Lagerfeld puts on special NYC shows
Showbiz Desk

Like his runway show this past October for the Spring 2006 Chanel collection, which referenced quintessential American rebel James Dean, Karl Lagerfeld set sail for America once again with his fourth “satellite” collection for Chanel, entitled “Paris-New York.”
Presented at Chanel’s New York flagship store on 57th Street, the ultimate street for luxury shoppers in the U.S., the collection, which will arrive in stores next June, is unlike traditional seasonal bridge collections designed to transition shoppers from spring wardrobes to fall or vice versa.
Instead, it is designed to give clients the opportunity to add to their Chanel collections exquisitely executed pieces on the highest plane of luxury rarely seen at the ready-to-wear level, crafted in part by the old world ateliers Chanel acquired three years ago, known as the Metiers D’Art: Lemaire (feathers), Lesage (Embroidery), Massaro (Bootmaker/Shoes), Desrues & Gooseens (Costume Jewelry) and Michel (Millinery).
Read: almost as exclusive as couture. In other words, if you’re not regularly splurging on luxury goods, be prepared to sell your house, your car, or your first born child to partake in this magnificent collection.
“We started it in Paris, in the salon - and it was called ‘Satellite,’ like Lou Reed’s song, ‘Satellite of Love’ - you know, with all the different people,” explained Lagerfeld of the initial concept behind establishing the intermediary collection, likening the couture ateliers to satellites in orbit - in this case, orbiting Planet Chanel.
“After two seasons in the salons in Paris, I thought it would be fun to do it somewhere else, and have this collection travel,” continued Lagerfeld. “Last year we went to Tokyo for the opening of the big Tokyo building [Chanel Ginza]. It was a huge success. So we said, now this time, let’s do Paris-New York. And we may go to Monaco, and London and Shanghai - who knows?” So it is appropriate that the traveling collection also is about the idea of travel.
“It’s like that elegant idea of a woman traveling with her new clothes and displaying her new clothes,” Lagerfeld disclosed during post-show, as camera crews and well-wishers swarmed the second floor of the store, serving as the makeshift “backstage” area. “Traveling is not such fun anymore, with the way airports go and the way people are treated at airports, but I like the idea of traveling.”
The woman he has in mind is no doubt a woman who travels in high style - whether in a first-class cabin of an ocean liner or on her private jet (the better to preserve those pristine white quilted Chanel suitcases with). Yet, she might be a bit of an eccentric, a dandy-type with extraordinarily fine tastes who may find herself taking a wild on the wild side from time to time.
Fifty-seven looks strong (after all, on Planet Chanel the collection must match the number of the street where it makes its debut!), Lagerfeld stuck with the revered classics that inspire such die-hard devotion to the brand - the Chanel suit, the quilted bag, a variety of accoutrement around the neck (bows, brooches), the black and white palette - but injected the signature looks with a hearty dose of glam, rock n’ roll edge.
Impeccably tailored skinny black pants, ruffled collars, fitted tuxedo jackets with tails and even glittery embroidered armbands of tiaras indicated that this was definitely a case of Right Bank chic meeting downtown New York grease - the kind of postmodern baroque that is Lagerfeld’s specialty.
Furthering illustrating Lagerfeld’s high-low convergence in the plush environs of the third floor at the Chanel store (cleared out of merchandise for the show and decorated with mock air mail decals on the walls) was the live music of Devendra Banhart, one of indie rock’s most celebrated nouveau folk artists, who sang and played his guitar while seated on the floor.
Lagerfeld’s presence in New York yesterday was only a taste of what’s to come in the city for the designer. Having recently settled into a Manhattan photo studio as well as purchasing a Gramercy Park apartment, Lagerfeld will also show his namesake collection, Lagerfeld Gallery, in New York come February for the Fall 2006 season.
“I always like New York,” said Lagerfeld, the multitasking man who is perhaps the quintessential jet setter. “I never had a place myself. Now I think maybe I want to have a photo studio and an apartment because what I like best in life is change, and in the past I was mostly between Paris, Rome and Monte Carlo. Now I can add New York!”
This year was the first time that all nine judges were former Miss World title holders, including Miss World 1953 Denise Perrier Lanfranchi of France.
“All of them are just beautiful,” said judge Ann Sidney, Miss World 1964 from England. “It was a question of who was shining the most tonight, who had the forces of destiny with her.”
Vilhjalmsdottir is also chairwoman of her college social club and teaches dance. She enjoys acting, singing, dancing, snow-boarding, hiking, camping, horsemanship and has a special talent for choreography and playing the piano.
If her dreams of becoming a lawyer do not pan out, doors will likely open for her in a wide variety of other fields, including acting and modelling.
She takes over from Miss World 2004 Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia, who ends her reign after a year of globetrotting that has taken her to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Russia, Tibet and to the mountains of her native Peru where she has worked to improve education for children.