The Chanel brand represents timeless elegance, and its designer Karl Lagerfeld once again parlayed this elegance into everlasting fashions for Chanel’s Fall 2009 collection presented in Paris this Tuesday.  Karl named this collection “Belle Brummell” after the originator of the modern suit, Beau Brummell; this was quite fitting as there were a great deal of black suits and tightly fitted tweed jackets seen throughout the show.  The decidedly “Belle” aspect was apparent as some of his jackets were adorned with intricate beadwork, while some were cropped revealing the most feminine form; pencil or long and flowing chiffon skirts, cuffed trousers, shiny black tights, and A-line dresses were shown along with some long-sleeved deep V-neck body hugging dresses.  

Karl also designed a few geometrically printed black and white bodysuits with leggings, but of course paired the looks with Chanel’s signature black tweed coats in order to blend in with the rest of the line-up.  Aside from the classic black and white palette traditionally associated with Chanel designs, mint green and bubblegum pink were also used on many of Lagerfeld’s garments; come autumn, we will definitely be attempting the green with black combo!  We must also not forget to mention the focus on knits for this Chanel collection; leg warmers, fingerless gloves, and other garments were knit and paired with impeccably tailored pieces. 

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this collection was the intricate and detachable details seen on almost every Chanel model.  Ruffles, accordion pleats, boutonnières, and floppy bows were placed at the cuffs and throat.  All the adornments, cuffs, and collars could be removed… will this be the future in accessories?  We like how these fashion ornaments can be added or detached based on the occasion.  Of course, Karl included your more established accessories, as well, making use of gorgeous tweed boater hats, chunky cocktail rings, and geometric pendant necklaces.  His purses were most unusual, designing clear hard plastic cases which contained a quilted leather pink clutch and Chanel goodies like sunglasses, makeup, perfume, and an iPhone.  We undoubtedly adored the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2009 collection, and so did the star-studded audience including celebs like Kate Moss, Lily Allen, Frieda Pinto, and Claudia Schiffer.