Chanel

Book excerpt: Ever since his first show for the house in 1983, Karl Lagerfelds Chanel collections have consistently made headlines and dictated trends the world over. For the first time, every Chanel collection ever created by Lagerfeld is here gathered in a single volume a unique opportunity to chart the development of one of the worlds most influential fashion brands and discover rarely seen collections. This definitive publication opens with a concise history of the house of Chanel, from the days of Coco Chanel to today, followed by a brief biographical profile of Karl Lagerfeld, before exploring the collections themselves, which are organized chronologically and introduced by a short text unveiling each collections influences and highlights. Each collection is illustrated with carefully curated catwalk images, showcasing hundreds of spectacular clothes (from evening dresses and day suits to casual and sports pieces), details, accessories (from hats and jewelry to handbags and shoes), beauty looks and set designs and of course the top fashion models who wore them on the runway, from Claudia Schiffer and Linda Evangelista to Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne. A rich reference section, including an extensive index, concludes the book. A treasure trove of inspiration, this richly illustrated publication will be the must-have reference for all fashion professionals and Chanel obsessives.