fressange, and Lagerfeld. The sort women Chanel was made for really don’t exist anymore, and so that’s why it’s failed. C’est la vie.
@@njlillycline wow thats such a rude response from her AE. But the Chanel No5 fragrance is basically a dupe of another perfume that was available at the time anyway, it wasn't really ever meant to be for sale (at least not at first). But Ines de La Fressange I adore, a really true true frech fashion classic, shes so intelligent too. But I agree the 'true' Chanel client barely exist any more, and if they do they are ancient
@Nicholas J. Lilly Cline Well to be fair, I am Afro-American, and companies wouldn't put money to cater to most ethnic groups if they don't buy the product l. And Chanel is right, blacks are not buying Chanel like Gucci and other brands. Chanel is seen as a old white woman's fashion brand, nothing that black women are into.
Yeah, I totally agree, their showmanship was completely unsurpassed almost every season, it’s amazing that they had that many random ideas to turn into shows
I am no fashion expert but as someone who loved Karl's designs, the major problem I find with chanel today is that they are just recycling what's been done before and that too in an unflattering way. Chanel has lost its uniqueness to me.
At this point, I assume that Chanel is designing clothing for older, more conservative clients and making the majority of their money from bags, perfume and accessories. Regarding drops in quality in the designer fashion space, this seems to be happening across the board. I hear about quality issues with more and more luxury brands.
Yes, I think that’s correct, if you’ve ever seen the BBC documentary, the secret world of Haute couture, a large majority of their client is elderly ladies that were there for the glory days of Chanel revival. That’s truly why they don’t want to change, because they don’t want to lose this esteem that they have. It’s profitable, they’ve got a lot of respect, so they’re scared to change that. But, to try to push them as an extreme luxury, while lowering the quality? No one will stay for very long if you do that
Designer bags are dead. Poor quality, ridiculous prices. I sometimes follow a particular Asian blogger on her channel and she buys quite a lot of designer bags and I can see from here the quality of the leather is so poor. Especially Loewe. Terrible.
Its called corporate greed and no company/industry is immune from it. Just look at all the Chinese labourers shipped off to Milan so that Italians can keep stamping "Made in Italy" on their overpriced products while those products are being made by Chinese slave labour.
@@sophiaelayne9984 is it Jamie Xie? I ADORE her hauls, which though they are probably very wasteful, I like that its not much of the big brands which too many people do hauls of and it gets boring tbh
For those of you interested in the production behind Chanel's runway shows, they're done by a production company called Villa Eugénie, while the videography is done by Walter Films, who produces a heavy majority of Chanel's digital media. The company was established in 1991 by Etienne Russo, when his friend, Dries Van Noten, asked him to produce his debut runway show for his Spring 1992 collection. After producing several shows for Dries and the other members of the Antwerp 6, he was approached by Hermès and Hugo Boss in 1998 and Chanel in 1999 to produce their shows in more modern direction. Villa Eugénie has since done shows for Martin Margiela, Lanvin, Fendi, Gucci, Thom Browne and Burberry. Today, the company continues to do shows for Boss, Hermès, Givenchy, Alyx 9SM, Alexandre Vauthier and Dior Homme. They also co-produce Prada and Miu Miu shows with Without Production.
@@understitchYT I believe that depends on the season. Usually Villa Eugénie is behind the set conception, but they do occasionally collaborate with an artist or a set designer.
I inherited my mom's Chanel suits and bags...they're pristine. I bought a Chanel bag at their boutique a few years ago, and I've had that bag repaired 2 times and I hardly use the darn bag. Don't get me started on the disappointment I feel in what's happened to the Chanel brand. The shine has dimmed tremendously.
The quality change is really shocking if compare the two. I know generally its true across the board and has been declining since the first world war (something Karl really hated actually, theres a great story of him at Balmain experiencing all these pre-war fabrics for the first time - Im working on a Karl video now) but with Chanel, who have so famously raised their prices an extortionat amount and are trying to compete with Hermes, it really stings
The more and more I think of Chanel the more I wonder whether Karl staying on so long was actually a disadvantage creatively. Any creative outlet would stall if it centred around one brain. Karl introduced some amazing styles to Chanel, but once they were established maybe a new head to take those to another level could have worked. Karl worked for a short time at Fendi but created the FF logo whilst there, which is now symbolic. But I think symbolic because it has been used differently after Karl left the house. I could be wrong and I think Karl was very creative but clearly Chanel is stuck trying to replicate its early Karl hey-days.
@@ladyjunon6305 ah sorry i think I got my years mixed between Chanel and Fendi, you’re absolutely right. Whilst I don’t think that Fendi amazes in its creativity as well, I do think it has done better than Chanel at moving with the times. I wonder why Chanel has struggled so much in their ready to wear in particular.
He was at Fendi for almost as long as Chanel, and personally I think it was better because it was less famous, but also because Sylvia did the menswear so extremely well. The menswear was always better than the womenswear at Fendi for me. But, really, what Karl was good at was reviving a brand, and using the original house codes in a new an updated way. He was a fantastic designer and extremely commercial It’s extremely difficult for any designer to create two completely distinct design aesthetics for two different houses while also working on his own company. The guy may have been kind of problematic, but he was very talented at driving desire
@@emilia123zz Because women are heavier and Chanel just has not adjusted for a curvier look. The fabric is often bulky. It's unflattering and hard to wear. The Chanel jacket does go well with jeans, that's making the best of it.
I’ve been saying Chanel is on a decline for years, and that’s primarily the designs. Sure some of the classic pieces still have cache, but Chanel is giving stuffy aunt and stiff grandma. They need young blood in there that’s gonna revamp the brands image. It’s a necessity at this point.
I think what Chanel are missing is that there is no need to get rid of the best sellers. You just put them into a classics line, and then the people that want the original Chanel, can get it. Or, you make another line on the other end and make like a Chanel artisnal line that will allow new designers to reimagine Chanel, and hopefully they get new classics that way. It’s not exactly rocket science, I don’t know why they’re dragging their feet
Yeah, I think the strict adherence to the classic Chanel aesthetic has been a bit of a detriment as well. Gabrielle was a fashion innovator that revolutionized the way women dressed, and yet ironically her legacy has seen the same tired tweeds trotted out year after year. They should be redefining and reinvigorating what it means to be an elegant woman in any given decade. I just think it’s laziness. A winning Chanel combines classic elegance with a slant towards the future. Sleekness, comfort, and vision.
I was just talking about this with my husband! We were avid shoppers at our local Chanel boutique during Lagerfeld’s reign, but we’ve hardly step foot in there since his death. The new designs just don’t appeal to us.
Its really tainted the shopper experience defijitely. When the product becomes stayed, the excitement to go into stores and check out the new offering starts to get lessened. tho I love peter marinos architecture, i pretty much only go for him now instead of the clothes
Two years after Chanel’s death, the house appointed Ramón Esparza, Balenciaga’s right hand man, as creative directive director. He presented his collection in 1973. The critics thought the collection was too modern and young and he was immediately fired. Not every new and fresh is financially successful. You forgot to mention one good thing that Chanel did for Haute Couture. They bought many of the floundering couture ateliers such as Lesage and Massato to preserve them. Many of the French houses are suffering because of the lack of skilled workers and so the quality of manufacturing is going down. Hermés also has that problem. Also it should be pointed out that many designers in Paris where to some extent collaborating with the Nazis. Balenciaga was an ally of the Spanish fascist governments and received protection from them. Louis Vuitton was a supporter of the French Vichy Regime. Christian Dior who at the time was working for Lelong designed clothes for the wives of German officials’ wives. Many terrible things were done in the name of Fashion…
This awful little woman was a willing Nazi collaborator and spy and was complicit in the betrayal and deportation of many French Jews, some of whom she had been close friends with before the war. I marvel at how people like you all glorify and laud this treasonously despicable antisemite and unrepentant Nazi sympathizer. She is the epitome and personification of what Hannah Arendt said about Adolf Eichmann (and countless people like him), Adolf Hitler's willing henchman of the Holocaust, who systematically planned and zealously orchestrated the deportation and slaughter of millions of Jews during his infamous 1962 trial in Jerusalem in her famous work, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, which I posted below. Anyone who celebrates and praises this woman is no better than she was, and each of you should be utterly ashamed. SMDH "The trouble with Eichmann was precisely that so many were like him, and that the many were neither perverted nor sadistic, that they were, and still are, terribly and terrifyingly normal. From the viewpoint of our legal institutions and of our moral standards of judgment, this normality was much more terrifying than all the atrocities put together." - Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report of the Banality of Evil (1963)
This is really one of the best company histories and analyses of Chanel I've seen. I especially like the information you gave about the years between Chanel's death and the arrival of Lagerfeld, a sort of lost time period for the company that not much information is available about.
In hindsight i feel like I couldve gone into more detail about those in between years when she was succeedd only by her assistants and then Gaston Berthelot and Ramon Esparza took over until in 1973 when Berthelot left Ramón Esparza alone to do the couture. Then, Philippe Guibourge designed the RTW in 1978 after Ramon was potentially fired? - I didnt say any of that and I shouldve
Chanel didn't need to rely too much on their clothing lines to make money and Karl figured that out sometime around 2013... Since then he started paying more attention to the Fendi lines until his passing which is a bit sad, but I understand why he would let his design team take over. Doing 6 collections a year for Chanel and 5 collections a year for Fendi (They only showed autumn couture) is certainly a job only a super human could do! He did create some remarkable collections from 2013-2019 (Remember pre fall 2016?!) but never as good or consistent as 90s Chanel. Personally I have a soft spot for 2005-2010 Chanel because of its close relationship to the indie sleaze era, and also because it was my introduction to Karl's Chanel and the fashion industry as a whole. Thank you for this video
Since the No5 perfume (which was a dupe of another perfume btw) was released for purchase (it started as a gift for her VICs) it has almost always out performed the clothing lines, thats why Chanel hated the Wertheimers so much, and actually thats why the Wertheimers allowed her to come back because even though few bought the clothes in the 50s it worked well as marketing for their private-labelled perfumes (which means they were not Chanel products, they were actually Barbara Gould products relabelled as Chanel). So they always wanted someone to make noise for Chanel, never really anything else; which is why Im so confused why theyre sticking with Virginie, noone likes her design work?! Karl also worked on his own fashion line, Im pretty sure he was a hobby architect (dont quote me) and did a lot of collaborative works with other houses. The man really mustve love d his job to keep going and going like that
2014 supermarket set, has to be my favourite show. Great clothes, great music and colour colour, colour!!!!! Ps your channel just gets better and better
Thank you so much ❤️🔥 I was actually lucky enough to see that yellow coat in the picture (why I chose that) in the barbican museum in London many years ago and it was very nice irl. Idk if it was nicer than the other couture that was more conceptually or constructionally developed, but very wearable and I liked it a lot
I totally agree that quality' and finish has deteriorated in the creation lately and the cost too is unaffordable unless you are a high bracket earner I am in my nineties now and I still love to dress and the Chanel jacket is my favorite look but I resorted to Hong Kong tailors during my time as a working Mom Then I saved a lot but got the fabric and finish and best fit for my money
@@lilymaniquis8460 Honestly lets talk the Hong Kong tailors or even Vietnam, what incredible craftsman ship for next to nothing cost-wise, hard hard love to them
I’m surprised that Jennie didn’t come for Chanel spring 2023 when she’s the only one making Chanel appeal to younger audiences. I get that they’re trying to appeal more to their older and conservative and rich clients but there’s a reason why Asia is the biggest market for luxury goods. Also, their production in runways went from the best to idk what even that is. They need to step up their game.
I really agree, I loved seeing JiSoo at the Dior show though, I guess she just has better things to do than sit through an utterly dull Chanel presentation again 🤷 Chanel in Korea is HUGE business too, I cannot even begin to tell you how many Chanel bags I see when I visit and the queues are always ENORMOUS even in the non-capital cities like Daegu. I think its because Koreans tend to like status brands a lot which is why Michele did so well there too but thats just imo of course
@@cosmefulanitoo2625 are you a clown? these videos require extensive research to provide the audience with accurate information, script writing, collecting archive footage, voice recording, video editing, audio editing, etc. go back to the circus
@@understitchYT This is one of the finest videos that I have ever seen on utube. The story was fascinating. Goes to show, me at least, that critics can be everywhere. If someone could walk in our shoes then they would know what we were up against. Thank you for this video discussion.
I know everybody associates Chanel with the tweed jackets and modest high fashion, but I remember being a teenager and seeing Nicole Kidman in that pink dress made of ostrich feathers for Chanel No5 advertising. That, for me, became the quintessential moment in high fashion. I thought nothing could beat that (well, I hadn’t seen Alexander McQueen’s work yet back then 😂). I am so lucky I’ve seen that dress 10 years later at the exhibition dedicated to the work of Karl Lagerfeld in Bundeskunsthalle Bonn. I know that the Met is going to have another exhibition about him this summer, I hope they will manage to bring some of his dresses for a show. Thanks for a great video, it’s a pleasure to watch and listen to a professional.
With the amount of clothes they produce it is undoubted that they will have some hits in there, I mean you make that many, its hard not to have a a good few hits and a lot of flops. Butthere’s literally hundreds of thousands of Karl designs for them to pick for the met, so I don’t doubt that will be good
Great video again, thank you. I love how your own (more than justified) frustration with the decline in quality comes through towards the end. If only this was the exception. Unfortunately it seems as if lowered standards and steep pricing have become the biggest trends in fashion for the last years. Keep on making videos, they're so informative and very much appreciated.
I try to be extremely fair and constructive with my opinion, if, and when, I add it. I think if I can understand and deconstruct the exact reasons that I like or dislike something, then I can understand the work behind something even if its not my personal taste,
I read you correctly, and I agree, most companies, or all companies, do not have the same quality that was once available. Simply the fabric that used to be available is no longer, and honestly, this thought of an ever expanding business, never to plateau, has really hurt products. From Hermes now sewing Birkins by machine, to Nutella changing their recipe, it happened to everyone 🤷
Virginie says she continues to design clothes for women but none of her collections look desirable to wear. The silhouettes, cuts, fabrics, all of it just don't look on brand compared to when Karl was there. With Karl he had this crazy imagination that ran wild every season and that was so interesting to witness. You never knew what he was going to put out each season even though we knew there were going to be the classic Chanel codes like the tweed suit, the little black dress and etc. Also, a favourite set of mine is spring 2006 couture, the spiral staircase. The clothes looked so elegant and dainty, especially the wedding dress on Lily Cole. The clothes always matched the runway sets when Karl was still alive. Virginie's sets and clothes are pretty plain.
That spiral staircase is so interesting to me, because it represents so much of her own history, once she was a very respected and beloved designer, and that would’ve been a really exciting place to show her designs. But when she was returned, and she was mocked, it must’ve been really difficult to see the public turn on her like that, in a place in which she was once so heralded I don’t think VV designs clothes for women, there is nothing practical, or modern about the clothing in the way that Chanel‘s designs were at a time. I don’t even necessarily think that she designs with the codes of the house in mind, it’s mostly just a rehash of what Karl did , but in a much less authentic way, because it is not her ideas People seem to have this misconception that Karl did not change what Chanel did, and that’s just untrue, he evolved the brand an extreme amount, even Chanel herself evolved the brand an extreme amount, so I don’t understand why VV either isn’t or isn’t allowed to, its made Chanel very very dull 🤷
I also agree with that. I think that no one "nowadays" in the fashion industry could pull up an inventive show and perfect out of this world as Karl. I appreciate the recent resort show in Dakar btw. Anyway, Karl was a genius every set every soundtrack, I miss him everyday. My most impressive fashion show moment, was with the two brides at end of the Spring-Summer 2013 Haute Couture show while was being discussed the same sex mariage in France. That was the glimpse/stamp of a genius. Virgine is trying but she doesn't have the extravaganza on the guts that Karl had. This season so far, Saint Laurent menswear show and Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture by Haider Ackermann were absolute best. And yeah maybe I think that Chanel could go in a similar direction but also keep the brand DNA as well.
i so agree. dont want to hurt anybody's feelings but viard doesnt even bother to do 'hair' for the shows. this is a statement ? i think marc jacobs should step in...
