The Little Black Jacket Exhibit

If you examined every woman’s wardrobe from here to Siberia, you’d undoubtedly find one style staple in common: the little black dress.

Simple, clean-cut and, of course, black, it is the epitome of femininity and the notable go-to for many a fashionista. Known as the LBD, this fashion basic originated from none other than Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel herself in the early twentieth century and has since remained an iconic classic season after season. Coco believed in something that was openly defied her generation: that women could be elegant while wearing clothes that did not trap the body – meaning shorter hemlines and looser waistlines. From this idea, she cultivated a collection based on a few memorialized products:  Tweed suits, quilted handbags, pearl jewelry and, of course, the LBD

The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited (Available 8/25/12)

This year, Chanel’s head designer and creative director Karl Lagerfeld decided to celebrate another iconic piece that’s as versatile and effortless look has also remained timeless: Chanel’s original tweed little black jacket. Together, with the help of former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld, he created the book, Lagerfeld created the book The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited. Launched with 109 images of celebrities – from Alexander Wang to Sofia Coppola – wearing the jacket in their own unique ways and a traveling photo exhibition to accompany its anticipated arrival.

The Little Black Jacket Exhibit (Inside)

I was lucky enough to see the exhibit in New York City earlier this month and was taken aback by its artistry. The photos, all in black and white, were taken by Lagerfeld over the course of a year in New York City, Paris and the south of France.

A Roberto Juarroz quote on the wall at the Little Black Jacket Exhibit

In addition to being quite a feast for the eyes, guests were also treated to free posters of Lagerfeld’s work. I may or may not have scored all three in fact – although I still don’t know where I’m going to place them all in my tiny apartment.

Regardless, it was clear that the photos were taken with the same charm and cleverness that has added to Chanel’s longevity as a fashion power house. As anything designed by Lagerfeld and his team, the exhibit was flawless, as per usual.

To learn more about the exhibit, or to discover where else it is showing, visit Chanel.com for more information. The video teaser is completely worth a watch, especially if you were not able to make it down to Wooster Street, the sight of the exhibit from June 8th to June 15th.

For those of you who went, what did you think?

xo,

NYC Girl in Pearls

P.s. No prizes for guessing who this high-power celebrity is…

If you don’t know her, you may need to rethink your devotion to fashion.