Chanel Watches

Australian actress Margot Robbie is the new face of Chanel’s J12 watch campaign.
   Robbie, who has been associated with Chanel since March 2018, appeared earlier this week at the Oscars in a custom mermaid dress inspired by look 47 in Chanel’s autumn–winter 2019–20 haute couture collection. The dress took 205 hours of work. She also donned Chanel fine jewellery.
   Since 2018, she has helmed numerous Chanel campaigns and was photographed by Karl Lagerfeld for Coco Neige in July 2018. She also modelled for the Gabrielle Chanel Essence fragrance.
   As the new face of the J12 watch, Robbie joins, inter alia, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Ali McGraw, Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Depp, and Keira Knightley. The new campaign features a total of nine ‘iconic women’, according to Chanel.
   Robbie said in a release, ‘It’s a dream to represent such a timeless and iconic brand. The history of the Chanel woman is so exciting and the brand has remained such a power feminine standard of style. I’m thrilled to be part of the Chanel family and continue their celebration of women and fashion.’
   After a career in television in Australia, including the soap Neighbours, Robbie came to worldwide attention in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street, opposite Leonardo di Caprio. She also starred in, and produced, I, Tonya, playing Tonya Harding, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. She also received a nomination for best supporting actress in another real-life-based drama, Bombshell. Her most recent appearance at the Oscars was for producing the Carey Mulligan starrer Promising Young Woman, which was nominated for five Academy Awards. It took home the best original screenplay gong, for first-time winner Emerald Fennell.

Above: Alber Elbaz as photographed by Lucire Paris editor Lola Saab.

Moroccan-born French designer Alber Elbaz has died at age 59, according to Richemont, which partnered with him on his latest venture, AZ Factory. It is believed Elbaz died from COVID-19, which he had had for three weeks, and had been in an induced coma.
   Elbaz was behind the rejuvenation of Lanvin and helmed the label’s artistic direction from 2001 to 2015.
   Richemont founder and chairman Johann Rupert said in a statement, ‘It was with shock and enormous sadness that I heard of Alber’s sudden passing. Alber had a richly deserved reputation as one of the industry’s brightest and most beloved figures. I was always taken by his intelligence, sensitivity, generosity and unbridled creativity. He was a man of exceptional warmth and talent, and his singular vision, sense of beauty and empathy leave an indelible impression.
   ‘It was a great privilege watching Alber in his last endeavour as he worked to realize his dream of “smart fashion that cares”. His inclusive vision of fashion made women feel beautiful and comfortable by blending traditional craftsmanship with technology—highly innovative projects which sought to redefine the industry.’
   Speaking with him in 2011, Elbaz displayed a sense of humour and a wonderful insight into his work at Lanvin.
   ‘For each woman there are ten different women … even in men there consists ten different men … and that is what this collection is about. It is not only about one person with one type of haircut with one look, but these are different occasions and different personalities. [The different designs represent] individuals and very personal [looks],’ he told Lucire’s Paris editor Lola Cristall.
   On the menswear side, Elbaz explained the approach he took: ‘When we began at first, the image was of a man who was very specifically created being emotional and poetic, and then we advanced [creating] man as more linear, a little more edgy and a little cooler … Then we wanted to go back to our roots: the essentials of where we started. Finally, we realized that it is not one outfit for one man but it is clothing for different men … here we wanted to show the different façades of a man.’
   Elbaz was born in Casablanca, and moved to Israel when he was 10. He studied fashion in Israel after his military service, and went to New York in 1985. There he worked for Geoffrey Beene, before moving to Paris and heading the design at Guy Laroche. Elbaz took over for Yves Saint Laurent at the appointment of Pierre Bergé at the end of the 1990s, until Gucci took over the label. He briefly worked for Krizia before joining Lanvin in 2001.
   Despite bringing the brand back from irrelevance, he fell out with Lanvin’s owner Wang Shaw-Lan and CEO Michele Hubain in 2015 and was ousted from the label, which caused him great distress. After some smaller projects, Elbaz launched AZ Factory with Richemont last January.