@@harcamone1949 She just lacks a lot of creativity with the beauty, the sets, the clothes, the whole atmosphere and environment for Chanel. Plus her referencing the older Chanel from the 90s at times isn't doing her justice because it looks like a watered-down version of what Karl has done. Marc Jacobs would be an interesting one to see, possibility of him matching to Karl's creativity as his designs for LV and his own label have a unique charm to them.
i love the supermarket set and i love the clothes from this collection too. i would happily wear most of them, year after year. the supermarket set is just such an original, wonderfully presented, light hearted comment on modern consumerism. it will stand the test of time and will continue to be referenced in the future. you can see it's influence in the recent noah baumbach movie 'white noise'.
Dior is blowing Chanel out of the water in the recent 2021/2022. I had the same thought about Chanel being in decline for some time now and was happily surprised to come across your video.
@@understitchYT i havent watched the whole thing but somebody finally spoke up. lets hope it triggers change. chanel created hyper anticipation before, now its just a waste of time
The 2010 iceberg. Genius. I worked for the Luxottica Group. Karl Lagerfeld very generously let us sell his previous seasons' eyewear for our charity that provides eye care for people who do not have access to glasses and ophthalmology care. He is missed.
Oh thats so kind. Im reading andre leon talley’s book atm and from what Im reading he was such a giving person. Ive had a few comments from people with experiences with him too and Im so gladdened to know how kind he was
Looking at Virginie Viard's work for Chanel now, only serves to showcase the genius that was Karl Lagerfeld all the more. Let's face it, he is a hard act to follow. The man was a true visionary, and there will never be anyone like him. I miss him.
Thats true, even Chanel wasn't immediately followed by Karl, she was succeeded by her less than successful in house team, just as she is doing now in the death of Karl, so maybe Im right and a new designer is round the corner and theyll just blame the ugliness on VV
@@understitchYTAs much as I hate Chanel’s fashion as of right now, you cannot Blame VV. She did inherit huge shoes from Karl. Whether she was prepared for it or not. You gotta to admit VV’s determination to push through despite knowing that she’ll never be on the levels of Karl, of whom she worked under for. So I get the hate for VV. But I got to admire, VV should at least deserve to get some slack as CD for Chanel. So I pity VV for her situation, because it’s probably like even herself (that’s a stretch) is never going to achieve the same level of genuine and creativity of KL. And probably trying her absolute best to make the most out of her crappy situation that Chanel forced her in as CD for Womenswear, whether justified or not. Only her actions could tell.
Subscribed! I love how well researched this is in terms of the business and why decisions were made. I would love to hear about Hermes and even jewelry houses like Tiffany's or Cartier.
Thank you so much!!! I ALMOST made a video on Tiffany and bumped it for Fendi I think, but then they rebranded so I regret not doing it now because thats what I was going to predict in the video 😭😭😭😭
Thoughts on today's Chanel? Also, you NEED to see the Chanel Beauty video, seriously, I'm so proud of this video: ua-cam.com/video/daU_yEqU7ro/v-deo.html&ab_channel=underskin%2C
Exactly what i have thought for the last 3-4 years. The novelty of Virginie’s design only could be seen on HC 19FW. Even before Karl has passed away, the collections were getting boring and dull, especially when it came to HC collections for FW seasons (too much plaid and tweed!)
Your commentary is right on point! So sad to see the consistent & steady decline of Chanel - People forget that when mgt. hired KL in the early 80's it was revolutionary for the time - when KL passed it was the perfect opportunity for them to reach out and hire a new Director to take Chanel to the next level, just as they did when hiring KL - there are so many designers that I believe are capable, such as Haider Akerman & Oliver Theyskens to name a few. What a missed opportunity for the future of Chanel. I find it amusing when they say "Virginie was KL's right hand" as if that's a qualification - !?
@@understitchYT HAHAHAHA it is! But seriously, this was such a great video. So clear and concise, and well researched! Thank you for sharing your wisdom :)
Excellent video… I thought I would watch a minute of this while I searched for another subject… and 10 minutes later I can’t remember what I was going to search…. Subscribed just now!
Great content! CHANEL is undoubtedly in need of a jolt of fresh inspo…and I totally agree that it’s probably the powers that be who are in charge of “the look” remaining stagnant….for them, it’s about the money and profits, not about the clothes or the heritage of the company.
Yes, it definitely seems that that could likely be the case, what I didn’t expect, was how many negative opinions people who know her had about VV that they commented on this video (or on TikTok, too, I’ve seen a lot on TikTok)
The 2017 autumn show which featured a branded space rocket was the most outlandish the staging for a Chanel show. It’s one of my favorite Chanel shows. The clothes may be boring now, but one thing Chanel will do is stage a fantastic mise en scène for their fashion shows. On a more serious note, your point about Virginie Viard is an astute one. I had not considered before that the reason the clothes have become so stale is that the owners of the company may be limiting how much creativity she is allowed to express. If that is indeed the case, then it is setting her up to fail, as customers are buying less and less of the Chanel ready to wear line. I hope for her sake that she has set up an exit plan for herself.
That rocket was absolutely incredible, it’s so fascinating that it’s hard to remember any of the clothes, but we remember the design so well Yeah, I am so curious to see what happens with Chanel in the future, specifically because of that. I know she was the right-hand man to Karl for so long, so she was the best person to replicate his style, but that doesn’t mean it’s hers 🤷 Michele was on Fridas team at Gucci for years and look what he did
@@understitchYT I think you're right there. Sylvie has been an interpreter of Karl Lagerfeld and he would prolifically churn out sketches which were thematically integrated and strong. She's very much in his shadow still. They need a visionary but there are very few of the calibre of Karl L, or Tom Ford. You can count them on one hand IMO. Maybe Phoebe Philo but even then she would want more freedom. Chanel and Sylvie are today constricted by the past but Karl L knew how to blow it up in the right way. JIMO.
@@understitchYT I absolutely agree with you that she has yet to show her voice or show us who she really is. What Michele did was amazing. But I have to say I really saw it coming, that they were just going to drop him at some point. Because years in and all you have is maximalist pieces that are extremely extremely difficult to match. And it felt like there was not much evolution in the collections - always the same skinny models men and women wearing way too odd pieces (like that season where he had his models hold literal head pieces). Personally, I appreciate creativity, but that creativity for me has to mean something whereas I feel in Michele’s case (I might be wrong) a lot of the times, it’s more about the styling than the concept behind each collection. And I feel that if you are the kind of designer that relies mostly on styling rather than substance (like Dries where he usually has very meaningful concepts behind each of his collections), then it is not really going to be sustainable as people will eventually get bored of that “style” or “image” that you have so meticulously projected.
@@Btkasem I disagree about Alessandro, I actually think he is a really talented designer, he made the world that we know truly from scratch, there was absolutely nothing like that before he designed. I don’t necessarily think there’s anything wrong with having similar collection season after season. It creates longevity, it creates a continued value in each product, and though that does mean, probably, that the garments towards the end would’ve had less sales, because people were still wear the things from the previous season, it meant that there was more sales initially because it was seen as more value
@@understitchYT I also think Alessandro is a very talented designer and what hes done with Gucci is just incredible. It was bland and boring before and he gave a new identity to Gucci. But I meant in terms of customers I think customers get tired of the repetitions after a few seasons. Its like when its new yes we need it because its so fresh but after a few seasons have passed and if its still more or less the same (I think in Gucci’s case more so for menswear than womenswear), then customers will be less likely to make repeat purchases. But, for example, if you take Dries or Kim Jones for Dior, when the concept behind a collection is so strong, there is enough distinction between seasons that will induce customers to want to buy into what the brand is offering. For me, because of the new prints in each season, I could never get enough of Dries’ swim trunks. Its like I dont need it but its just so nice and so not like previous seasons that I have to keep on buying his swim shorts! Kim is also very very smart commercially in the same sense. Aesthetically, his clothes are more or less the same, but with these “collaborations” or “themed concepts” for each collection, there is something new that makes you want to keep buying his clothes. I think a good example is the men’s saddle bag. He takes a classic and each season, gives it enough spin to make it not boring and attractive as a product offering (the flower embroidery on Dior’s grey felt wool was such a triumph), the Sacai saddle and so on. I just think overall, there is a very clever way of going about making your collections not repetitive whilst maintaining your aesthetic. I wonder what your view is on the likes of Virgil, Vetements, Off-White, etc. I can lesrn to appreciate them but I find them so repulsive especially Vetements when they first launched but the price points were just insane and in no way justified. Cant wait to hear your thoughts on this!
i know that chanel wants to only sell to their old clientels but some of these pieces on the runway don’t appeal to them…or a younger audience…or anybody really 😭 like im actually interested to know their thought process behind it cause it’s absurd to me
I have no idea the thought process behind it either There is a wonderful documentary on the BBC called the secret world of haute couture, and in it it explains that everything that you see on the catwalk, the client just completely remakes. They can change any part about that garment that they want to, and effectively have exactly what they want created by the atelier. So we are seeing boring clothes, and then they’re being completely changed, so what was the point of showing us a boring close in the first place?
@@understitchYT If I had to guess, I’d say Chanel is primarily focused with customization. They provide a basic model, and get sales by allowing clients to personally customize pieces. It’s pretty smart because they don’t have to spend a lot of time or energy creating anything revolutionary or new, and if clients are going to customize pieces any way they can easily justify this. It’s no different than how wedding dress shops operate. Of course I don’t really know if this is the reason, but its interesting to think about. It’s just too bad the brand has made choices that don’t let them stay at their peak status.
I must say, I love Chanel fashion. The clothes look so beautiful, they are subtle, chic and have a lot of details. Much much better than the fast fashion industry...they are also expensive, don`t survive the wasching machine, they make people looking ugly. People are buying too much and throw them a few weeks later in the trash. It`s sad that fashion lost its value so much. I visited a Chanel boutique 3 weeks ago...yes everything was very expensive...I work as a nurse and cannot buy. But I saw how beautiful people can look with valuable clothes, I thought: I will buy less but beautiful clothes designed with care and effort.
Love your work. Many thanks for the research and perspective you bring. As a student of fashion dating back to my time in NYC in the 1970’s growing up with the cremè de La cremè I love the retrospective you give.
Chanels reputation was so well guarded all these decades . I could never imagine a piece like this coming out . What I do hate about the modern day Chanel is the way they have shoved to the back Madams own 19 perfume so they can promote this Chance garbage and the latest one . 19 use to be available in different sizes . The shower gel , if you can find it , hardly as a scent .
What I do appreciate though, is that the scents have stayed fairly true throughout their history, they haven’t changed the smells and kept the name as far as I know at all, which is something that is a real annoyance with Dior and other brands
its interesting to me how chanel remains one of the biggest luxury brand just because of impeccable branding & status quo from the past; in the sense that most people who dont have interest or knowledge on fashion consider it amazing & aspirational
Pretty much, it’s effectively a flex brand. But I actually think that Kpop idols would be well suited to Chanel, it sells exceptionally well in Korea, even the clothing. And in general Korea is a very status driven country, they do a lot of that flexing fashion, so it would be a good representation of Korean fashion in a weird way, but I do hope they style them much better than Margot Robbie 😂🤣
Mr Lagerfeld, I think, was the one that started the trend of large designer houses doing far-flung cruise collections, apparently they were legendarily great
The problem with Chanel , and all the other famous fashion houses , is the vulgarization of their products. When you see the women of the " Housewives " Bravo series , covered from head to toe in Chanel or any of the other Brands , you realized that it is over for these Brands. Even if they are fake, who wants to wear what those women are wearing ?
Personally, I don’t mind what the housewives wear, I’m more interested in envisioning my own taste. But I think what you’re describing is the result hype, and that is something that would put me off buying a brand.
This is exactly what happened to most designer labels. Rappers dripping in Gucci from head to toe while you're looking up the ass cracks of broads behind him. It's vulgar and disgusting. Influencers are the same. And especially with brands like LV, where you can buy a cheap fake in an asian market and see 10 people wearing the same bag.
this happens to almost all luxury brands, even Hermès cannot protect itself from the cheap celebrities and other nouveaux riches with awful attitude and questionable tastes. the people with old money aren't the ones dressed from head to toes with these brands. they know quality is better than everything else.
Always love your video. I share them with my students - great cultural and historic context. How about the rumours that Slimane will be going to Chanel?
They might make two lines: Chanel Revival for those who like the classics, and Chanel Nouveau who find classic Chanel "boring". I'd absolutely kill for a 1932 Cométe brooch, but the originals are hard to find, and priced accordingly.
I own a 7k chanel bag and i bought an exact replica for 2k and I made a video taking both of them apart and you can see that the fake is actually SUPERIOR in quality than the actual real purse. It is hilarious
@@Dina-md3ji It's hard to understand what youre trying to say, but just because its tiktok doesnt mean a criticism is invalid. Consumers run consumerism, so if theyre unhappy, something is awry
Yeah they do the main running stitches by machine now and hand finish their bags. I think its because machines do a sturdier stitch, but theyve never given an official reason that I know of
The rooftop set wasn’t disrupted by a protester. It was a French comedienne with a history of Borat like antics. It was really annoying for the people that put in so much work, but also incredible to watch Gigi Hadid literally act as security and herd her off stage. That was worth the price of admission in it’s own right and brought the kind of free advertising that made people talk about the show. Performance art at its best. Hahaha
I really appreciate your hard work on making the history of Chanel more transparent and understandable. The company, of course, has to spin things to keep the heritage in their heritage brand, but at some point it might be better to lean on the Lagerfeld years (although there are problems in that) rather then on Chanel herself. I wish they had done what Gaultier is doing, a different creative director every year after Lagerfeld passed away, to reinvigorate the brand and to do a huge PR boost. But it is a cash cow, and they were risk adverse.
Thank you so much 💕 I think Chanel really choose to deify their founder more than the others though, like we all know what Chanel looked like, idk if many could pick Cristobal out of a line up I agree that it wouldve been so interesting to have a situation somilar to JPG for Chanel with a few reimagining the house codes (personally Id like to see craig greens take on the chanel quilting for example) who would you like to see?
@@understitchYT Right, most designers, at least from the heritage brands, are not famous faces. I would love to see what Botter would do at Chanel with the resources, embroidery, fabric and all the wonderful sewers there. For a real takeover it'd be fun to see what Anrealage would do, all conceptual, but also with incredible vigor and execution. I agree, Craig Green would be cool to see what they do with the quilting along with the shapes of classic Chanel garments. It'd be really great to have some designers do 'capsule' collections for Chanel as a way of infusing some new life into the brand.
I'm very interested to see the direction Chanel decides to take now. The only option is a complete overhaul. An 'Alessandro Michele' type of situation. As amazing as he was, I do think this heavy criticism would have still come even with Karl at the helm. I think his acumen for moving product was just delaying the inevitable. But wow it's crazy how these 80s/90s designers were really able to bring dying luxury houses out of the mud and turn them into the machines they are today.
