The return of the Chanel Aesthetic

Karl Lagerfeld has always exceeded the vision of the most fashionable women, and he knows it. But, much like his clothes, he does so in a quietly elegant and perfected way.

The Chanel aesthetic has been preserved, nurtured and developed, and it is reaching a peak yet again. ‘Monochrome chic’ is suddenly awash on the catwalk and high street alike - Chanel, Givenchy, Donna Karen and H&M are all basing their current collections on a classic Parisian colour pallet. Unlike seasonal trends, however, the clothes that Chanel first introduced go hand in hand with a traditional lifestyle which will forever be etched into modern culture.

In 1909, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel reinvented fashion by quite simply going back to basics. Indeed, some years later she confirmed to Harpers Bazaar that “simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” But what arguably gave her a helping hand in her success was the arrival of the First World War. Women were suddenly becoming people of work, and with new roles their clothes had to change. Chanel’s long linen skirts, jersey sweaters and blazers offered the style and comfort that was so desired.
To make something so simple become iconic, the quality and visionary aspects had to be extraordinary. Chanel made clothes to flatter the new slimmer, flatter figure of the twenties. She did not try to turn a woman into an exhibition. The lady who wore Chanel stood up straight, made the most of her best features, and lived a pristine life. Here was a designer who was subtly liberating women, in a way that men could accept.

When it came to evening wear, Chanel’s first popular piece in 1926 was a black evening dress in lace and embroidered tulle. The silhouette and fabrics used became the trademark of all things chic. In fact, it could be said that Chanel invented the ‘little black dress.’ Even now, Lagerfeld’s collections are parallel to the creative vision that was unveiled all those years ago. Coco’s most famous quote put this vision into words perfectly:
“For me, black has everything. So does white. They are absolute beauty; the perfect match. Dress a woman in white or in black at a ball and all eyes will be upon her.”
Recently, the label Coco Mademoiselle was launched for younger fashion followers. It became apparent that young women were starting to favour a tailored, mature look – girls were seeing the importance of quality and key pieces, rather than quantity. One young French woman, Audrey Tautou, caught the spotlight globally. After Amelie, she made a succession of films that put French elegance back into the mainstream. Her timeless simple beauty and charisma brought people back down to earth.

Tautou is now the spokesmodel for Chanel No. 5, taking the place of Nicole Kidman. She is also filming Coco Avant Chanel in which she plays none other than Coco herself. The film is scheduled for release in April. A Hollywood production made 38 years after the subject’s death surely justifies all that is currently happening in the world of fashion.

There is no doubt that the present collapse of our economy is changing the actions of both consumers and producers of fashion. There is a sudden want for clothes that are timeless, simple, and easy to wear. The monochrome trend has no specific time or place. A daytime look can be transformed into a night time look with the removal of a layer and the addition of some black heels. What makes Chanel inspiring is that it mixes trends with original aspects, and other designers follow suit.

The return of quilting, leather, gold and pearl is apparent, and is of course reminiscent of the Chanel quota. When dressed in a well fitting black pea coat (seen in H&M) with a white lace dress (New Look,) black tights and patent ankle boots, a woman feels together. She feels elegant, and although it won’t be admitted, she feels rich! As mentioned, the look can indeed go from supermarket to restaurant with no more than a rearrangement of accessories.

Lagerfeld’s most recent haute couture show in Paris was one to behold. The theme was white, and the material, paper. Every corner of the vast area was adorned with hand made paper flowers which transformed into a wonderland that only Lagerfeld could have envisioned. Only Chanel can turn the simplest of things into the want of every wealthy client. Only Chanel can inspire a retreat into the basics of fashion and design. Whether it was inspired by the recession or not, this show confirmed that Coco’s aesthetic will always have a place in our hearts.

You could say that fashion has no place for post-modern experimentation. Or, you could say it is not just about trends. Maybe there comes a time when a person does not dress to be right, or wrong. She does not wish to be revolutionary, and she has tired of blindly ploughing through trends that do not suit her. Which leads her to return, as fashion always does, to the pure elegance, outline, beauty and comfort that ultimately makes a woman who she is.

My mag cover featuring my hot bff.