F.-G. Grandin/MNHN; top photo by Agnès Iatzoura/MNHN

Lancôme has partnered with the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (National Museum of Natural History) with the aim of preserving endangered plant species, in a new conservation project.
   In a statement, its global brand president Françoise Lehmann said, ‘We are proud to participate in the conservation of endangered plant species like the Rose of France (Rosa gallica), as part of a global partnership with the National Museum of Natural History, whose international influence is recognized. The museum is a leading organization when it comes to research and expertise in the field of biodiversity protection and we are proud to take part in this important mission which meets France’s commitments for the Convention on Biological Diversity.
   ‘Protecting biodiversity is major component of Lancôme’s sustainability programme [dubbed Caring Together for a Happier Tomorrow]. The brand is already spearheading this mission in Grasse and Valensole, in the south of France, where we are growing roses and other plant species in an organic and sustainable way across 25 acres of land.’
   The project is being implemented by the museum’s Conservatoire botanique national du Bassin parisien (the CBNBP, or the National Botanical Conservatory of the Paris Basin), which sees the reintroduction of endangered plant species. Seeds had been collected and banked earlier in the CBNBP’s regions and will be planted in experimental gardens.
   Among those species is Rosa gallica, which ties in with Lancôme’s own symbol, as well as Arnica montana, campanula cervicaria, inula hirta, ranunculus hederaceus and viscaria vulgaris.

William Crozes/Continental Productions

Is this the future of the CD- and D-segment family car? Citroën has unveiled its C5 X, the third generation (if you don’t count the C5 Aircross) of the C5 line, blending saloon, estate and SUV ideas.
   Sales of conventional saloons and estates in this segment have been dropping for some time. Ford has already said it will not replace the Mondeo after 2022, bringing to an end a line that could be traced back to the Consul Cortina of 1962. There have been suggestions that Opel, Citroën’s sister brand, will replace the Insignia with a crossover, possibly a car closely related to this one.
   The lines are certainly more blurred with the C5 X. Traditionally, a crossover would have meant something like a Subaru Forester, a station wagon format more raised than a traditional car, but lower than an SUV. Here Citroën takes influences from numerous genres. It is a sleek, two-box shape, that if viewed without the 19-inch wheels, could be taken to be a shooting brake, an estate car with less loading capacity because of a sloping rear—think Mercedes-Benz CLS or even the Audi Q8. The six-light glasshouse even recalls Robert Opron’s Citroën CX (and specifically the CXperience concept of 2016), which no doubt will please Citroënistas. Up front are thin LED headlights that give a V shape when lit, a Citroën design signature that started with the 2020 C4. The bespoilered rear deck emphasizes that this isn’t a regular estate; curiously, when viewed from some front three-quarter angles, the D-pillar looks upright, and even recalls the outgoing C5 break.
   Happily, the C5 X has an airy glasshouse, doing away with the massive C-pillars that have plagued car design for a decade. This helps with bringing light in, while also aiding visibility. One can only hope that it is the beginning of the end of the cocoon, which may have emerged in times of great uncertainty, where people wanted to feel enveloped and secure. If Citroën’s trend-watchers have it right, we might come to feel more open and embracing of the outside world again.
   Those 19-inch wheels raise the car’s stance, but in an age where the crossover and the SUV are not niche vehicles, but mainstream ones, they do not look oversized. Interestingly, Citroën’s French rival Renault may have contributed to that, with intentionally large wheels for the Scénic and Espace, with a similar philosophy of blending genres with an eye to courting mainstream SUV buyers who want a more commanding driving position. More opportunity, then, for a future designer to claim a successor is ‘lower, wider, longer’, the romance of postwar US design.
   Its sleekness is perhaps only compromised by the transverse front-wheel-drive layout, which necessitates the position of the front wheels, a design compromise evident on the Citroën C6 in China, but better hidden here. One might think that Citroën has gone adventurous here—though not to the level of the DS—because of its recent poor sales in China. When in doubt, design your way out—it worked for Chrysler and its LH sedans in the 1990s.
   Under the skin is active suspension, with Citroën claiming (not for the first time in its history) a “magic carpet” ride. There are what the company calls its Progressive Hydraulic Cushions that relax the suspension more. Handling isn’t the top priority here, having an interior that’s lounge-like and floating is.
   The interior emphasizes width (externally the car measures 1,865 mm in this respect, which is probably typical for a grand routier of this age). Citroën says its Advanced Comfort seats are particularly capacious in the second row, while the boot has a 545 l capacity. There’s more refinement, the company points out, with the plug-in hybrid version running in pure-electric mode, which it can do for 50 km, up to 135 km/h. Acoustic-laminated front and rear windows keep things insulated further.
   There is a head-up display that Citroën says is a step toward augmented reality, driving assistance features, a new infotainment interface powered through a 12-inch central touchscreen, voice recognition, and a customizable display. Safety systems use the radar, cameras and sensors. There is level 2 autonomous driving, with Highway Driver Assist, using the adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go and lane-keep assistance. And as one would expect in 2021, rear cross-traffic alert, a 360-vision display that plots the area around the car on the touchscreen to aid man, and hands-free access.—Jack Yan, Founder and Publisher