Honestly i wouldnt mind it, but Im not their main clientele. I think just a reinterpretation, any reinterpretation will be shocking for chanel, regardless of how extreme it is
All your Chanel videos in particular were superb and so in-depth and even opinionated in a reasonable and analytical way, your videos and channel ought to be commended, excited for you and thank you for your great work! However I respectfully disagree and push back on the verdict that "Chanel has fallen" entirely, perhaps tripped. I personally really resonate with the current sleek and elegant style of the modern Chanel and hope it doesn't chase after trends or outside itself in attempting to become something its not or away from its elevated vision of beauty, high fashion, and minimalist opulence. It is classic and luxurious and one of the few brands that to me seem to channel (pun) quality over fast fashion and gimmicks that are so rampant in basically the entire industry - yet notably even Chanel's quality is depleting/lowering and that is to their detriment and risk to their loyalty of current customers let alone longevity. Very great point of perhaps their stifled creativity and for them to not be so afraid to change but I do not think all progress is good and personally would be upset if they continue to go down this path (i.e., I disliked the athleisure hand glove ad marketing for their recent perfumes which seemed rather gaudy, too juvenile, and beneath Chanel as a brand, at least for me as a 30-year old woman it was not anything that endeared me to Chanel or wish to aspire to it as a brand/aesthetic like most of their other content.) Give me their "boring" black and white or neutral motif any time over that and I'd much prefer it this way instead of extremes - however, excellent point that the same tweed and no experimentation that still suits and is aligned with the spirit and essence of your brand is stale and they need a spark! Interesting to see its preceding direction. Grateful the brand has distanced itself from unsavory components and hope for its bright future!
I get why youd disagree with the title, chanel has taken a real dip with all the factors you mentioned, but theres no reason to say they cannot rise again
They do hand so some, but the vast majority are machine sewed these days and finished by hand, there was a report a long time ago, it’s been machine sewed for a while now
Many high end fashion brands are also becoming lower quality and the reason for this is because many fashion brands are now owned by Bernard Arnault. He owns LV, Christian Dior, Gucci, Fendi, Givenchy, and many more. Also a leather crafter literally took apart Chanel's leather wallet and said Chanel was overcharging the item. Plus they put so many finishes on the leather that it now feels more plastic than leather.
I mention this in the video yea, and I used tanner leathersmiths video too to highlight exactly that. Its a real shame that the quality has gone downhill honestly
@@understitchYT Yeah, at this point I'm focusing on buying leather goods from smaller brands and leather goods from smaller brands in Japan as well. Japan has a leather association where small leather brands can join to get promotion and go to events to sell or promote their goods. Quality is way higher too.
Exactly, and they act like their shit don't stink. Tiffany, with his son as CEO, is going downhill with so much potencial wasted on NFT shill and garbage design.
@yes Their shit obviously doesn't stink since the idiot consumers kept buying their stuff as a status symbol. The only reason you people are complaining is because since the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 due to the lockdowns many of you list your jobs, and due to the Western world being in a recession and suffering from inflation many if you can afford the shit with the little bit of money you have, and NOW REALIZING the lower quality with inflated prices. You are broke, and want to rebel against haute couture being a status symbol. Being Covid-19 broke, you now only afford cheaper brands. You have no choice. YOU CAN'T AFFORD DISCRETIONARY SPENDING LIKE PRE PANDEMIC. 🤣🤣🤣
lagerfeld was so good - the idea of him spawned installing designers in moribund houses - the idea of it succeeded. Tom Ford, michael kors for Celine (remember ?); alexander wang for balenciaga. The 'flat' feeling of Chanel nowadays is only spawning the idea that the house should close. Wake up Wertheimers !!
I agree with most what u are saying... but to give u a perspective.... Chanel isn’t about innovating shapes and silhouettes. It would scare away the very conservative costumer. Chanel designs are worth a second look, especially in the couture line. On the runway they appear boring, but the craftsmanship behind it, which is mostly a decorative point, rather than a designing point, is remarkable . A lot of work goes in this craftmanship of the garments and it is not seen because we only have a very limited access to it (fast, full body digital images). I am not a defender of Chanel nor a couture client, but it worth to take the time to reaserch on close ups of garments, with all the embroidery, pleats, embellishments... its all handcrafted in paris, it’s where the tradition (not innovation) sits... i wish to get a new designer to Chanel, with a less routie-blinded view, because the basement of the house is so underrepresented, but it is there
I agree that the couture is beautiful, Ive seen a few pieces in real life in museums and they are really pretty, but I dont think they even make an attempt to display what their resources can actually do. Even if it was just one or two (maybe the finale) looks in the collection as a whole that really displayed the wealth of talent that they have at their disposal, I wouldnt feel like the resources were wasted as I do now. In regards to not innovating silhouette, Chanel did used to be exactly about that. Chanel herself went through many design styles and Karl (in the hey day) also would bring in new silhouettes to the brand (though mostly in a more subtle way). But I havent seen that from VV yet imo
This video is simply amazing. I cannot imagine all the effort and time spent in the making of it. It's very well-made and backed by research. I also would really love to learn about the rise of CÉLINE. I never heard of that brand (from an Asian person's perspective) before Lisa of BLACKPINK became its ambassadress which also happens to be their first if I'm not mistaken. Looking forward to it!
@@understitchYT I think that celine with phoebe philo (5 year ago) was focus in different audience (More exclusive), I do not remember (They did not work with ambassadors) ambassadors artists and now Hedi Slimane is for more people and He has models and ambassadors artists. Also, please can you talk about comeback of phoebe philo? It is on all fashion news.
While I keep Chanel in high regards for what it is (or was?), I actually sort of forgot about the brand. Only because of this video was I reminded. I agree with all that was said, the only reason I really care about the brand is for fragrances (that have also been the same and especially the mens have not had anything new for nearly a decade now...) and its couture sed designs. As far as clothes go, it is the same old, same old. What a great and informative video!
You should watch my beauty video as well, because the perfumes have had such an interesting history, like did you know the number five perfume began as a dupe of another perfume? The company of Chanel was always about making money, more than it was about anything else really, but now they’re in this rut that they created for themselves, where they haven’t had a new designer to redefine the codes of the house in awhile, and so it has become stale in every aspect 🤷 honestly, these days, they are just running on old notoriety, they haven’t had a hit bag in 10 years, they haven’t had a new perfume in as many, if they didn’t have incredible brand equity, they would have nothing
I used to use the original Anteus fragrance by Chanel .but like most fragrances by famous brands the formula has been cheapened down over the years and does not compare to the original.
@@understitchYT I love that you have a way with incorporating/using the beauty department of certain brands where they are still interesting to the people who otherwise do not care about them. I will give it a watch as I am a fragrance enthusiast, so I will absolutely have a look.
You mentioned an 18% drop in revenue during 2020, which is remarkable considering most of the Boutiques were closed for months and global travel was halted due to Covid, plus as a business they do not sell fashion items online. Comparing the spectacularly unwearable Schiaparelli couture pieces to a wearable Chanel couture collection shows how viable their HC business is, they sell wearable couture not art pieces that are not possible for the modern woman to use. Much of the noise surrounding Chanel quality often comes from those cashing in on speaking on scandals or those who are now priced out of Chanel as a consumer. Their boutiques have waiting lists for many of their handbags, go and see the lines outside the Chanel store when a new collection launches. It’s a power the other brands could only ever dream of. Virginies collections may be a stark contrast to KLs extravagant offerings but they have a broader appeal to the younger generation who can afford pieces, Chanel is not for everyone and it’s not meant for everyone, hence the pricing strategy.
While that is true, Chanel, like most fashion companies, relies on reputation to sell their products more than anything else. Im not suggesting they have unwearable clothes, but I am suggesting they move their clothes forwards in a way thats more desirable to their customer. While in couture success of a show doesnt ingerently correlate to sales, ifs still important to have a good show to sell the things like handbags that have those waiting lists. However, too many bad collections and eventually people stop buying. Schiap and Chanel do opposite things, thats been their whole rivalry since the 1920s-30s, but they can learn from each other. Schiap needed saleable items (which they have now) and Chanel needed something interesting to draw the customers in (this they only have in reputation, not in product). So if that reputation dies, customers will slowly stop coming. Chanel dont need to totally reinvent, but they do need something to push the brand forwards so they dont get left behind
Brava! Such a well researched and analyzed story. This comes across as fact based. Although I love Chanel it's long overdue someone stated these facts: it's the same collection over and over again. VV needs to do something otherwise it will go back into the dustbin of history. Thanks.
I dont remember directly, but if you put it in in quote marks into google, it will come up. But youre right, they dont usually release any of that information online, I was surprised to find it (I think it was Business of Fashion)
Chanel should look deep into revamping the line, this has nothing to do with deep pockets, it has to do with different design(er). One can only take the reruns so far, it needs a new eye, a difference in appearance and appeal. Less matronly more interesting. My mother loved her Chanel pieces, back in 1970. Needs a broader color pallet in different materials. But what the hell do I know I’m just a guy.
Youre not wrong, it doesn't need to change a whole tonne, just needs to bring in a sense that its ahead again, and theres really no need to change much, even just an artisinal line would effectively do just that
I worked for LVMH and there Dior said that they didn't manufacture in China but later when I worked in China I visited a leather factory that made Coach, Cors and Karan and on looking for the bathroom I turned left instead of right and opened a storeroom full of Dior ! I know how much high end bags cost to make so I laugh at the prices. Only Hermes stands the test of quality and time.
All companies today manufacture at least an element in China, not necessarily because of cost bcs as Im sure you know, in the legitimate factories, their minimum wage and workers rights are actually not bad at all. I do wish they could shake the negative reputation because it would free it up in convenience for smaller companies trying to break into the manufacturing side. But yeah, there’s no lie that the mark up is absolutely ridiculous. But to me, its worse that its not diluted or distilled to everyone in the business instead of other things. I know thats a complaint about the current state of commercialism across the board now. But its frustrating to see something that couldve worked for longer if only profits werent the only measurement of success Honestly these days youd be better off buying from an individual leather worker/seamstress than at most brands, significantly better value for money AND supports an individual instead of Mr Arnault 😂 This was a bit of a rant, sorry 💕 what did you do in China? In Guangzhou?
@@understitchYT I worked in a small city called Shaoxing, not a nice place, hundreds of towers built every day and all old building razed. I went there to design fabrics and embroideries and leather goods but the 2008 crash happened and I went back to Paris. I remember a woman asking me to make her a rather complicated skirt, lots of pleats, when I was still doing couture from home in Paris. I told her the cost, pattern, many fittings and fabric cost and she was horrified and said 'I can get a skirt at Zara for a fraction of that'. I said ok go to Zara. That event put me off making clothes for people again and even today I refuse to dress anyone but I still make all my own clothes.
I can imagine, I went to a few places outside the major cities in China around that time (2010 I think it was) and it was a little strange bcs of the unnecessary houses they would build to keep the homeless rates down. Noone would live in them barely so when I visited one a bit later on in an AirBNB it was seriously creepy, wasnt a fan, but I do enjoy china generally, just those apartment complexes gave me the creeps Have you seen the instagram page @canyousewthisforme ? Its all the sewers collectively frustrated at requests from people. Its hilarious and awful at the same time. I guess people just dont understand how long it takes to sew anything, let alone how long it takes to learn how to sew in the first place 🙄
@@understitchYT In China you can have really high end stuff made, the quality I saw for Coach and Kors etc was great. When I worked there I tried to get them to focus on the high end side of things, less quantity and more quality but they wanted me to create another H&M type label and that didn't interest me at all. They see volume in orders as a sort of badge of honor amongst themselves. The factory I worked with was huge, really huge and impressive and my boss told me not to go inside but of course one day I did and it was just basically an impressive shell with at one end some workers inspecting fabric on ping pong table with bare lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling !
15:21 The clothes on the runway are so boring that at this point, it's just better to look at the guests and spectators for fashion inspo, their outfits are more creative anyway
The guests almost always look better than the models, especially I enjoy seeing the guys in Chanel, something much more edgy about it because of the very feminine cut
I'm so sorry if this was answered in the video and I just happened to miss it, but who designed the collections after Chanel's death and before Lagerfeld? Who was the creative director during that brief stint in the 70s?
Actually, it was just succeeded by her assistants, in kind of the same way VV succeeded Karl, so Gaston Berthelot and Ramon Esparza took over until in 1973 Ramón Esparza solely did the couture, but I think he was let go shortly after, though I couldnt find a source for that, and Philippe Guibourge designed the RTW in 1978
@@understitchYT thank you so much for responding! This is the kind of information that never seems to be readily available, and I for one am always curious about these tiny details. Great video, by the way 👏
@@jgbs8710 So glad I could help you find that info, honestly, it was hard to find information n Chanel, and Chanel Beauty for that video, that Chanel didn't want to have shared. Like the digging was far more difficult than I imagined
Absolutely right on the button. Chanel was an old witch who poured her belts buckles and bows into a cauldron. Karl was a genius who found her old broomstick stirred the old pot and like a magician turned it into a glittering pot of gold. However the house needs a radical new approach because sadly Virginie's spring summer 2023 was a disaster.
I loved the gardens and the HCC w the “stiletto pants” which M Margrelia did first. I think this fashion giant can truly afford to wait on VV to find her stride. Who knows when she started and how much she contributed to the overall work snd image. I think her personal look is great and my much needed at Chanel.
From the sounds of it, she was more like a yes man to Karl than anything else, so I dont know if she will be able to provide us with any value in the future, but Id love to be proved wrong
@@understitchYT I remember seeing interviews w Karl and he said the family who owns Chanel told him that they were patient and could take his time/ but he claims it was instant. I was -1yo In 83
All of my bags are from Karl Lagerfeld era. Who wants over priced, cheaply made bags. CHANEL is a multi billion dollar fashion house and seems like its turning into fast fashion over there.Even their jewelry is garbage. Stones falling out, ugh! are they not embarrassed! N these collections by Virginie or however you spell her name, its just not it.
Thank you for saying out loud what I was thinking : Virginie Viard's collections are boring. Only Loïc Prigent is crazy about them (or pretends to be).
The poeple in the inner circle (like Im assuming Prigent) get insane benefits, it was basically set up by Karl as I covered more in the life and death video, but their customers are so heavily benefitted by singing their praises, why would they want their priviledge to go away by denouncing them?
If you ever want to experience overpriced and poor quality products in combination with toilet level customer service, you have to hit the Chanel boutique in Zurich
Thank you for making these vdos! Succinct and concise - just what we need really! I appreciate every comment you insert and the timing of each is just so well thought out and just so spot on. Like the bias cut information on Galliano you inserted in the Dior vdo or that part about Kim’s upbringing in Africa. The clothes, the accessories, everything is no longer the same with Chanel. Even the qaulity of their fabrics is just absolutely appaling and unacceptable at the price point they are offering today. The only fabric that I still feel hasn’t changed is Barrie’s cashmere. It feels like all they care about now is profit margins and at no matter the cost, which in this case sadly is the artistry in it all! Today when you walk in to Chanel all you see is logo every where, on tshirts, on skirts, on pants and even on their tweed jackets. I would go to Chanel with my mother and we would get very excited about each collection - the tweed jackets, the details, the exquisite craftmanship, these were pieces she would buy and would pass on to my sister with such fond memories about each of the collections - Egypt, Bombay, Dubai, Shanghai, Moscow, Biarritz to name a few. Those were the collections to remember. Even the buttons on each of the garments would be so detailed and would have such exquisite craftmantship that would relate to the collection. But not anymore! Even the buttons are now reduced to the bare minimum! Like you said, they will continue to be able to sell but just for how long until the mass get bored and notice what a fraud they have become and that they would rather spend their money some place else that price and quality are more in line. It really angers me to see how they have compromised quality (not to mention design) for short term profits yet people are still queing up to buy these absolutely ripped off pieces from them! I honestly can’t wait to see that day and definitely the Wertheimers will put the blame on Virginie, although I don’t really know who is worst! But one thing for sure, its made me appreciate Karl just so so much more. I used to think like what you said in the vdo that it was just a repetition of many variations of the tweed jackets season after season. But looking back, at least Karl was able to fight the Wertheimers and kept quality high(er than now) whilst also delivered commercially successful and somewhat artistically creative shows.
