Like many women, I grew up loving Chanel. Not that I could afford
anything the label had to offer aside from a high-priced lipgloss,
but I have fond memories of my mother dabbing on some Chanel No. 5
before going out with my dad. I viewed Jackie O. in her tweed suits
as a style icon and longed for a handbag adorned with the double-Cs
to call my own. I liked what Chanel represented and daydreamed
about the lifestyle associated with the brand. Here in Manhattan,
Chanel bags, sunglasses and ballet flats are in abundance, and if
you're anything like me, you look at them in awe.
When I got my first big promotion, I saved up and bought myself a
present: a black quilted Chanel bag. I rationalized my expensive
purchase by remembering how "classic" and
"iconic" the item is in the fashion world, and insisting
that I'd get loads of use out of it. Well, I still use it
daily. But one little bit of fashion news I stumbled upon today has
tainted my vision of Chanel just a smidge. And that is their choice
of British singer Lily Allen as the face of their new handbag
collection.
When I think of Chanel I think of class, elegance and luxury. Women
like Catherine Deneuve. Not pop stars like Lily Allen who are best
known for nip slips, getting into fights, drinking too much and
acting irresponsibly at parties. Oh, and she's always got a
Chanel bag on her arm (though we doubt she's paid for them
all). With shows like "The Hills" and "Gossip
Girl" regularly featuring Chanel, a brand that was once
considered the epitome of high-end chic seems to be appealing to a
more mainstream market. Chanel has never been an attainable label,
but an aspirational one. The only real reason to use a spokeswoman
like Allen is because the company is pandering to a younger
clientele.
Designer Karl Lagerfeld said he cast her because, "she's
fun." Ugh. And we thought the brand was slipping when it
hired Keira Knightley.
Here are some of the most memorable Chanel ads throughout the
decades. Does Lily Allen's recent turn as the face of Chanel
hold up the way these others do? I think not.
Lily Allen is the new face of Chanel: Has the iconic label lost its class?
editor
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From the Community…
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Posted by Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:09pm PDT
Report AbuseHmmmmm... you sound kinda jealous. You had to work and save up for yours and you doubt Lily Allen had to pay for hers? I bet you she worked her tail off to GET to where she is and has LOADS of talent enough for her to get that bag for free if she did.
Who are you to doubt K.L.'s decision? He is well Karl Lagerfeld.. genius ... and you are??? With luxury brands suffering the most in the economic crunch don't you think it would be a wise decision to Open up your customer base and appeal to a younger ( albeit one with more money to blow ) generation?
And the dis to Kiera Knightley? I totally don't get that as she has never acted anything less than classy. You could be right though... Maybe the coke snorting party girl Kate Moss was a better model for Chanel... Or the "I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day" Linda Evangelista?
Be happy with your bag and the milestone it marked in your life.. but this article? Please. Sounds petty.
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Posted by Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:12pm PDT
Report AbuseThis article kind of makes me mad.
You're asking if Chanel has lost it's class because it chose Lily Allen as a new face? When a person steps into a photoshoot, they leave their normal life behind. The actions of that person don't deserve to be associated with an iconic label that's main purpose is to show you their products in the best light.
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Posted by Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:20pm PDT
Report AbuseI totally agree with you about Lily allen. It seems like she is more interested in doing harm than good so i dont know why she is the face of chanel.
But i do have so say that to me, the hills is NOTHING like lilly allen. The girls on that show are at least driven. Lauren Conrad is a good girl, who goes to school, works, does charity work and is making a good name for herself in the fashion industry.
I hope that Chanel can realize that they make an amazing brand and hoefully they can find someone who is worthy to show off the brand.
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Posted by Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:50pm PDT
Report AbuseThat's a beautiful photo of Lily Allen. I don't see the author's reasoning behind this article.
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Posted by Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:31pm PDT
Report AbuseLily Allen looks great in the photo. Chanel is in the mainstream; it's considered accessible to anyone who wants it enough to save their money for it, and that's a good thing. I think that's the point that should be highlighted, not supposed "loss of class"--that just sounds snobbish and immature.
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Posted by Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:22am PDT
Report AbuseI agree with Ellen. We don't judge the models who may be the face of labels the same way. Kate Moss has certainly made some questionable life decisions and a label's class would not be thrown into question if she were their face.
I'm more surprised that Karl Lagerfeld let this happen. He is notoriously snarky about women's weights, and while Lily looks great here and has thinned up a lot recently, I'm surprised she met his anorexic standard.
I think she looks lovely. The first photo is very Audrey.
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Posted by Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:23am PDT
Report AbuseI'm glad people are disagreeing with this article. Dont you think Lilly Allen could use some class, and so this is a step in the right direction? I think the idea of who is or isn't classy enough to wear chanel, or carry a chanel bag, comes off as judgemental, and mean. Praise you for having arrived.
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Posted by Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:51am PDT
Report AbuseI have LOVED Miss Lily Allen for years! I'm happy to see her finally getting some recognition!! I suggest everyone go check out her cute quirky music
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Posted by Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:20am PDT
Report Abusethe photo of ms. allen is nice , but why her? i'm sure chanel could have chosen someone else, someone with class and beauty i was very happy when they finally chose nicole kidman a few years ago to be the new face of chanel 5. they could have chosen someone such as vanessa williams , she's came a long way from when she was miss america, they could have even chosen hallee berry , naomi watts. i think chanel just could have done a better job picking someone
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