The Learning Game

If you were to ask most working class adults over the age of fifty whether they attended university, the majority of answers would probably be no. However, most of them would have entered careers vital to society, such as teaching, and lead a fulfilling working life earning a salary sufficient enough to raise a family. In present society, it appears that the American Dream has taken hold on British government and inspired a need to drum into every young teenager that university is the ultimate goal. But are we going about it the right way, and are we focusing too much on the aspect of getting into university rather than the purpose of going?

Comparisons are drawn with America only because they are one of the richest and most successful, career driven countries. The American Dream is not a new phenomenon, but its current definition stands as this:
“The freedom that allows all citizens of the United States to pursue their goals in life through hard work and free choice. One person may place monetary gain as their highest goal, and thus strive for this in a very American way, gaining through ability rather than social status.”
American media such as Hollywood teen movies are rarely without the ‘parents who want their kid to go to college.’ Legally Blonde was as much about Reese Witherspoon getting her man as it was about working hard to become a lawyer – every parent’s dream. Could it be that their modern values are something that archaic Britain finds difficult to relate to? That, and the fact that children are not near enough inspired or encouraged, is something this country needs to work on. The number of options available to young people is restricted, and it has become a taboo to not attend university post a-levels.

The British government aims to get 50% of young people into university by 2010. So far, this does not seem to be going to plan. In July 2005, The Guardian reported that the government had ‘no chance’ of hitting this target. A report from The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) revealed that “without greater efforts to encourage more boys to stay on at school and take A-levels, the figure is unlikely to creep beyond the existing figure of 43%.”
The report went on to say that demand for university places could also drop as a result of the introduction of top-up fees.
The downside seen by many people was that the drive to get half of young people into university would make degrees worthless. Indeed, countless new degrees are introduced every year in an effort to attract teenagers, and a post-graduate qualification has become increasingly important to make people stand out to employers. The Independent reported a possible negative effect of this growing demand, as teaching budgets become stretched and the quality of teaching becomes poorer.

It seems that young people are coming out of school with a very expensive offer of a degree that doesn’t promise a solid career. What seems worrying is that students enter university and the cost and experience doesn’t match up to what they had hoped for. The initial idea of a degree, it is assumed, is that a person can specialise in their preferred career in the hope of gaining the qualifications and experience deemed necessary for that job. However, seeing as a high number of 18 year olds do not know what they want to do, degrees are being chosen for no other reason than to go to university. This in turn leads to a growing number of people dropping out as they worry that they are building up debt for no real reason. On average, debt after graduating is £21,500 and rising. For a student with no income and no guarantee of a job post-university, this is daunting. Costs are not the only reason people are dropping out, and it is possibly only the tip of the iceberg.

In 2004 14.2% of students dropped out. At some universities, drop-out rates was as many as one in three. These figures are not getting any better. In October 2007, The Daily Mail reported that one in six students thinks that their degree is worthless. The paper ran a story on five student dropouts who found huge success without a degree. Ben Bridgman, who left the University of Manchester after eight weeks, put into words how many students feel when they realise what university life entails: “I didn’t want to devote three years to having fun.” Ben now works for Nick House Entertainment.
Louise Nicholson, who left Newcastle University after a year and is now working for jewellers Links of London while doing a diploma in gemology added: “University was the logical step. It was down to peer pressure. Very few of us questioned it, and deciding to leave was such a hard step as it’s so not the done thing.”

The argument these people raise is, quite simply, that university is not for everyone - and those that it is not for find themselves in a very confused and worried state when they are told that a degree is what they need to get them through life. When the right person chooses to go to university, the results can be positive. This is clear by looking at the extremely low (less than 2%) drop out rates of elite universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. Politician and writer Charlotte Leslie confirms:
“In reality, university is really only good for a very narrow, specific kind of ability and interest, but it has become socially taboo to suggest this.”
Those in the public eye who decided to pass on university include Richard Branson, Terry Pratchett and Alan Sugar; proof that talent and drive are foremost to success for which university could only be a catalyst. The advice that is missing for teenagers about to leave school is that they have a choice, but a lack of guidance and inspiration is leading to a generation of people blindly throwing themselves into something that they think they have to do, whether they want to or not.