I’m so glad you like all my contextual additions, thank you for letting me know, to me it seems like understanding the context of a collection can make it more or less impactful, so I try to include a little bit when it’s appropriate, but not all the time, because otherwise it would get boring 🤣 It’s interesting, you say that about the fabric, I really don’t know about the change in the quality of the textiles at all, mostly the complaints are in the hardware, and the coated leather, and I haven’t experienced the quality of the fabric changing for myself, so I think that’s interesting that you mentioned that. It’s very reasonable to think that if they are willing to change something as visible as the hardware on a classic bag, that they would have changed blends in their fabrics, or even a source of their fabrics Also, Chanel has been about the logos for an extremely long time, I would say that that started in the 90s, though I could be wrong, they definitely had the CC logo for longer than that on things like bags. But, I guess it goes to evidence that Chanel really is just a label, more than a fashion, purchase Yes, I think you are right that they have compromised quality and design for profits, but I don’t think that is exclusive to Chanel, I think many brands have gone down that route. Luckily, a few have managed to pull back, but, if Chanel does have a scandal that was on the level of Balenciaga, which I don’t think it’s too unreasonable to Expect, VV isn’t exactly a well liked person in the industry, then I think that people will turn very hard on Chanel and I don’t necessarily think they will be able to bounce back as well as I’m expecting Balenciaga to do in a few weeks (or maybe, like I suggested they will just blame it on VV and get out of there, leaving her to a dead career) I know Karl is a very controversial designer, because of the things that he said publicly, like his personal views, but no one can deny he was an exceptionally talented designer, managing to have two distinct labels, his own label, and all of the collaborations going for 50 years plus, is incredible
This is gonna be INSANELY controversial but I want Alessandro Michele to go to Chanel. I feel like he could flip the brand on its head and make it come back alive and give us a new it Bag
I’d love to see a real couture visionary at Chanel - my dream creative director would be Christian Lacroix coming out of semi-retirement take over for a while until a suitable younger innovator could take the helm.
That would be incredible, I would love to see him do couture again. For me, personally, though I would like to see somebody totally new come in and reinvent the main house codes, I think Craig Green would be really good at doing the quilting, or I could see Richard Quinn translating what he does to tweed really well
It seems that VV started to take over more of a creative role while he was still alive, that’s not confirmed by me, just what Ive read from other comments, but either way its a real shame that they couldnt evolve chanel aafter his passing - and its not like Im suggesting a total rebrand, just an evolution on the key signatures, perhaps bring in some new ones as Chanel herself wouldve done
LVMH will end up buying them. They have resisted until now. Their more recent bags are not worth what they charge. Vintage Chanel is beautiful. Unfortunately that comes at a huge price.
Karl L. made their image one of unattainability and dreams. I doubt it will ever be on top like that again. He was criticized for certain things, but those are the things that made it appealing. For example, the models were always thin and exotic. I think they are going in another direction presently, which may not be as appealing. Time will tell. The spring 2023 which just showed recently was not at all as beautiful as those of the past. But it's not like I'm going to be running out to buy a closet full of Channel. However, a girl can dream.
Its so interesting to me that many people like yourself dont like the clothes but still dream to wear them. Chanel really have done a phenomenal job at making their brand desirable and it was such a fascinating case study for that reason, theyve 100% done it better than anyone else
Love your videos!! I generally agree although I think that Lagerfeld's approach was perfect for this brand. I think that keeping everything obviously and identifiably 'Chanel" the way he did was genius. He once said in an interview, "For me it is Chanel then and Chanel now... I am not interested in my personal history with this brand." The current designer is so boring and her collections are too laid back and too 'low effort, low maintenance.' . I don't know if I am allowed to say this but it seems like female creative directors that take over large heritage houses are often afraid of making things too traditionally feminine but everything becomes much less glamorous and less fun as a result.
Oftentimes women CDs are taken in to commercialise the creative vision of the men who came before them. Theyre expected to finesse a previous idea. Its undoubtedly misogyny, but I dont know if the fashion world is ready to have that conversation yet
@@understitchYT With respect, I think you're using the word misogyny much too liberally. I still think you're cool though. You'd be a cool person to talk fashion with!
@@understitchYT I love high maintenance, high glamour brands for both women and men. The low maintenance look is boring.... anybody can recreate it. Frida Giannini designed some of the greatest menswear shows in fashion history IMO. Donatella Versace seems like the only designer these days who is doing full on glamor anymore. 😞
@@understitchYT I would have to compare Chanel with Dior. When Maria became Creative Director, the whole fashion house become bland and and making a lot of boring silhouettes, yet they make ton of money. Honestly as long as they make more money, these normal boring fashion show will never end. There is different between hype marketing production vs marketing for clothes and stuff. Those crazy production runway usually make money by perfume or bags, not really the clothes themselves. We can’t expect every brand doing crazy show like back then. It is just a marketing perspective by the end of the day. But do agree with what you say in video. Something is weird happening since Karl died :/
Despite Chanel being criticized by the french back in 1954 because of her nazi controversy (her shopped closed around 1939 because of war so chanel was vacant for 15 years ) , Americans praised her design and her tweed jacket made a huge comeback for the house , so there will come a time chanel can return back
I loved the beach scene and the Italian Gardens, his last I think just before he passed. I worked with Karl for two years, an incredible experience. I was supposed to take over the tailoring side but passed over the opportunity and ended up working with Ines de la Fressange. The head of 'flou' at Chanel is one of my apprentices. As for the witch herself I've read so much on her that I gag at the stuff people praise her for. She hated both jews and gays and was an all round bad person.
What incredible insight, what was Karl like as a creative leader for you in the tailoring side? (Also, did you get to meet Ines, I used to ADORE her so much)
@@understitchYT I worked for Karl at Chloé along with Viard, we 'tolerated' each other. Karl was incredible, I was head of the workroom. He would give me gifts and flowers to my home and wrote me to thank me each time. It was a LOT of work and dedication, no private life possible. I then worked for Ines, head of her collection then I was head of developement at Kenzo (LVMH) then after a stint in south america then dressing the Saudis I became director at the new Ines label. I left to retire but we still converse often. I got on so well both both Karl and Ines, I sometimes miss couture but not the long long hours !
What an incredible CV, its so nice to hear that Karl and Ines were both lovely people (and yes, Ive heard the rumours about VV being a tad difficult), would you mind if I pinned your comment for others to find? I just find your perspective really interesting.
Also, can I ask who you worked with in Kenzo? Theyve had a few changes in recent decades 🥰
I was just thinking, would I have seen you in the BBC secret world of haute couture documentary? The one where they go into the atelier and seemingly spend a long time with the artisans. Its one of my favourites so itd be so incredible if you were 🥰
@@understitchYT No problem, I left Kenzo in 2006 after a struggle with yet another dumb president ! I was there 6 years and completely restructured the system. I worked with Gilles Rosier then Kim Laursen who was designer at Lacroix before being replaced with the amazing Antonio Marras. I set up the fashion show workrooms and teams and it was a fantastic three years, amazingly creative. I went to Antonios shows in Milan and his parties in Sardinia. It was an incredible sometimes impossible workload but I still managed to make it fun and never took the business seriously. I used to tell my team when stress took over that we weren't curing cancer, it was frocks !
Very well researched! She was disliked for underpaying her staff and being a bully. Not just for being a collaborator.
She did have a tragic life her early life meant she was very insecure and ego-oriented. Overall a very sad person. My grandmother was in the Resistance and actively hated her. No Chanel for her!
Yeah the whole strike of her workers was an awful situation, she didnt budge even when they were on the streets, very money hungry lady, not very nice at all
Actually, the guy the Wertheimers left the business in the hands of, Felix Amiot, also had very mixed reports. Some sources say he protected his workers and people fiercly in that time. Others say he helped them to get the sootlight off of his business, and he did have very high up links in the nazi party himself (though it appears he really didnt agree or care about their views and mostly saw them as just another way to get ahead)
I agree that Chanels early life probably contributed to her being not a very nice person, she had to work extremely hard to network enough to have even her first millinery shop. I suppose that came with more sacrifices than we will ever know
Has your grandmother ever talked in depth about it, when I was researching there was paper after paper after paper on how hated she was even well after the war, it mustve been tough, but its not undeserved
Omg Im so sorry that was so long
@@understitchYT It was mainly the role she had as a collaborator that made Gabrielle Coco Chanel so hated. The oppressive treatment of staff didn't help. They went on strike and she fired them and locked them out! This reflects a kind of persecution complex, she seemed to think the world was against her, and in her early days it certainly was. So in a way she was a natural fit for fascism because she wanted her place in a position of power, and she wanted order and revenge on anyone who slighted her.
But you filled in the blanks for me about why Churchill silently and deftly intervened to prevent her being tried at the end of the war for her misdeeds. It previously made no sense to me that he did that.
But the fact that she had something on Churchill about his intervention to protect Edward and Wallis' interests makes sense. Churchill was a rabid monarchist and would do anything to protect the institution as a whole hence his compromised position.
Chanel was extremely emotionally deprived, unwanted and unloved and was put into a convent/orphanage when she in fact had a living parent. She was constantly scheming and saw her survival as dependent on the favour of males. She was a kiss-up kick-down sort of person but that reflected her hardscrabble start in life. On the plus side she was highly intelligent and individualistic.
Freeing up women from the dreaded corset is not to be understated. My great grandmother was a reluctant corset-wearer and she had to stop playing piano even though she was concert pianist level because she was compelled to not threaten men by societal standards. She was so talented her teacher offered to teach her for free, but her parents declined and made her work in a hat shop. Imagine! In her later years she said in French of her married life (her husband would slam the wooden cover down on her hands if she played piano): "I live the life of a dog." she also advised my aunt "never marry take many lovers". I took note!
Though you and I recoil, Chanel has to be seen in the context of the times and the subjective experience of her deprived early life. IMO. But you've done extremely well with your video, it's articulate and thoughtful and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
@@understitchYT Not at all! As I said above, itwas thoroughly enjoyable. I love an extended exchange and exploration of views. We're not on twitter thank God!
Actually, UA-cam is replacing Twitter. No censorship of comments.
I was recently in a Chanel store and the leather was literally coming out of the chain on a display bag, hats had indentations, jackets looked like they were made in a sweatshop….
I used to be a client but this was just the last straw for me.
I can accept Chanel being boring but not their quality for that price….
The sad thing is I have vintage pieces that are 30-40yrs old and still look better than the new ones from 2022.
Only vintage Chanel for me from now on 😅
I think these days most people don’t know what genuinely good quality garments look like and every brand, from high street to designer takes advantage of that. I used to collect vintage stuff (think pre-victorian), and the quality difference between a normal garment back in the day to what we called as designer now is absolutely shocking, that’s why I look for more of a meaning in clothes because we are very rarely paying for quality these days 🤷
yah i have 2022 bags and i current purchased a vintage one and vintage is way better!!
And yet the price has gone up, faster than inflation
@@understitchYT omg this mini chanel flap had frayed stitches and kinked chain strap. it literally looked like a forever 21 bag.
@@MarMarSnatched oh wow, thats not great :I
The fact that quality has drastically decreased with many fashion houses while prices rise isn't discussed enough. One can't solely depend on brand recognition for luxury. Yes we love designs, presentations and colors, however quality is a key element of luxury.
There is no tactile reason to buy from these high fashion brands anymore, its simply not a luxury product in the same way that term used to mean. If you put value in the brand name, then that can be a luxury. But its not as clear in product anymore and thats a shame
In my personal opinion I think a lot of Chanel's failures in recent years can be attributed to greed. They hiked up their bag prices dramatically even as quality continued to fall because they know their faithful clientele and reputation as an "investment" bag would continue to turn out profits for a long time. But people aren't stupid -- even the most loyal customers will eventually recognize they're being taken advantage of and lose their brand loyalty.
When it comes to clothing, Chanel's apparent desire to play it "safe" and stick to designs that have previously guaranteed financial success may also be a reason for the stifled creativity. It's not about fashion anymore, it's about money. Sadly I predict that at some point in the years to come these shortcomings will culminate in a large-scale fall from grace for the brand.
(Also your videos are so amazing! Interesting and informative. I love your channel)
Greed, or commercialism? This idea of unending growth is just so unhealthy. I think thats why Hermes has done so well over the last few years because theyve allowed their growth to happen more naturally with few price increases (as we can see in how the chanel flap is the same as a birkin in price now)
But yeah, people arent stupid, theyre getting sick of this situation where it feels like the brands that promised to give them something, no longer care about their customers at all and just are trying to rip them off. Few are avoiding this level of inauthenticity these days and its hard to watch them fail so hard 😬
It seems to me many heavily advertised brands like Gucci, Prada, LV, YsT have considerably dropped the quality of their products and rely on stupid young consumers who're influenced by social media. Rich People who understand the quality don't buy these brands anymore.
@@helenab9973 in my opinion social media itself changed the fashion industry in a very negative way. The models are more look like angry robots and the quality of fabrics are nowhere near even yo the 80’s -90’s. Back in the days the designer names were huge and represented philosophy not only status. People were way more modest about flaunting their wealth. It was like the wealthy lived their own way of life and we didnt follow them on social media. Now people in slums wearing fake chanel and LV and gucci shirts and trousers… fashion is dead unless something revolutionary happens again just like long decades ago when women could throw the corset to the corner. To me is extremely boring watching all fashion houses ate dying literally no creativity no original line max Hermés the only one could be faithful to its values and significant designs.
@@understitchYT Exactly well articulated!
I have seen so many youtubers complained about Chanel quality issues (SuperDacob, Romina Rose May,...) and I cannot find the reason to justify the price point of their accessories and bags. Chanel is now a huge advertising company riding on the back of Jennie no less
The Chanel product has not been reflected in the price for a long time, the prices significantly more reflects the brand equity than the quality of the products (a really good example of this is anything made of plastic, very cheap to produce but sold for different prices across all the different brands), but with all the recent price increases, it’s just become ridiculous and their customers arent happy any more
Chanel accessories are subpart, in ready to wear and Couture the have no match, perhaps Dior is on their level, but Chanel is king in quality in clothing
@@gerardoarenasss It's costume jewelry at fine jewelry prices
@@understitchYT accessories yes, clothing, never
@@gerardoarenasss the couture is made with a high quality, absolutely, not denying that, but my ish with the couture is that its so extremely similar to the ready to wear that its not exhibiting what the couturiers at the maison can actually do. It feels like a wasted talent to me
My mother began working with Chanel about 20 years ago; said it was the nastiest company she ever worked for and was glad she got out. Anyways, after Lagerfeld that was it.
