Louis Vuitton Series 3 Exhibition

When I think of Louis Vuitton I instantly conjure up the image of the old fashioned trunks emblazoned with the Louis Vuitton monogram. So I was really excited to take go to the Louis Vuitton Series 3 Exhibition at the Strand. The exhibition showcased Ghesquière's creative process and influences for the A/W15 collection. 

We first entered into a dome area representing Ghesquière's mind that had the room spinning with pictures, sketches and photographs. Not going to lie, but I was extremely dizzy and thought that the floor was spinning at one point! Apart from the dizziness this room was incredible with bags and clutches flying around the room. My idea of heaven! There was also a large Louis Vuitton trunk in the middle of the room hung from the ceiling displaying some of the history of Louis Vuitton in the trunk.

Another room replicated the catwalk show with several digital screens repetitively.

The most incredible part of the exhibition was witnessing artisans making the brand's most famous products right in front of us, their box clutch.

The final room was called the 'Walk in Wardrobe', displaying the A/W15 collection in perspex boxes. My favourites among the collection were of course the bags and the very fluffy sheep skin winter coat which was the gorgeous to touch.

This exhibition was incredible and gave me and many others a great insight into the creative process of a fashion house. In Louis Vuitton's perspective this was great promotion for their brand as the exhibition was welcome to the public who could see the creative process of a current collection which is rare.

Love Soraya x

Mademoiselle Privè Exhibition

The Saatchi Gallery on the Kings Road is the perfect setting for an exhibition giving a rare insight into the iconic French fashion house of Chanel.  It charts the brand’s story from where it began to where it stands in the fashion world today.  The slim sketched figure of Coco Chanel on tall, narrow posters greets visitors to the exhibition which is set out over three floors.  Sketching sets the tone for the exhibition.  As you enter, a reconstruction of the magnificent staircase from the original Chanel building in Paris stands proud.  The cleverly angled mirrors allowed Coco to see what was happening on all the floors.  The sketched out rooms that follow outline key moments in Coco’s life, from the opening of her first store, a hat shop, and the time she spent in Scotland.  These rooms are brought to life with the Mademoiselle Privè app which accompanies the exhibition.

The next room was dedicated to Coco Chanel’s favourite stone – diamond.  The giant birdcage-like casing displayed the giant constellation necklace, giving a 360 degree view.  This was stunning.

A Chanel exhibition would not be complete without a homage to the No. 5 perfume, definitely one of the brands most iconic symbols.  I was expecting this room to be all about sophistication, however I was surprised to find a room which wouldn’t have been out of place on the set of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – the space-age looking vast white room was decorated with coloured circles with solid black lines through them and large gold pots across the floor with lids displaying scrolling brand messages.  The lids of the pots swung open in turn to release a scent-filled smoke, with each pot containing the individual ingredients of the No.5 perfume.

The totems of Chanel that Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel created herself as the essence of the brand have been very much kept alive by Karl Lagerfeld – the black line, the colour red, the camellia, the pearl, the wheat and the lucky numbers.

The floors above show off a selection of some of Lagerfeld’s stunning black and gold evening dresses.  They are not displayed using traditional mannequins but are supported with innovative light rods which illuminate the traditionally exquisitely executed craftsmanship.

The final room displays the Bijous De Diamants collection. These original 80 year old diamonds, designed by Coco in 1932 were displayed for the first time.  The jewellery was paired with the casino-themed AW15 haute couture pieces designed by Karl Lagerfeld.  The mannequins were not in traditional glass cases, instead the collection was protected by high-tech laser sensors which set off alarms if anyone stepped too near the displays. The dimly lit room was filled with portraits of women today, including Lily-Rose Depp and Rita Ora wearing these timeless pieces.

Soraya x 

Photos: Mine and Google