In October 2007, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) launched the Student Listening Programme, designed to amplify student voices within the Government. The outcome of this is that students can talk to members of government about all aspects of student life, and in the first year many student fears were revealed. A website called thestudentroom.co.uk is a forum with the same purpose, where people can air their views on all aspects of university. A forum thread titled ‘Is uni a waste of time?’ provoked a range of replies from students and non students. One person makes a very frank observation:
“It’s only a waste of time if you waste your time.”
Another points out that university will always be vital for some:
“Many high level and well paid jobs involve a long journey of learning and gaining experience and qualification; medicine or engineering, for example.”

Failing to find employment after graduating is a growing problem and something that many students are starting think about. The possibility of three years and thousands of pounds spent on a degree that could be worthless begs the question as to whether doing one has any benefits at all. At Greenwich University in London, more than one in ten graduates remains unemployed after 6 months. This is just one example of a popular British university. Michael Morgan, 22, graduated in early 2008 with a 2:1 in Film Studies. He has since continued to work a few nights a week at a nightclub and has found a part time job as a photographer in a make-over studio.
“I feel like I’m carrying on from where I left off before I came to university, but just a bit wiser, more mature, and fatter,” he muses.
It can’t be denied that university develops maturity and independence.
Michael goes on to say that he came to university purely because everyone else was doing it and he didn’t know any better. “Plus there was the parental pressure. I don’t regret it, though. I needed to move away and experience living on my own more than I needed a degree.”
This seems to be a common thought among students. University should not be the first option for people wanting to move away from home. Guidance in finding a job, and managing a salary and living expenses should be available to people leaving school. It seems that many young people look at university as a way of putting off real life because they simply don’t know how to make the move from being at home, to fending for themselves.

When asked whether he thinks people are coming to university for the wrong reasons, Morgan is quick to agree:
“Definitely, but I don’t blame them. I believe that universities offer courses for the wrong reasons. They’re not bothered about educating; they are a business – now more than ever with the high tuition fees. Different courses at different institutions have a price tag.”
Does he think that teenagers need more guidance rather than restricted options?
“That is clearly what is needed. I think that a lot of people go to university just to conform, but at the same time, I would recommend it to anyone. Even if they don’t finish their course, it’s still worth it.”
But is it really worth it, and is this the right attitude to have regarding an expensive form of education. As well as personal debt, the handing out of loans to so many young people who can’t repay them could have a negative effect on our economy as a country. Does the government realise that it is paying for people to have a “three year long break from the real world and a full time job,” as Morgan puts it? Yes, university is a brilliant place for people to become themselves, as he points out. But it could be strongly argued that it is the wrong place.

For Morgan’s generation, attending university was drummed into them at school as the right thing to do. “I never thought of not going as a taboo,” he replies, when asked his thoughts on skipping a degree or dropping out. “I guess we all just assumed that you are somebody if you have a degree, even if it’s just in football studies.”
Notice Morgan does not talk about his degree subject, how his education has been furthered, and how his degree has set him up for the future. His current job was secured before he graduated and needed no qualifications, but a lack of funds means he is currently searching for one that is better paid. He is hedging his bets on getting a full time office job with the council, as many of his fellow graduates have done. A need for an income directly after graduating means that a career in film is not something that he can realistically pursue at this moment; if indeed this is what he still wants to do.

The jolting crossover from school to adulthood is a swift one which sends young people into a state of panic. There seems to be a link missing, between someone leaving secondary education and their next step via the options laid out in front of them. If we want our future generations to have a bright solid vision of their future, a lot more guidance is going to be needed so that teenagers don’t throw themselves into a commitment of further education that could set them up for long-term problems – not to mention a few wasted years. No, university is not a negative thing. It is a form of education that creates well rounded, ambitious, informed individuals and we are lucky to have it. However, with such high dropout rates and student worries, society has to start accepting that higher education is not and never will be the right path for everyone.

The Fairer Sex

Girls can be horrible creatures. I would never normally show an ounce of sympathy towards the male species, but (and before you decide at this point that I am definitely a sad ugly feminist man hater, I’m not) I have to say that living in a world that is half populated by girls must be horrific. If not horrific, then baffling. Because girls behave in a way that only they understand and collectively partake in, even though it causes most of their problems.