I dont even need to fact check to trust this is correct 😂
She worked cosmetics; about 2006, she brought up at a meeting that she was embarrassed that when darker-skinned women would ask her to match them she had no colors dark enough. The AE replied “Well, when they finally decide to buy our product then we will cater to them.” Woof. I’ve worked for them as a fragrance model and have my own stories. I even tried to get into one of the ready-to-wear shops at the recommendation of my AE, but the store manager was hardly a professional when it came to keeping appointments and so nothing came of it. The only things good about Chanel are No. 5 (my nana used to wear it, she was a Joan Crawford type), Inès de la Fressange, and Lagerfeld. The sort women Chanel was made for really don’t exist anymore, and so that’s why it’s failed. C’est la vie.
@@njlillycline wow thats such a rude response from her AE. But the Chanel No5 fragrance is basically a dupe of another perfume that was available at the time anyway, it wasn't really ever meant to be for sale (at least not at first).
But Ines de La Fressange I adore, a really true true frech fashion classic, shes so intelligent too. But I agree the 'true' Chanel client barely exist any more, and if they do they are ancient
@Nicholas J. Lilly Cline Well to be fair, I am Afro-American, and companies wouldn't put money to cater to most ethnic groups if they don't buy the product l. And Chanel is right, blacks are not buying Chanel like Gucci and other brands. Chanel is seen as a old white woman's fashion brand, nothing that black women are into.
@@blacklightfreakout825 Touché. Especially back then, pandering to certain groups wasn’t on anyone’s mind
Many of Karl's shows were very impressive. I personally love Chanel by the sea, Paris in Rome and the Rocket show.
Yeah, I totally agree, their showmanship was completely unsurpassed almost every season, it’s amazing that they had that many random ideas to turn into shows
Right???
I loved the Indian themed one. So regal
I am no fashion expert but as someone who loved Karl's designs, the major problem I find with chanel today is that they are just recycling what's been done before and that too in an unflattering way. Chanel has lost its uniqueness to me.
Yep, its inauthentic and unoriginal
At this point, I assume that Chanel is designing clothing for older, more conservative clients and making the majority of their money from bags, perfume and accessories.
Regarding drops in quality in the designer fashion space, this seems to be happening across the board. I hear about quality issues with more and more luxury brands.
Yes, I think that’s correct, if you’ve ever seen the BBC documentary, the secret world of Haute couture, a large majority of their client is elderly ladies that were there for the glory days of Chanel revival. That’s truly why they don’t want to change, because they don’t want to lose this esteem that they have. It’s profitable, they’ve got a lot of respect, so they’re scared to change that. But, to try to push them as an extreme luxury, while lowering the quality? No one will stay for very long if you do that
But they have young pop culture ambassadors so... They are kinda lost
Designer bags are dead. Poor quality, ridiculous prices. I sometimes follow a particular Asian blogger on her channel and she buys quite a lot of designer bags and I can see from here the quality of the leather is so poor. Especially Loewe. Terrible.
Its called corporate greed and no company/industry is immune from it. Just look at all the Chinese labourers shipped off to Milan so that Italians can keep stamping "Made in Italy" on their overpriced products while those products are being made by Chinese slave labour.
@@sophiaelayne9984 is it Jamie Xie? I ADORE her hauls, which though they are probably very wasteful, I like that its not much of the big brands which too many people do hauls of and it gets boring tbh
For those of you interested in the production behind Chanel's runway shows, they're done by a production company called Villa Eugénie, while the videography is done by Walter Films, who produces a heavy majority of Chanel's digital media.
The company was established in 1991 by Etienne Russo, when his friend, Dries Van Noten, asked him to produce his debut runway show for his Spring 1992 collection. After producing several shows for Dries and the other members of the Antwerp 6, he was approached by Hermès and Hugo Boss in 1998 and Chanel in 1999 to produce their shows in more modern direction.
Villa Eugénie has since done shows for Martin Margiela, Lanvin, Fendi, Gucci, Thom Browne and Burberry. Today, the company continues to do shows for Boss, Hermès, Givenchy, Alyx 9SM, Alexandre Vauthier and Dior Homme. They also co-produce Prada and Miu Miu shows with Without Production.
This is absolutely fascinating thank you!! Im assuming they set up the video shoot, but they dont do the set design? Or do they?
@@understitchYT I believe that depends on the season. Usually Villa Eugénie is behind the set conception, but they do occasionally collaborate with an artist or a set designer.
@@ladyjunon6305 well if thats the case its a shame that its her vision, perhaps shes spread too thin
@@cosmefulanitoo2625 bro please .
@cosmefulanitoo2625 A bit harsh...me thinks...🤔
I recently realized the only Chanel I’ve ever loved was Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel from the 90s
Id wager its the only chanel anyone living under 60 has ever known
for me it was the 50s even though i was born in the 90s
It was 60s
I inherited my mom's Chanel suits and bags...they're pristine. I bought a Chanel bag at their boutique a few years ago, and I've had that bag repaired 2 times and I hardly use the darn bag. Don't get me started on the disappointment I feel in what's happened to the Chanel brand. The shine has dimmed tremendously.
The quality change is really shocking if compare the two. I know generally its true across the board and has been declining since the first world war (something Karl really hated actually, theres a great story of him at Balmain experiencing all these pre-war fabrics for the first time - Im working on a Karl video now) but with Chanel, who have so famously raised their prices an extortionat amount and are trying to compete with Hermes, it really stings
The more and more I think of Chanel the more I wonder whether Karl staying on so long was actually a disadvantage creatively. Any creative outlet would stall if it centred around one brain. Karl introduced some amazing styles to Chanel, but once they were established maybe a new head to take those to another level could have worked. Karl worked for a short time at Fendi but created the FF logo whilst there, which is now symbolic. But I think symbolic because it has been used differently after Karl left the house. I could be wrong and I think Karl was very creative but clearly Chanel is stuck trying to replicate its early Karl hey-days.
He was at Fendi for 50+ years though...
@@ladyjunon6305 ah sorry i think I got my years mixed between Chanel and Fendi, you’re absolutely right. Whilst I don’t think that Fendi amazes in its creativity as well, I do think it has done better than Chanel at moving with the times. I wonder why Chanel has struggled so much in their ready to wear in particular.
He was at Fendi for almost as long as Chanel, and personally I think it was better because it was less famous, but also because Sylvia did the menswear so extremely well. The menswear was always better than the womenswear at Fendi for me.
But, really, what Karl was good at was reviving a brand, and using the original house codes in a new an updated way. He was a fantastic designer and extremely commercial It’s extremely difficult for any designer to create two completely distinct design aesthetics for two different houses while also working on his own company. The guy may have been kind of problematic, but he was very talented at driving desire
@@understitchYT speaking facts!
@@emilia123zz Because women are heavier and Chanel just has not adjusted for a curvier look. The fabric is often bulky. It's unflattering and hard to wear. The Chanel jacket does go well with jeans, that's making the best of it.
I’ve been saying Chanel is on a decline for years, and that’s primarily the designs. Sure some of the classic pieces still have cache, but Chanel is giving stuffy aunt and stiff grandma. They need young blood in there that’s gonna revamp the brands image. It’s a necessity at this point.
I think what Chanel are missing is that there is no need to get rid of the best sellers. You just put them into a classics line, and then the people that want the original Chanel, can get it. Or, you make another line on the other end and make like a Chanel artisnal line that will allow new designers to reimagine Chanel, and hopefully they get new classics that way. It’s not exactly rocket science, I don’t know why they’re dragging their feet
Why can’t they just end the brand and a new person/company can step into the spotlight
Yeah, I think the strict adherence to the classic Chanel aesthetic has been a bit of a detriment as well. Gabrielle was a fashion innovator that revolutionized the way women dressed, and yet ironically her legacy has seen the same tired tweeds trotted out year after year. They should be redefining and reinvigorating what it means to be an elegant woman in any given decade. I just think it’s laziness. A winning Chanel combines classic elegance with a slant towards the future. Sleekness, comfort, and vision.
I would love to be able to live another 100 years to see if the Chanel does evolve, or fade into the fashion halls of time.
I don’t even think we’ll have to wait that long if they continue doing what they’re doing 🤷
@@understitchYT whenever or if it happens you wont be around😆😆😆
I was just talking about this with my husband! We were avid shoppers at our local Chanel boutique during Lagerfeld’s reign, but we’ve hardly step foot in there since his death. The new designs just don’t appeal to us.
Its really tainted the shopper experience defijitely. When the product becomes stayed, the excitement to go into stores and check out the new offering starts to get lessened. tho I love peter marinos architecture, i pretty much only go for him now instead of the clothes
Ur critique is spot on, it could have been so exciting to see a new interpretation of the Chanel legacy..
Right? Like imagine if they had just explored a different facet of Chanels design, I mean not everything has to be tweed or a suit 🤷
Two years after Chanel’s death, the house appointed Ramón Esparza, Balenciaga’s right hand man, as creative directive director. He presented his collection in 1973. The critics thought the collection was too modern and young and he was immediately fired. Not every new and fresh is financially successful. You forgot to mention one good thing that Chanel did for Haute Couture. They bought many of the floundering couture ateliers such as Lesage and Massato to preserve them. Many of the French houses are suffering because of the lack of skilled workers and so the quality of manufacturing is going down. Hermés also has that problem. Also it should be pointed out that many designers in Paris where to some extent collaborating with the Nazis. Balenciaga was an ally of the Spanish fascist governments and received protection from them. Louis Vuitton was a supporter of the French Vichy Regime. Christian Dior who at the time was working for Lelong designed clothes for the wives of German officials’ wives. Many terrible things were done in the name of Fashion…
This awful little woman was a willing Nazi collaborator and spy and was complicit in the betrayal and deportation of many French Jews, some of whom she had been close friends with before the war. I marvel at how people like you all glorify and laud this treasonously despicable antisemite and unrepentant Nazi sympathizer. She is the epitome and personification of what Hannah Arendt said about Adolf Eichmann (and countless people like him), Adolf Hitler's willing henchman of the Holocaust, who systematically planned and zealously orchestrated the deportation and slaughter of millions of Jews during his infamous 1962 trial in Jerusalem in her famous work, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, which I posted below. Anyone who celebrates and praises this woman is no better than she was, and each of you should be utterly ashamed. SMDH
"The trouble with Eichmann was precisely that so many were like him, and that the many were neither perverted nor sadistic, that they were, and still are, terribly and terrifyingly normal. From the viewpoint of our legal institutions and of our moral standards of judgment, this normality was much more terrifying than all the atrocities put together."
- Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report of the Banality of Evil (1963)
This is really one of the best company histories and analyses of Chanel I've seen. I especially like the information you gave about the years between Chanel's death and the arrival of Lagerfeld, a sort of lost time period for the company that not much information is available about.
In hindsight i feel like I couldve gone into more detail about those in between years when she was succeedd only by her assistants and then Gaston Berthelot and Ramon Esparza took over until in 1973 when Berthelot left Ramón Esparza alone to do the couture. Then, Philippe Guibourge designed the RTW in 1978 after Ramon was potentially fired? - I didnt say any of that and I shouldve
@@understitchYT Well, you said it now. I appreciate the information!
I’m so glad you do, thank you for watching
Chanel didn't need to rely too much on their clothing lines to make money and Karl figured that out sometime around 2013... Since then he started paying more attention to the Fendi lines until his passing which is a bit sad, but I understand why he would let his design team take over. Doing 6 collections a year for Chanel and 5 collections a year for Fendi (They only showed autumn couture) is certainly a job only a super human could do!
He did create some remarkable collections from 2013-2019 (Remember pre fall 2016?!) but never as good or consistent as 90s Chanel. Personally I have a soft spot for 2005-2010 Chanel because of its close relationship to the indie sleaze era, and also because it was my introduction to Karl's Chanel and the fashion industry as a whole. Thank you for this video
Since the No5 perfume (which was a dupe of another perfume btw) was released for purchase (it started as a gift for her VICs) it has almost always out performed the clothing lines, thats why Chanel hated the Wertheimers so much, and actually thats why the Wertheimers allowed her to come back because even though few bought the clothes in the 50s it worked well as marketing for their private-labelled perfumes (which means they were not Chanel products, they were actually Barbara Gould products relabelled as Chanel). So they always wanted someone to make noise for Chanel, never really anything else; which is why Im so confused why theyre sticking with Virginie, noone likes her design work?!
Karl also worked on his own fashion line, Im pretty sure he was a hobby architect (dont quote me) and did a lot of collaborative works with other houses. The man really mustve love d his job to keep going and going like that
knew you’d be more exciting to watch than their most recent haute couture show
Pahahahhahaa 💀💀💀 tbf wasnt hard to be that couture show 🤣
This
Loved, loved Chanel with Karl. I don't give a damn anymore 😞
2014 supermarket set, has to be my favourite show. Great clothes, great music and colour colour, colour!!!!! Ps your channel just gets better and better
Thank you so much ❤️🔥
I was actually lucky enough to see that yellow coat in the picture (why I chose that) in the barbican museum in London many years ago and it was very nice irl. Idk if it was nicer than the other couture that was more conceptually or constructionally developed, but very wearable and I liked it a lot
I totally agree that quality' and finish has deteriorated in the creation lately and the cost too is unaffordable unless you are a high bracket earner I am in my nineties now and I still love to dress and the Chanel jacket is my favorite look but I resorted to Hong Kong tailors during my time as a working Mom Then I saved a lot but got the fabric and finish and best fit for my money
@@lilymaniquis8460 Honestly lets talk the Hong Kong tailors or even Vietnam, what incredible craftsman ship for next to nothing cost-wise, hard hard love to them
I’m surprised that Jennie didn’t come for Chanel spring 2023 when she’s the only one making Chanel appeal to younger audiences. I get that they’re trying to appeal more to their older and conservative and rich clients but there’s a reason why Asia is the biggest market for luxury goods. Also, their production in runways went from the best to idk what even that is. They need to step up their game.
I really agree, I loved seeing JiSoo at the Dior show though, I guess she just has better things to do than sit through an utterly dull Chanel presentation again 🤷 Chanel in Korea is HUGE business too, I cannot even begin to tell you how many Chanel bags I see when I visit and the queues are always ENORMOUS even in the non-capital cities like Daegu. I think its because Koreans tend to like status brands a lot which is why Michele did so well there too but thats just imo of course
Asia is the biggest market for luxury goods because is the biggest market for everything.
@@understitchYT Jennie wasn't at Dior
@@carolabo5874 youre right, sorry I voice typed it, I guess it didn't catch what it said
I'm young and I like chanel because of her story and because I like fashion, I didn't know who jennie was until your comment
I can tell you put a lot of effort into your videos! Loved this
Thank you so much, I worked so hard on this video, so Im glad it paid off 🙌
@@cosmefulanitoo2625 are you a clown? these videos require extensive research to provide the audience with accurate information, script writing, collecting archive footage, voice recording, video editing, audio editing, etc. go back to the circus
@@understitchYT This is one of the finest videos that I have ever seen on utube. The story was fascinating. Goes to show, me at least, that critics can be everywhere. If someone could walk in our shoes then they would know what we were up against. Thank you for this video discussion.
@@williamkazak469 thank you so much
I know everybody associates Chanel with the tweed jackets and modest high fashion, but I remember being a teenager and seeing Nicole Kidman in that pink dress made of ostrich feathers for Chanel No5 advertising. That, for me, became the quintessential moment in high fashion. I thought nothing could beat that (well, I hadn’t seen Alexander McQueen’s work yet back then 😂).
I am so lucky I’ve seen that dress 10 years later at the exhibition dedicated to the work of Karl Lagerfeld in Bundeskunsthalle Bonn. I know that the Met is going to have another exhibition about him this summer, I hope they will manage to bring some of his dresses for a show.
