Three Decades Of Karl Lagerfeld At Chanel In New Book

Will just said that Natalie looked like Îles flottantes. Something to do with the nest of hair that she had constructed on her head using a hair clip she found on my desk. She is very talented in the art of hair styling, you see. Now, for those of you not au fait with the haute dessert, Îles flottantes (translation: floating islands) are a delicate concoction whereby poached meringues float across a glossy pool of creme anglaise (custard). “A perfect finish to any rich meal,” apparently. Îles flottantes are often finished with a crown of spun sugar, hence Will’s comment re. Natalie’s hair (“It looks like a crown of golden sugar”) and subsequent denial that Natalie’s face did not, in fact, resemble a poached meringue. The pudding is also sometimes known as the Queen of Desserts (we possibly made this up), revered as a demonstration of a chef’s ability for sugar work. Anyway, if French fashion house Chanel was a dessert, it would be Îles flottantes. Because it is delicate, delicious and desires the most impeccable craftsmanship to create it. Plus it has a French-y name. Which, in turn, would make Karl the most masterful chef, a fact evidenced in this latest book, Chanel: The Complete Karl Lagerfeld Collections – a catalogue of Karl’s finest catwalk moments at Chanel, spanning over three decades. Beginning with the quote “Fashion fades, style is eternal”, as the rest of the book demonstrates –  “for the first time, the key looks of every Chanel collection ever created by Lagerfeld are gathered in a single volume, offering a unique opportunity to chart the development of one of the world’s most influential fashion brands and rediscover rarely seen collections,” say Thames & Hudson. It is a thing of great beauty, with many a supermodel sandwiched betwixt its pages. It’s delicious.