William Crozes/Continental Productions

Van Cleef & Arpels has released six Perlée creations, exclusively for the Middle East first, coinciding with the holy season of Ramadan. They are available now in the region, two months ahead of their official global release.
   The new Perlée additions comprise three bracelets and three rings in gold hues. These feature the sweet clover motif, which are Van Cleef & Arpels’ symbol of luck. They also feature a border of gold beads, characteristic of other jewellery in the Perlée range.
   As the jewellery can be mixed and matched, they can suit a wearer’s every mood.
   The Perlée collection débuted in 2008 and draws on the maison’s history. Accented stones and motifs appeared in the 1920s, and it was also during this decade that Van Cleef & Arpels used the round bead setting in the collection. Golden beads became more ample in 1948. From 1963, in the Twist collection, golden beads appeared in more permutations, accentuating ornamental stones such as lapis lazuli and carnelian, and pearls. Bordering golden beads also appeared in Van Cleef & Arpels’ Alhambra collection in 1968. The designs have a direct link to these earlier collections.

Inez & Vinoodh

Chanel has released its The Iconic campaign, starring its 11.12 bag, a reinterpretation of the 2.55 bag created by Gabrielle Chanel in February 1955. The newer bag is the work of Karl Lagerfeld in the 1980s, and features a double-C clasp and a metal chain interlaced with leather. The bag itself is made from lambskin leather as well as grained calfskin, taking materials from Chanel’s ready-to-wear collections. It continues in the Chanel range as a timeless accessory, and is modelled in the campaign by Anna Mouglalis, Rianne van Rompaey, Imaan Hammam, Louise de Chevigny and Zoé Adjani.
   The campaign was photographed by Inez & Vinoodh, who said in a release, ‘The Chanel 11.12 bag is part of your life forever. It is pure perfection in its proportion, simplicity and understated timeless luxury. The five women in this campaign are icons in their own right, they embody the multiple generations that Chanel has touched.’
   ‘The 11.12 bag is simply Chanel. It is one of the iconic pieces that tells the whole story, with all the elegance of the House. It looks like Chanel. I think its iconic status comes from the simplicity of the shape. If you ask someone to draw a bag, this is the one that comes to mind immediately thanks to its ultimate refinement,’ said Anna Mouglalis.
   ‘Everybody, since you’re a little girl, knows what the classic Chanel bag looks like. It has such a history. And especially in fashion, every season everything changes so fast, it’s nice to see these classic bags that have been around for so long. Reinterpreted every time, but with the same DNA,’ said Rianne van Rompaey. ‘It’s the most famous bag in the world. There is something of a fairy tale about it.’
   ‘I think every girl’s biggest dream is to own a Chanel bag. I was able to buy my first Chanel bag when I was 17, and I remember saving so much money for it, it was a mini version of the 11.12, black on black, and I still have it. This bag is just very chic, elegant, very feminine. When I wear it I feel effortless and powerful,’ added Imaan Hammam.
   ‘The 11.12 bag is the iconic bag par excellence. It is a truly timeless bag, which remains as modern and chic as ever. Fashion evolves but there is always this bag. It adds elegance to every silhouette. I like the idea that I will pass it on to my daughter if I am lucky enough to have one. My mother used to have one, and when I was younger I would steal it from her. At first to play with and then when I started going to parties, it was a source of pride,’ said Louise de Chevigny.
   ‘This luxury, this savoir-faire, it has always fascinated and touched me,’ said Zoé Adjani. ‘The 11.12 represents Chanel: the double C, the hidden pocket, the small pockets inside. And it suits me: I love to compartmentalize. With all the history it carries inside, it represents more than a bag: it’s like carrying Paris on your shoulder.’