Thanks for a great video, it’s a pleasure to watch and listen to a professional.
With the amount of clothes they produce it is undoubted that they will have some hits in there, I mean you make that many, its hard not to have a a good few hits and a lot of flops. Butthere’s literally hundreds of thousands of Karl designs for them to pick for the met, so I don’t doubt that will be good
Moving to Vermont Sunday so I’m elated to have an exhibition to look forward to!
Oh dear, Nicole Kidman. Brand poison.
@@johnryskamp2943 sad to be you..
Great video again, thank you. I love how your own (more than justified) frustration with the decline in quality comes through towards the end. If only this was the exception. Unfortunately it seems as if lowered standards and steep pricing have become the biggest trends in fashion for the last years. Keep on making videos, they're so informative and very much appreciated.
I try to be extremely fair and constructive with my opinion, if, and when, I add it. I think if I can understand and deconstruct the exact reasons that I like or dislike something, then I can understand the work behind something even if its not my personal taste,
@@understitchYT I think you misunderstood, I meant the "If only this was the exception" in regards to the decline in quality ;)
I read you correctly, and I agree, most companies, or all companies, do not have the same quality that was once available. Simply the fabric that used to be available is no longer, and honestly, this thought of an ever expanding business, never to plateau, has really hurt products. From Hermes now sewing Birkins by machine, to Nutella changing their recipe, it happened to everyone 🤷
@@understitchYT where is the proof of that?
Virginie says she continues to design clothes for women but none of her collections look desirable to wear. The silhouettes, cuts, fabrics, all of it just don't look on brand compared to when Karl was there. With Karl he had this crazy imagination that ran wild every season and that was so interesting to witness. You never knew what he was going to put out each season even though we knew there were going to be the classic Chanel codes like the tweed suit, the little black dress and etc.
Also, a favourite set of mine is spring 2006 couture, the spiral staircase. The clothes looked so elegant and dainty, especially the wedding dress on Lily Cole. The clothes always matched the runway sets when Karl was still alive. Virginie's sets and clothes are pretty plain.
That spiral staircase is so interesting to me, because it represents so much of her own history, once she was a very respected and beloved designer, and that would’ve been a really exciting place to show her designs. But when she was returned, and she was mocked, it must’ve been really difficult to see the public turn on her like that, in a place in which she was once so heralded
I don’t think VV designs clothes for women, there is nothing practical, or modern about the clothing in the way that Chanel‘s designs were at a time. I don’t even necessarily think that she designs with the codes of the house in mind, it’s mostly just a rehash of what Karl did , but in a much less authentic way, because it is not her ideas
People seem to have this misconception that Karl did not change what Chanel did, and that’s just untrue, he evolved the brand an extreme amount, even Chanel herself evolved the brand an extreme amount, so I don’t understand why VV either isn’t or isn’t allowed to, its made Chanel very very dull 🤷
I was afraid to say it.
I also agree with that. I think that no one "nowadays" in the fashion industry could pull up an inventive show and perfect out of this world as Karl. I appreciate the recent resort show in Dakar btw. Anyway, Karl was a genius every set every soundtrack, I miss him everyday. My most impressive fashion show moment, was with the two brides at end of the Spring-Summer 2013 Haute Couture show while was being discussed the same sex mariage in France. That was the glimpse/stamp of a genius. Virgine is trying but she doesn't have the extravaganza on the guts that Karl had. This season so far, Saint Laurent menswear show and Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture by Haider Ackermann were absolute best. And yeah maybe I think that Chanel could go in a similar direction but also keep the brand DNA as well.
i so agree. dont want to hurt anybody's feelings but viard doesnt even bother to do 'hair' for the shows. this is a statement ? i think marc jacobs should step in...
@@harcamone1949 She just lacks a lot of creativity with the beauty, the sets, the clothes, the whole atmosphere and environment for Chanel. Plus her referencing the older Chanel from the 90s at times isn't doing her justice because it looks like a watered-down version of what Karl has done. Marc Jacobs would be an interesting one to see, possibility of him matching to Karl's creativity as his designs for LV and his own label have a unique charm to them.
i love the supermarket set and i love the clothes from this collection too. i would happily wear most of them, year after year. the supermarket set is just such an original, wonderfully presented, light hearted comment on modern consumerism. it will stand the test of time and will continue to be referenced in the future. you can see it's influence in the recent noah baumbach movie 'white noise'.
I really loved that collection as well, I thought the use of having the bags shrink-wrapped was really funny, and well thought out
I think if Chanel started a menswear line it would be really successful for them
I think it could be, yeah, and at least it will be something new. At least we would, at least at first, have something interesting to talk about.
@@understitchYT my exact thoughts!
I remember there was a rumour of Hedi Slimane was possibly coming to Chanel to do a menswear line for the brand
I heard this rumour too, but I think he has too much of a distinct style for it to work for Chanel, but that’s just my opinion
Dior is blowing Chanel out of the water in the recent 2021/2022. I had the same thought about Chanel being in decline for some time now and was happily surprised to come across your video.
Im so glad that you enjoyed, thank you so much for watching 🙌
@@understitchYT i havent watched the whole thing but somebody finally spoke up. lets hope it triggers change. chanel created hyper anticipation before, now its just a waste of time
The 2010 iceberg. Genius. I worked for the Luxottica Group. Karl Lagerfeld very generously let us sell his previous seasons' eyewear for our charity that provides eye care for people who do not have access to glasses and ophthalmology care. He is missed.
Oh thats so kind. Im reading andre leon talley’s book atm and from what Im reading he was such a giving person. Ive had a few comments from people with experiences with him too and Im so gladdened to know how kind he was
@@understitchYT wonderful video. thank you.
@@evilpixiedance thank you
When Karl died, Chanel was never really going to be the same. The shows were more than just for the clothing it was like an experience you had to see.
I really agree so much
Looking at Virginie Viard's work for Chanel now, only serves to showcase the genius that was Karl Lagerfeld all the more. Let's face it, he is a hard act to follow. The man was a true visionary, and there will never be anyone like him. I miss him.
Thats true, even Chanel wasn't immediately followed by Karl, she was succeeded by her less than successful in house team, just as she is doing now in the death of Karl, so maybe Im right and a new designer is round the corner and theyll just blame the ugliness on VV
@@understitchYTAs much as I hate Chanel’s fashion as of right now, you cannot Blame VV. She did inherit huge shoes from Karl. Whether she was prepared for it or not. You gotta to admit VV’s determination to push through despite knowing that she’ll never be on the levels of Karl, of whom she worked under for. So I get the hate for VV. But I got to admire, VV should at least deserve to get some slack as CD for Chanel. So I pity VV for her situation, because it’s probably like even herself (that’s a stretch) is never going to achieve the same level of genuine and creativity of KL. And probably trying her absolute best to make the most out of her crappy situation that Chanel forced her in as CD for Womenswear, whether justified or not. Only her actions could tell.
This is an outstanding critique. Well done!
Thank you so much
Subscribed! I love how well researched this is in terms of the business and why decisions were made. I would love to hear about Hermes and even jewelry houses like Tiffany's or Cartier.
Thank you so much!!! I ALMOST made a video on Tiffany and bumped it for Fendi I think, but then they rebranded so I regret not doing it now because thats what I was going to predict in the video 😭😭😭😭
I have studied Chanel excessively and this video is one of the best rundowns of the brand out there
Oh, that’s so kind, thank you so much, thats so incredibly flattering
Thoughts on today's Chanel?
Also, you NEED to see the Chanel Beauty video, seriously, I'm so proud of this video: ua-cam.com/video/daU_yEqU7ro/v-deo.html&ab_channel=underskin%2C
Today's show felt like no-one is having fun at Chanel. Zero interest.
Exactly what i have thought for the last 3-4 years. The novelty of Virginie’s design only could be seen on HC 19FW. Even before Karl has passed away, the collections were getting boring and dull, especially when it came to HC collections for FW seasons (too much plaid and tweed!)
It really is such a shame isnt it? It wouldve been so nice to see her (or someone else) evolve the brand when it was ripe for a change😮💨
@@understitchYT i didnt see anything since she took over. i wanted her to succeed - she never delivered that knockout collection.
@@harcamone1949 Yes. Very much. All she needed was one big hit and the company could run with it, but we are still waiting
Your commentary is right on point! So sad to see the consistent & steady decline of Chanel - People forget that when mgt. hired KL in the early 80's it was revolutionary for the time - when KL passed it was the perfect opportunity for them to reach out and hire a new Director to take Chanel to the next level, just as they did when hiring KL - there are so many designers that I believe are capable, such as Haider Akerman & Oliver Theyskens to name a few. What a missed opportunity for the future of Chanel. I find it amusing when they say "Virginie was KL's right hand" as if that's a qualification - !?
yeah i really agree, if someone for years was second best, why would you keep a second best? ijs
I have never in my life nodded my head so much at a video. You described it so perfectly and eloquently!
Gosh, I hope your neck is okay 😂
@@understitchYT HAHAHAHA it is! But seriously, this was such a great video. So clear and concise, and well researched! Thank you for sharing your wisdom :)
@@paichan33 Im so glad you liked it, tysm for commenting to let me know 💃
Excellent video… I thought I would watch a minute of this while I searched for another subject… and 10 minutes later I can’t remember what I was going to search…. Subscribed just now!
That is so kind, thank you so much for letting me know that you enjoyed it so much, sorry to ruin your searching though 😂
Great content! CHANEL is undoubtedly in need of a jolt of fresh inspo…and I totally agree that it’s probably the powers that be who are in charge of “the look” remaining stagnant….for them, it’s about the money and profits, not about the clothes or the heritage of the company.
Yes, it definitely seems that that could likely be the case, what I didn’t expect, was how many negative opinions people who know her had about VV that they commented on this video (or on TikTok, too, I’ve seen a lot on TikTok)
The 2017 autumn show which featured a branded space rocket was the most outlandish the staging for a Chanel show. It’s one of my favorite Chanel shows. The clothes may be boring now, but one thing Chanel will do is stage a fantastic mise en scène for their fashion shows.
On a more serious note, your point about Virginie Viard is an astute one. I had not considered before that the reason the clothes have become so stale is that the owners of the company may be limiting how much creativity she is allowed to express. If that is indeed the case, then it is setting her up to fail, as customers are buying less and less of the Chanel ready to wear line. I hope for her sake that she has set up an exit plan for herself.
That rocket was absolutely incredible, it’s so fascinating that it’s hard to remember any of the clothes, but we remember the design so well
Yeah, I am so curious to see what happens with Chanel in the future, specifically because of that. I know she was the right-hand man to Karl for so long, so she was the best person to replicate his style, but that doesn’t mean it’s hers 🤷 Michele was on Fridas team at Gucci for years and look what he did
@@understitchYT I think you're right there. Sylvie has been an interpreter of Karl Lagerfeld and he would prolifically churn out sketches which were thematically integrated and strong. She's very much in his shadow still. They need a visionary but there are very few of the calibre of Karl L, or Tom Ford. You can count them on one hand IMO. Maybe Phoebe Philo but even then she would want more freedom.
Chanel and Sylvie are today constricted by the past but Karl L knew how to blow it up in the right way.
JIMO.
@@understitchYT I absolutely agree with you that she has yet to show her voice or show us who she really is.
What Michele did was amazing. But I have to say I really saw it coming, that they were just going to drop him at some point. Because years in and all you have is maximalist pieces that are extremely extremely difficult to match. And it felt like there was not much evolution in the collections - always the same skinny models men and women wearing way too odd pieces (like that season where he had his models hold literal head pieces). Personally, I appreciate creativity, but that creativity for me has to mean something whereas I feel in Michele’s case (I might be wrong) a lot of the times, it’s more about the styling than the concept behind each collection. And I feel that if you are the kind of designer that relies mostly on styling rather than substance (like Dries where he usually has very meaningful concepts behind each of his collections), then it is not really going to be sustainable as people will eventually get bored of that “style” or “image” that you have so meticulously projected.
@@Btkasem I disagree about Alessandro, I actually think he is a really talented designer, he made the world that we know truly from scratch, there was absolutely nothing like that before he designed. I don’t necessarily think there’s anything wrong with having similar collection season after season. It creates longevity, it creates a continued value in each product, and though that does mean, probably, that the garments towards the end would’ve had less sales, because people were still wear the things from the previous season, it meant that there was more sales initially because it was seen as more value
@@understitchYT I also think Alessandro is a very talented designer and what hes done with Gucci is just incredible. It was bland and boring before and he gave a new identity to Gucci. But I meant in terms of customers I think customers get tired of the repetitions after a few seasons. Its like when its new yes we need it because its so fresh but after a few seasons have passed and if its still more or less the same (I think in Gucci’s case more so for menswear than womenswear), then customers will be less likely to make repeat purchases.
But, for example, if you take Dries or Kim Jones for Dior, when the concept behind a collection is so strong, there is enough distinction between seasons that will induce customers to want to buy into what the brand is offering. For me, because of the new prints in each season, I could never get enough of Dries’ swim trunks. Its like I dont need it but its just so nice and so not like previous seasons that I have to keep on buying his swim shorts!
Kim is also very very smart commercially in the same sense. Aesthetically, his clothes are more or less the same, but with these “collaborations” or “themed concepts” for each collection, there is something new that makes you want to keep buying his clothes. I think a good example is the men’s saddle bag. He takes a classic and each season, gives it enough spin to make it not boring and attractive as a product offering (the flower embroidery on Dior’s grey felt wool was such a triumph), the Sacai saddle and so on.
I just think overall, there is a very clever way of going about making your collections not repetitive whilst maintaining your aesthetic.
I wonder what your view is on the likes of Virgil, Vetements, Off-White, etc. I can lesrn to appreciate them but I find them so repulsive especially Vetements when they first launched but the price points were just insane and in no way justified. Cant wait to hear your thoughts on this!
i know that chanel wants to only sell to their old clientels but some of these pieces on the runway don’t appeal to them…or a younger audience…or anybody really 😭 like im actually interested to know their thought process behind it cause it’s absurd to me
I have no idea the thought process behind it either There is a wonderful documentary on the BBC called the secret world of haute couture, and in it it explains that everything that you see on the catwalk, the client just completely remakes. They can change any part about that garment that they want to, and effectively have exactly what they want created by the atelier. So we are seeing boring clothes, and then they’re being completely changed, so what was the point of showing us a boring close in the first place?
@@understitchYT If I had to guess, I’d say Chanel is primarily focused with customization. They provide a basic model, and get sales by allowing clients to personally customize pieces. It’s pretty smart because they don’t have to spend a lot of time or energy creating anything revolutionary or new, and if clients are going to customize pieces any way they can easily justify this. It’s no different than how wedding dress shops operate. Of course I don’t really know if this is the reason, but its interesting to think about. It’s just too bad the brand has made choices that don’t let them stay at their peak status.
I must say, I love Chanel fashion. The clothes look so beautiful, they are subtle, chic and have a lot of details. Much much better than the fast fashion industry...they are also expensive, don`t survive the wasching machine, they make people looking ugly. People are buying too much and throw them a few weeks later in the trash. It`s sad that fashion lost its value so much. I visited a Chanel boutique 3 weeks ago...yes everything was very expensive...I work as a nurse and cannot buy. But I saw how beautiful people can look with valuable clothes, I thought: I will buy less but beautiful clothes designed with care and effort.