Let me explain. Since I started going out to clubs, a series of rituals has emerged. When a group of girls enter a club, they head straight for the toilets. This doesn’t mean we are all cocaine addicts. It means we probably need the toilet and a hair fix after queuing in gale force winds for two hours, wearing a top as a dress. But the first toilet visit is also about marking territory. Groups of girls hog sections of mirror, eyeing up each others’ outfits, bitching indiscreetly about the girls downstairs who aren’t part of their ‘loo crew’.

While eye liner and blusher is frantically applied and plans of action for the night are discussed, the boys are probably sitting around the club, looking cool, sipping lagers, waiting. I wouldn’t know, because I would be in the toilet. But I imagine that boys feel extremely grown up and sensible when faced with a club full of girls trying to out-dance each other. And I know that they secretly enjoy breaking up a catfight when one too many vodka red bulls leads to Girl Number One kissing the bloke Girl Number Two really fancied two years ago, even though said bloke was never interested in either of them and just wants to go home.

I do love being a girl. I just wish that sometimes we could stop, take a look at ourselves, and realize that most of the time, we are all bickering over nothing.

Richard Cooper - Interview

At only 21 years of age, you would expect Richard Cooper to be full of himself, especially since those in the recording industry have a less than saintly reputation. On the contrary, Rich (as he is known to all) has kick started a career that most people his age can only dream of, but you wouldn’t know it from talking to him.

It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I have arranged to meet Rich in The Paradise Bar, Kensal Green. He is bang on time, having come from his Abbey Road flat which he shares with two of his female friends. Greeting me ever so slightly shyly, we sit down to coffee in the warm sunshine.

Cooper has now worked at British Grove Studios in Chiswick for nearly two and a half years, as a recording engineer. He modestly counts Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame) as his boss, and countless chart toppers as clients. But how did he achieve so much, so young?
“After my GCSEs, I moved to London to study at an audio engineering college which I did for nine months. I then got offered a job at Sony Studios before I finished studying because I was so young, but that place closed down soon after.”

Richard, originally from Reading, attended a very mixed state school which he deemed as
“Ok, but not particularly inspiring. I did what I had to do, then left to persue recording.”
He was almost immediately offered a job at British Grove, after achieving a “degree type-thing” from engineering college. When I again bring up his age, and his thoughts on where he is, he states matter-of-factly:

“I think it’s a lot to do with just getting on with people and being relaxed and stuff, and having a good education – actually knowing what I’m doing.”

And, I add, knowing what you want to do and having the drive to do it?

“Yes, definitely. I have been drumming and recording since I can remember. I guess I’m lucky that I left school knowing where I was headed.”

So is it all about rubbish shoulders with Amy Winehouse and attending the craziest parties? Not exactly. Cooper puts work first, but still has fun, receiving free passes and countless party invites, admitting “it’s not really like a real job, but I have to do ridiculous hours without breaks and it pretty much ruins any social life!”

And the highlights?

“I get paid pretty well, depending on who I’m working with. I loved the Razorlight sessions because they were here for six months and it was like working with friends; I got really involved. However, working with The Darkness was horrible because the producer was not the nicest person.”

Other artists who have walked through the doors of British Grove include The Killers, The Libertines, U2 and Kanye West. Cooper is clearly heading for the top of his profession, and when I ask where he wants to be in ten years time, he has a think before deciding he would like to be “in demand as an engineer, working with rock and pop bands, or just playing drums. I’m easy.” Indeed, he is an accomplished drummer, playing in the up and coming signed band Wall Street Riots (formally Death Can Dance) who we are sure to be hearing a lot more of in the future.
“We play loads of shows, have good management and just recorded with the same producer who worked with Supergrass, so it’s going really well.”

Whilst most people his age are still half-heartedly putting themselves through university, trying to decide where they want to be and building up piles of debt, I can’t help but feel slightly jealous that the person before me had it all planned out a long time ago. Richard is part of a growing crop of young, ambitious people in London making popular culture their chosen career and impressively succeeding. As we go our separate ways, I wish him luck and skip off through the capital with a refreshed faith in the concept that you can do anything you want if you really put your mind to it.

Krystle Gohel - Interview

The ‘lad’s mag’ industry is, to the outsider, a knot of male editors with an un-politically correct sense of humour, chasing after bleached blonde women with fake breasts - among other things. In reality, what’s found is a community of arguably the nicest and most down to earth people within the magazine world, one of whom I am lucky enough to meet today.