Honestly, you could probably have one made by a local tailor at a better price, but at similar quality, and youd be supporting a local craftsman
Love your work. Many thanks for the research and perspective you bring. As a student of fashion dating back to my time in NYC in the 1970’s growing up with the cremè de La cremè I love the retrospective you give.
Im so glad you enjoyed the video 🙌
just found your channel... amazing breakdown thank you!
Im so glad you liked it 🙌🙌
Chanels reputation was so well guarded all these decades . I could never imagine a piece like this coming out . What I do hate about the modern day Chanel is the way they have shoved to the back Madams own 19 perfume so they can promote this Chance garbage and the latest one . 19 use to be available in different sizes . The shower gel , if you can find it , hardly as a scent .
What I do appreciate though, is that the scents have stayed fairly true throughout their history, they haven’t changed the smells and kept the name as far as I know at all, which is something that is a real annoyance with Dior and other brands
The shower gel is very hard to find. Now don’t want it, knowing that it hardly has a scent.
Chanel will never die. It’s iconic.
I dont think it will die, no, but its very very due a change of some kind
its interesting to me how chanel remains one of the biggest luxury brand just because of impeccable branding & status quo from the past; in the sense that most people who dont have interest or knowledge on fashion consider it amazing & aspirational
for a recent example ppl saying they want their fav to be ambassadors of chanel…im like trust me u do not want that lmaoo 😭
Pretty much, it’s effectively a flex brand. But I actually think that Kpop idols would be well suited to Chanel, it sells exceptionally well in Korea, even the clothing. And in general Korea is a very status driven country, they do a lot of that flexing fashion, so it would be a good representation of Korean fashion in a weird way, but I do hope they style them much better than Margot Robbie 😂🤣
The Cuba Resort 2017 show was pretty epic. It featured the musical duo Ibeyi, one of my favorite groups.
Mr Lagerfeld, I think, was the one that started the trend of large designer houses doing far-flung cruise collections, apparently they were legendarily great
What a crazy story! I had no idea.
Im so glad you liked the video
The problem with Chanel , and all the other famous fashion houses , is the vulgarization of their products. When you see the women of the " Housewives " Bravo series , covered from head to toe in Chanel or any of the other Brands , you realized that it is over for these Brands. Even if they are fake, who wants to wear what those women are wearing ?
Personally, I don’t mind what the housewives wear, I’m more interested in envisioning my own taste. But I think what you’re describing is the result hype, and that is something that would put me off buying a brand.
This is exactly what happened to most designer labels. Rappers dripping in Gucci from head to toe while you're looking up the ass cracks of broads behind him. It's vulgar and disgusting. Influencers are the same. And especially with brands like LV, where you can buy a cheap fake in an asian market and see 10 people wearing the same bag.
this happens to almost all luxury brands, even Hermès cannot protect itself from the cheap celebrities and other nouveaux riches with awful attitude and questionable tastes.
the people with old money aren't the ones dressed from head to toes with these brands.
they know quality is better than everything else.
Always love your video. I share them with my students - great cultural and historic context. How about the rumours that Slimane will be going to Chanel?
Thats phenomenal to hear 🥰 I would adore Slimane to go to Chanel but I dont think itll happen
you hit the nail on the head... great video! You are 100% correct it is now so boring.
Thank you so much! Im glad you enjoyed the video 🙌
It really is such a shame that it’s so boring now, they have literally infinite resources, there is really no excuse
They might make two lines: Chanel Revival for those who like the classics, and Chanel Nouveau who find classic Chanel "boring".
I'd absolutely kill for a 1932 Cométe brooch, but the originals are hard to find, and priced accordingly.
I think they need to add a Chanel Artisinal line and have rotating designers. Like imagine a Craig Green or Pilati or Galliano Chanel
I own a 7k chanel bag and i bought an exact replica for 2k and I made a video taking both of them apart and you can see that the fake is actually SUPERIOR in quality than the actual real purse. It is hilarious
Is that on your tiktok? Can you link me, but do so on insta plz cause yt blocks links from others here 💕
@@understitchYT but the Chanel brand is iconic you must admit and no your ne care's what the hell tick-tock maestros in waiting are saying madame
@@Dina-md3ji It's hard to understand what youre trying to say, but just because its tiktok doesnt mean a criticism is invalid. Consumers run consumerism, so if theyre unhappy, something is awry
@@understitchYT don't worry about the invaluable tripe you dish out you're doing an enormous amount of damage boo boo brains
@@Dina-md3ji ouchies
Great video but hold up you're saying Hermes isn't hand stiching anymore? Gonna need a source to back it up!
Yeah they do the main running stitches by machine now and hand finish their bags. I think its because machines do a sturdier stitch, but theyve never given an official reason that I know of
The rooftop set wasn’t disrupted by a protester. It was a French comedienne with a history of Borat like antics. It was really annoying for the people that put in so much work, but also incredible to watch Gigi Hadid literally act as security and herd her off stage. That was worth the price of admission in it’s own right and brought the kind of free advertising that made people talk about the show. Performance art at its best. Hahaha
Yeah, Gigi Hadid really handled that situation very well. I remember at the time people were really commending her for that
I really appreciate your hard work on making the history of Chanel more transparent and understandable. The company, of course, has to spin things to keep the heritage in their heritage brand, but at some point it might be better to lean on the Lagerfeld years (although there are problems in that) rather then on Chanel herself. I wish they had done what Gaultier is doing, a different creative director every year after Lagerfeld passed away, to reinvigorate the brand and to do a huge PR boost. But it is a cash cow, and they were risk adverse.
Thank you so much 💕 I think Chanel really choose to deify their founder more than the others though, like we all know what Chanel looked like, idk if many could pick Cristobal out of a line up
I agree that it wouldve been so interesting to have a situation somilar to JPG for Chanel with a few reimagining the house codes (personally Id like to see craig greens take on the chanel quilting for example) who would you like to see?
@@understitchYT Right, most designers, at least from the heritage brands, are not famous faces. I would love to see what Botter would do at Chanel with the resources, embroidery, fabric and all the wonderful sewers there. For a real takeover it'd be fun to see what Anrealage would do, all conceptual, but also with incredible vigor and execution. I agree, Craig Green would be cool to see what they do with the quilting along with the shapes of classic Chanel garments. It'd be really great to have some designers do 'capsule' collections for Chanel as a way of infusing some new life into the brand.
@@markbieraugel8217 oh my gosh, and imagine what Doublet would manage to do with the embroidery 😭
Oh, Doublet!! Good suggestion, so great.
I'm very interested to see the direction Chanel decides to take now. The only option is a complete overhaul. An 'Alessandro Michele' type of situation. As amazing as he was, I do think this heavy criticism would have still come even with Karl at the helm. I think his acumen for moving product was just delaying the inevitable. But wow it's crazy how these 80s/90s designers were really able to bring dying luxury houses out of the mud and turn them into the machines they are today.
Honestly i wouldnt mind it, but Im not their main clientele. I think just a reinterpretation, any reinterpretation will be shocking for chanel, regardless of how extreme it is
All your Chanel videos in particular were superb and so in-depth and even opinionated in a reasonable and analytical way, your videos and channel ought to be commended, excited for you and thank you for your great work!
However I respectfully disagree and push back on the verdict that "Chanel has fallen" entirely, perhaps tripped. I personally really resonate with the current sleek and elegant style of the modern Chanel and hope it doesn't chase after trends or outside itself in attempting to become something its not or away from its elevated vision of beauty, high fashion, and minimalist opulence. It is classic and luxurious and one of the few brands that to me seem to channel (pun) quality over fast fashion and gimmicks that are so rampant in basically the entire industry - yet notably even Chanel's quality is depleting/lowering and that is to their detriment and risk to their loyalty of current customers let alone longevity. Very great point of perhaps their stifled creativity and for them to not be so afraid to change but I do not think all progress is good and personally would be upset if they continue to go down this path (i.e., I disliked the athleisure hand glove ad marketing for their recent perfumes which seemed rather gaudy, too juvenile, and beneath Chanel as a brand, at least for me as a 30-year old woman it was not anything that endeared me to Chanel or wish to aspire to it as a brand/aesthetic like most of their other content.) Give me their "boring" black and white or neutral motif any time over that and I'd much prefer it this way instead of extremes - however, excellent point that the same tweed and no experimentation that still suits and is aligned with the spirit and essence of your brand is stale and they need a spark!
Interesting to see its preceding direction. Grateful the brand has distanced itself from unsavory components and hope for its bright future!
I get why youd disagree with the title, chanel has taken a real dip with all the factors you mentioned, but theres no reason to say they cannot rise again
Wait, the Hermes bags aren't hand sewn anymore?? How do you know :0 also when did they stop doing that?
They do hand so some, but the vast majority are machine sewed these days and finished by hand, there was a report a long time ago, it’s been machine sewed for a while now
@@understitchYT oh I see, did the report say that at least the popular/quota bags like Kelly,birkin, constance are hand sewn?
How do you know? Just look at them. Not what they used to be. But that's across the board on most luxury brands. Not worth it.
Brilliant video really enjoyed it . Its exactly what I was thinking. Thank you . 😊
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it ❤️🔥
@@understitchYT ♥️
Many high end fashion brands are also becoming lower quality and the reason for this is because many fashion brands are now owned by Bernard Arnault. He owns LV, Christian Dior, Gucci, Fendi, Givenchy, and many more. Also a leather crafter literally took apart Chanel's leather wallet and said Chanel was overcharging the item. Plus they put so many finishes on the leather that it now feels more plastic than leather.
I mention this in the video yea, and I used tanner leathersmiths video too to highlight exactly that. Its a real shame that the quality has gone downhill honestly
@@understitchYT Yeah, at this point I'm focusing on buying leather goods from smaller brands and leather goods from smaller brands in Japan as well. Japan has a leather association where small leather brands can join to get promotion and go to events to sell or promote their goods. Quality is way higher too.
@@minxili3317 honestly same, I wish I had a bigger platform to promote the smaller brands too
Exactly, and they act like their shit don't stink. Tiffany, with his son as CEO, is going downhill with so much potencial wasted on NFT shill and garbage design.
@yes Their shit obviously doesn't stink since the idiot consumers kept buying their stuff as a status symbol. The only reason you people are complaining is because since the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 due to the lockdowns many of you list your jobs, and due to the Western world being in a recession and suffering from inflation many if you can afford the shit with the little bit of money you have, and NOW REALIZING the lower quality with inflated prices. You are broke, and want to rebel against haute couture being a status symbol. Being Covid-19 broke, you now only afford cheaper brands. You have no choice. YOU CAN'T AFFORD DISCRETIONARY SPENDING LIKE PRE PANDEMIC. 🤣🤣🤣
The lack of quality in fabric and leather goods os very disturbing
Its so disappointing when this is supposed to be the best of the best
LAGERFELD WAS CHANEL. IT WILL NEVER NEVER NEVER BE THE SAME.
Yes, completely. The Chanel we know today was Lagerfeld , quite removed from the original Chanel
lagerfeld was so good - the idea of him spawned installing designers in moribund houses - the idea of it succeeded. Tom Ford, michael kors for Celine (remember ?); alexander wang for balenciaga. The 'flat' feeling of Chanel nowadays is only spawning the idea that the house should close. Wake up Wertheimers !!
I agree with most what u are saying... but to give u a perspective.... Chanel isn’t about innovating shapes and silhouettes. It would scare away the very conservative costumer. Chanel designs are worth a second look, especially in the couture line. On the runway they appear boring, but the craftsmanship behind it, which is mostly a decorative point, rather than a designing point, is remarkable . A lot of work goes in this craftmanship of the garments and it is not seen because we only have a very limited access to it (fast, full body digital images). I am not a defender of Chanel nor a couture client, but it worth to take the time to reaserch on close ups of garments, with all the embroidery, pleats, embellishments... its all handcrafted in paris, it’s where the tradition (not innovation) sits... i wish to get a new designer to Chanel, with a less routie-blinded view, because the basement of the house is so underrepresented, but it is there
I agree that the couture is beautiful, Ive seen a few pieces in real life in museums and they are really pretty, but I dont think they even make an attempt to display what their resources can actually do. Even if it was just one or two (maybe the finale) looks in the collection as a whole that really displayed the wealth of talent that they have at their disposal, I wouldnt feel like the resources were wasted as I do now.
In regards to not innovating silhouette, Chanel did used to be exactly about that. Chanel herself went through many design styles and Karl (in the hey day) also would bring in new silhouettes to the brand (though mostly in a more subtle way). But I havent seen that from VV yet imo
This video is simply amazing. I cannot imagine all the effort and time spent in the making of it. It's very well-made and backed by research. I also would really love to learn about the rise of CÉLINE. I never heard of that brand (from an Asian person's perspective) before Lisa of BLACKPINK became its ambassadress which also happens to be their first if I'm not mistaken. Looking forward to it!
Noooooo I had celine on my to do list and I took it off last minute in for another brand 😭😭
@@understitchYT ohhhh i see, but best believe i would still be patiently waiting! merciii
@@understitchYT I think that celine with phoebe philo (5 year ago) was focus in different audience (More exclusive), I do not remember (They did not work with ambassadors) ambassadors artists and now Hedi Slimane is for more people and He has models and ambassadors artists. Also, please can you talk about comeback of phoebe philo? It is on all fashion news.
Celine is an interesting study, it's rise and fall and rise, I feel.
The quality discrepancies are the worst problem for the ready to wear couture brands
Especially combined with price rises
While I keep Chanel in high regards for what it is (or was?), I actually sort of forgot about the brand. Only because of this video was I reminded. I agree with all that was said, the only reason I really care about the brand is for fragrances (that have also been the same and especially the mens have not had anything new for nearly a decade now...) and its couture sed designs. As far as clothes go, it is the same old, same old.
What a great and informative video!
You should watch my beauty video as well, because the perfumes have had such an interesting history, like did you know the number five perfume began as a dupe of another perfume?
The company of Chanel was always about making money, more than it was about anything else really, but now they’re in this rut that they created for themselves, where they haven’t had a new designer to redefine the codes of the house in awhile, and so it has become stale in every aspect 🤷 honestly, these days, they are just running on old notoriety, they haven’t had a hit bag in 10 years, they haven’t had a new perfume in as many, if they didn’t have incredible brand equity, they would have nothing
I used to use the original Anteus fragrance by Chanel .but like most fragrances by famous brands the formula has been cheapened down over the years and does not compare to the original.
@@understitchYT I love that you have a way with incorporating/using the beauty department of certain brands where they are still interesting to the people who otherwise do not care about them. I will give it a watch as I am a fragrance enthusiast, so I will absolutely have a look.
You mentioned an 18% drop in revenue during 2020, which is remarkable considering most of the Boutiques were closed for months and global travel was halted due to Covid, plus as a business they do not sell fashion items online.
Comparing the spectacularly unwearable Schiaparelli couture pieces to a wearable Chanel couture collection shows how viable their HC business is, they sell wearable couture not art pieces that are not possible for the modern woman to use.
Much of the noise surrounding Chanel quality often comes from those cashing in on speaking on scandals or those who are now priced out of Chanel as a consumer. Their boutiques have waiting lists for many of their handbags, go and see the lines outside the Chanel store when a new collection launches. It’s a power the other brands could only ever dream of.
Virginies collections may be a stark contrast to KLs extravagant offerings but they have a broader appeal to the younger generation who can afford pieces, Chanel is not for everyone and it’s not meant for everyone, hence the pricing strategy.
While that is true, Chanel, like most fashion companies, relies on reputation to sell their products more than anything else. Im not suggesting they have unwearable clothes, but I am suggesting they move their clothes forwards in a way thats more desirable to their customer. While in couture success of a show doesnt ingerently correlate to sales, ifs still important to have a good show to sell the things like handbags that have those waiting lists. However, too many bad collections and eventually people stop buying. Schiap and Chanel do opposite things, thats been their whole rivalry since the 1920s-30s, but they can learn from each other. Schiap needed saleable items (which they have now) and Chanel needed something interesting to draw the customers in (this they only have in reputation, not in product). So if that reputation dies, customers will slowly stop coming.
Chanel dont need to totally reinvent, but they do need something to push the brand forwards so they dont get left behind
The Chanel beach. SS19
It was phenomenal. That was their best set for a fashion show.
I was so shocked by that
Brava! Such a well researched and analyzed story. This comes across as fact based. Although I love Chanel it's long overdue someone stated these facts: it's the same collection over and over again. VV needs to do something otherwise it will go back into the dustbin of history. Thanks.
Thank you so much, I tried to be as objective as possible 🤌
I really like these series keep them up 👍
Thank you 🙏
Found your channel. Love it! May I know, the source of the quoted 18% decline? I thought Chanel being privately owned does not publish numbers.
I dont remember directly, but if you put it in in quote marks into google, it will come up. But youre right, they dont usually release any of that information online, I was surprised to find it (I think it was Business of Fashion)
Nice video as always :)
My favorit show was Run the world 2013 because i worked on it.
Omg?? What did you work one?!?
*on
Chanel should look deep into revamping the line, this has nothing to do with deep pockets, it has to do with different design(er). One can only take the reruns so far, it needs a new eye, a difference in appearance and appeal. Less matronly more interesting. My mother loved her Chanel pieces, back in 1970. Needs a broader color pallet in different materials. But what the hell do I know I’m just a guy.
Youre not wrong, it doesn't need to change a whole tonne, just needs to bring in a sense that its ahead again, and theres really no need to change much, even just an artisinal line would effectively do just that
@@understitchYT Thank You!☺️❤️
I worked for LVMH and there Dior said that they didn't manufacture in China but later when I worked in China I visited a leather factory that made Coach, Cors and Karan and on looking for the bathroom I turned left instead of right and opened a storeroom full of Dior ! I know how much high end bags cost to make so I laugh at the prices. Only Hermes stands the test of quality and time.
All companies today manufacture at least an element in China, not necessarily because of cost bcs as Im sure you know, in the legitimate factories, their minimum wage and workers rights are actually not bad at all. I do wish they could shake the negative reputation because it would free it up in convenience for smaller companies trying to break into the manufacturing side.
But yeah, there’s no lie that the mark up is absolutely ridiculous. But to me, its worse that its not diluted or distilled to everyone in the business instead of other things. I know thats a complaint about the current state of commercialism across the board now. But its frustrating to see something that couldve worked for longer if only profits werent the only measurement of success
Honestly these days youd be better off buying from an individual leather worker/seamstress than at most brands, significantly better value for money AND supports an individual instead of Mr Arnault 😂
This was a bit of a rant, sorry 💕 what did you do in China? In Guangzhou?
@@understitchYT I worked in a small city called Shaoxing, not a nice place, hundreds of towers built every day and all old building razed. I went there to design fabrics and embroideries and leather goods but the 2008 crash happened and I went back to Paris. I remember a woman asking me to make her a rather complicated skirt, lots of pleats, when I was still doing couture from home in Paris. I told her the cost, pattern, many fittings and fabric cost and she was horrified and said 'I can get a skirt at Zara for a fraction of that'. I said ok go to Zara. That event put me off making clothes for people again and even today I refuse to dress anyone but I still make all my own clothes.
I can imagine, I went to a few places outside the major cities in China around that time (2010 I think it was) and it was a little strange bcs of the unnecessary houses they would build to keep the homeless rates down. Noone would live in them barely so when I visited one a bit later on in an AirBNB it was seriously creepy, wasnt a fan, but I do enjoy china generally, just those apartment complexes gave me the creeps
Have you seen the instagram page @canyousewthisforme ? Its all the sewers collectively frustrated at requests from people. Its hilarious and awful at the same time. I guess people just dont understand how long it takes to sew anything, let alone how long it takes to learn how to sew in the first place 🙄
@@understitchYT In China you can have really high end stuff made, the quality I saw for Coach and Kors etc was great. When I worked there I tried to get them to focus on the high end side of things, less quantity and more quality but they wanted me to create another H&M type label and that didn't interest me at all. They see volume in orders as a sort of badge of honor amongst themselves. The factory I worked with was huge, really huge and impressive and my boss told me not to go inside but of course one day I did and it was just basically an impressive shell with at one end some workers inspecting fabric on ping pong table with bare lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling !
There are high quality Chinese goods actually. The Chinese have a wonderful attention to detail
15:21 The clothes on the runway are so boring that at this point, it's just better to look at the guests and spectators for fashion inspo, their outfits are more creative anyway
The guests almost always look better than the models, especially I enjoy seeing the guys in Chanel, something much more edgy about it because of the very feminine cut
@@understitchYT Yep, Virginie should honestly take inspo from the guests as this point and implement them to the runway
I'm so sorry if this was answered in the video and I just happened to miss it, but who designed the collections after Chanel's death and before Lagerfeld? Who was the creative director during that brief stint in the 70s?
Actually, it was just succeeded by her assistants, in kind of the same way VV succeeded Karl, so Gaston Berthelot and Ramon Esparza took over until in 1973 Ramón Esparza solely did the couture, but I think he was let go shortly after, though I couldnt find a source for that, and Philippe Guibourge designed the RTW in 1978
@@understitchYT thank you so much for responding! This is the kind of information that never seems to be readily available, and I for one am always curious about these tiny details. Great video, by the way 👏
@@jgbs8710 So glad I could help you find that info, honestly, it was hard to find information n Chanel, and Chanel Beauty for that video, that Chanel didn't want to have shared. Like the digging was far more difficult than I imagined
Absolutely right on the button. Chanel was an old witch who poured her belts buckles and bows into a cauldron. Karl was a genius who found her old broomstick stirred the old pot and like a magician turned it into a glittering pot of gold. However the house needs a radical new approach because sadly Virginie's spring summer 2023 was a disaster.
Couldnt agree more
I loved the gardens and the HCC w the “stiletto pants” which M Margrelia did first. I think this fashion giant can truly afford to wait on VV to find her stride. Who knows when she started and how much she contributed to the overall work snd image. I think her personal look is great and my much needed at Chanel.
From the sounds of it, she was more like a yes man to Karl than anything else, so I dont know if she will be able to provide us with any value in the future, but Id love to be proved wrong
@@understitchYT I remember seeing interviews w Karl and he said the family who owns Chanel told him that they were patient and could take his time/ but he claims it was instant. I was -1yo In 83
Is there any archive or something where I could watch all those older shows with the grander-than-life sets?
Try @fashionchannel, they have a wonderful archive
@@understitchYT thank you!!
All of my bags are from Karl Lagerfeld era. Who wants over priced, cheaply made bags. CHANEL is a multi billion dollar fashion house and seems like its turning into fast fashion over there.Even their jewelry is garbage. Stones falling out, ugh! are they not embarrassed! N these collections by Virginie or however you spell her name, its just not it.
They have not had a hit bag in 10 years! all the bags, except the showpieces, are Karls 😂
Thank you for saying out loud what I was thinking : Virginie Viard's collections are boring. Only Loïc Prigent is crazy about them (or pretends to be).
The poeple in the inner circle (like Im assuming Prigent) get insane benefits, it was basically set up by Karl as I covered more in the life and death video, but their customers are so heavily benefitted by singing their praises, why would they want their priviledge to go away by denouncing them?
If you ever want to experience overpriced and poor quality products in combination with toilet level customer service, you have to hit the Chanel boutique in Zurich
Im there! 😂
🤣
Thank you for making these vdos! Succinct and concise - just what we need really! I appreciate every comment you insert and the timing of each is just so well thought out and just so spot on. Like the bias cut information on Galliano you inserted in the Dior vdo or that part about Kim’s upbringing in Africa.
The clothes, the accessories, everything is no longer the same with Chanel. Even the qaulity of their fabrics is just absolutely appaling and unacceptable at the price point they are offering today. The only fabric that I still feel hasn’t changed is Barrie’s cashmere. It feels like all they care about now is profit margins and at no matter the cost, which in this case sadly is the artistry in it all! Today when you walk in to Chanel all you see is logo every where, on tshirts, on skirts, on pants and even on their tweed jackets.
I would go to Chanel with my mother and we would get very excited about each collection - the tweed jackets, the details, the exquisite craftmanship, these were pieces she would buy and would pass on to my sister with such fond memories about each of the collections - Egypt, Bombay, Dubai, Shanghai, Moscow, Biarritz to name a few. Those were the collections to remember. Even the buttons on each of the garments would be so detailed and would have such exquisite craftmantship that would relate to the collection. But not anymore! Even the buttons are now reduced to the bare minimum!
Like you said, they will continue to be able to sell but just for how long until the mass get bored and notice what a fraud they have become and that they would rather spend their money some place else that price and quality are more in line. It really angers me to see how they have compromised quality (not to mention design) for short term profits yet people are still queing up to buy these absolutely ripped off pieces from them!
I honestly can’t wait to see that day and definitely the Wertheimers will put the blame on Virginie, although I don’t really know who is worst! But one thing for sure, its made me appreciate Karl just so so much more. I used to think like what you said in the vdo that it was just a repetition of many variations of the tweed jackets season after season. But looking back, at least Karl was able to fight the Wertheimers and kept quality high(er than now) whilst also delivered commercially successful and somewhat artistically creative shows.
I’m so glad you like all my contextual additions, thank you for letting me know, to me it seems like understanding the context of a collection can make it more or less impactful, so I try to include a little bit when it’s appropriate, but not all the time, because otherwise it would get boring 🤣
It’s interesting, you say that about the fabric, I really don’t know about the change in the quality of the textiles at all, mostly the complaints are in the hardware, and the coated leather, and I haven’t experienced the quality of the fabric changing for myself, so I think that’s interesting that you mentioned that. It’s very reasonable to think that if they are willing to change something as visible as the hardware on a classic bag, that they would have changed blends in their fabrics, or even a source of their fabrics
Also, Chanel has been about the logos for an extremely long time, I would say that that started in the 90s, though I could be wrong, they definitely had the CC logo for longer than that on things like bags. But, I guess it goes to evidence that Chanel really is just a label, more than a fashion, purchase
Yes, I think you are right that they have compromised quality and design for profits, but I don’t think that is exclusive to Chanel, I think many brands have gone down that route. Luckily, a few have managed to pull back, but, if Chanel does have a scandal that was on the level of Balenciaga, which I don’t think it’s too unreasonable to Expect, VV isn’t exactly a well liked person in the industry, then I think that people will turn very hard on Chanel and I don’t necessarily think they will be able to bounce back as well as I’m expecting Balenciaga to do in a few weeks (or maybe, like I suggested they will just blame it on VV and get out of there, leaving her to a dead career)
I know Karl is a very controversial designer, because of the things that he said publicly, like his personal views, but no one can deny he was an exceptionally talented designer, managing to have two distinct labels, his own label, and all of the collaborations going for 50 years plus, is incredible
This is gonna be INSANELY controversial but I want Alessandro Michele to go to Chanel. I feel like he could flip the brand on its head and make it come back alive and give us a new it Bag
That'd certainly get a lot of press
Exquisitely done! Learned alot 👜
Thank you so much 🤌
I’d love to see a real couture visionary at Chanel - my dream creative director would be Christian Lacroix coming out of semi-retirement take over for a while until a suitable younger innovator could take the helm.
That would be incredible, I would love to see him do couture again. For me, personally, though I would like to see somebody totally new come in and reinvent the main house codes, I think Craig Green would be really good at doing the quilting, or I could see Richard Quinn translating what he does to tweed really well
Such great breakdown!
Thank you 🙌
Chanel started to falling apart since the day Karl Lagerfeld Died
It seems that VV started to take over more of a creative role while he was still alive, that’s not confirmed by me, just what Ive read from other comments, but either way its a real shame that they couldnt evolve chanel aafter his passing - and its not like Im suggesting a total rebrand, just an evolution on the key signatures, perhaps bring in some new ones as Chanel herself wouldve done
The brand still get benefit from old day. Personally the price not worth buying. Price increased every year but quality the same, some even worse. 😢
Yeah, pretty much 😮💨
Rip Karl, Chanel's legendary designer
He really was very talented
LVMH will end up buying them. They have resisted until now. Their more recent bags are not worth what they charge. Vintage Chanel is beautiful. Unfortunately that comes at a huge price.
I imagine itll be a hostile takeover if that does happen in the end
Karl L. made their image one of unattainability and dreams. I doubt it will ever be on top like that again. He was criticized for certain things, but those are the things that made it appealing. For example, the models were always thin and exotic. I think they are going in another direction presently, which may not be as appealing. Time will tell. The spring 2023 which just showed recently was not at all as beautiful as those of the past. But it's not like I'm going to be running out to buy a closet full of Channel. However, a girl can dream.
Its so interesting to me that many people like yourself dont like the clothes but still dream to wear them. Chanel really have done a phenomenal job at making their brand desirable and it was such a fascinating case study for that reason, theyve 100% done it better than anyone else
Love your videos!! I generally agree although I think that Lagerfeld's approach was perfect for this brand. I think that keeping everything obviously and identifiably 'Chanel" the way he did was genius. He once said in an interview, "For me it is Chanel then and Chanel now... I am not interested in my personal history with this brand."
The current designer is so boring and her collections are too laid back and too 'low effort, low maintenance.' . I don't know if I am allowed to say this but it seems like female creative directors that take over large heritage houses are often afraid of making things too traditionally feminine but everything becomes much less glamorous and less fun as a result.
Oftentimes women CDs are taken in to commercialise the creative vision of the men who came before them. Theyre expected to finesse a previous idea. Its undoubtedly misogyny, but I dont know if the fashion world is ready to have that conversation yet
@@understitchYT With respect, I think you're using the word misogyny much too liberally. I still think you're cool though. You'd be a cool person to talk fashion with!
@@understitchYT I love high maintenance, high glamour brands for both women and men. The low maintenance look is boring.... anybody can recreate it. Frida Giannini designed some of the greatest menswear shows in fashion history IMO.
Donatella Versace seems like the only designer these days who is doing full on glamor anymore. 😞
it is not that Chanel has fallen. It is just not their time. Brand prime time comes and go.
Sure, but its been going for a long time now. Itll 100% come back, but it doesnt seem like their being proactive about their declining perception
@@understitchYT I would have to compare Chanel with Dior. When Maria became Creative Director, the whole fashion house become bland and and making a lot of boring silhouettes, yet they make ton of money. Honestly as long as they make more money, these normal boring fashion show will never end. There is different between hype marketing production vs marketing for clothes and stuff. Those crazy production runway usually make money by perfume or bags, not really the clothes themselves. We can’t expect every brand doing crazy show like back then. It is just a marketing perspective by the end of the day. But do agree with what you say in video. Something is weird happening since Karl died :/
Despite Chanel being criticized by the french back in 1954 because of her nazi controversy (her shopped closed around 1939 because of war so chanel was vacant for 15 years ) ,
Americans praised her design and her tweed jacket made a huge comeback for the house , so there will come a time chanel can return back
Can you make a vid about brands that still has great quality? Like moynat, delvaux…etc
An ever increasing number of brands unfortunately