Krystle Gohel is a former Page3 girl (she has over thirty Page3 appearances under her belt) and current lads mag hottie-turned-make-up artist. She is, quite frankly, the total opposite of what I had in mind. Her chatty, friendly, quirky comments are delivered in a girly Manchester accented voice and you know right away that she is oblivious of her charms. She is a mixture of contradictions; scatty but professional, indecisive but determined, and innocently sweet but exotically sexy. She is dressed in a way which suggests she is completely comfortable with her body and her image, and manages to make a black vest, jeans and a scarf look ridiculously sexy. Her Greek and Spanish heritage gives her a striking look not often found among glamour girls, but ensured she won the Sun’s Page3 Idol competition in 2003, keeping male fans very happy for the duration of her successful two-year stint as one of the paper’s most in demand girls. That same year, she went on to win FHM’s Student of the Year, earning her a solid place within the profession of glamour modeling. As none of this was planned nor expected, she was suddenly obliged to choose between her university education and her fledging modeling career.
“I started modeling half way through my degree in Fashion Marketing, then [after several course changes] changed to HND, finally completing it. I decided to do modeling full time, but was not satisfied after a few months of not using my brain, and went back to university!”
She went on to graduate in 2006, aged 23, with a degree in Media Design at Manchester Metropolitan University.

We meet at a halfway point, in the home of her model friend with whom she shared this very flat with during her early London days. I can instantly tell that the small space holds many happy, if not so well remembered memories for the girls. Photos of parties, holidays, festivals and general shenanigans crowd the walls in the tiny but neat kitchen area. We settle into a bright yellow sofa propped up against a clean white wall, and she kicks off her shoes, curling her legs underneath her. Her wide innocent smile and inviting body language make me warm to this unlikely glamour star instantly.

A year ago, after struggling to know what to do with her life and unsure of the perfect career choice, Krystle decided to throw herself back into the magazine industry – but with a different goal: “I moved to London and got a full time job, which I hated, to cover my rent, and took evening courses for a diploma in make-up and hair.”
She has now settled in London and has been an in-demand make-up artist for just under a year. Does she feel that her modeling career gave her a head start in finding work? “Yes, I would totally agree.” She pauses to take a lady-like drag of her cigarette. “I am very fortunate to know people in the industry, and they are my friends, which gave me the chance to show I am good at what I do.”

Indeed, this business is all about helping each other out. The models, stylists, and photographers alike have such a sense of passion and frivolity in what they do which makes the glamour industry so inviting to so many girls. One independent men’s magazine, Front, commission Krystle as make-up artist in almost every photo shoot they organize. The photos are often shot by former Page3 girl-turned-photographer Zoë McConnell, another close friend of Krystle’s. And you can bet your bottom dollar that the cover girl they are working with is a close acquaintance.
“I think my job is the best job. I love it! I am very lucky to meet the people I do and have the opportunity to work with creatives alike. It’s taken nearly 10 years and several university courses to get here, but I wouldn’t change a thing!”

After just under a year of working, Krystle can count herself as a regular contributor to Maxim and Front, among others. She recently worked for the Guinness World Records where she met the woman with the longest legs and the smallest man in the world, calling it “quite an eye opener!”
What makes her instantly likeable is her grounded attitude and youthful enthusiasm. She tells me that for all the girls in college training to become a part of the industry, very few are employed. This is because, quite simply, someone who is older, with experience in the same or similar field, will always get the work first and foremost. In this way she is glad that it took her so long to find a job which makes her happy.

“Every make-up job I do is my best achievement!” She suddenly becomes animated with enthusiasm, and her eyes sparkle. “It is so rewarding when you know that you put 110% into your work and everyone is pleased with the whole outcome.”
It is clear that she has indeed found her perfect career; one that suits her care-free, excitable, creative personality down to the ground. The only downside she can think of, after a wrinkle of her nose, is the fact that the weight of her make-up case and the London tubes cause some problems. “I’m quite small and it’s very rare for a kind gentleman to help you up or down the stairs during London rush hour!”

What else would I expect, then, when I ask her the obligatory where-in-five-years question? A sudden widening of the eyes, followed by the exclamation: “I want to be the best make-up artist in the WORLD!” seems to establish her point, and she springs off her seat to make us some more tea.