CHANEL X SAATCHI

Regardless of how much you care about fashion, there’s a 99% chance you’re familiar with Coco Chanel. You’re also probably familiar with Chanel as the behemoth brand that dominates Bond Street with its tweed two-pieces and interlocking C’s. A French fashion house steeped in history and largely credited for establishing the chic Parisian uniform that we have all come to know and love, Chanel is beginning to leave its roots and look firmly toward the future. At least this is the impression you get as you enter the Saatchi Gallery, guided by legions of guards present to limit the crowds. As you enter the gallery you are treated to a recreation of Coco’s own garden divided into three sections, all of which are beautifully decorated with vast swathes of flora including, Chanel’s own favourite, the camellia. This stunning yet quaint entrance soon makes way for modernity as visitors are reminded that the exhibition comes fully-furnished with free Wifi and an accompanying app, which promises to act as a faithful companion there to uncover new nuggets of information as you peruse the installations. 

Mademoiselle Privé exhibition poster

BIRDS OF PARADISE

It's impossible to talk about the history of fashion without heavily referencing the iconic Antwerp Six, a young design collective that changed the face of commercial fashion way back in the mid-1980s. These young pioneers were followed a few years later by one of fashion's most elusive vanguards; Martin Margiela established his 'Maison' in 1989 and went on to redefine minimalism and logo culture. His critically-acclaimed collections never featured labels; instead, every piece was hand-finished with four plain white stitches in the place the label should have been. His intimate shows were amongst the first to evoke tears from a crowd of hard-nosed fashion editors, and key pieces such as his 'Tabi' boots toed the line (quite literally) between commercial and experimental, forcing the rest of fashion to catch up. Finally, in 1995, Raf Simons was first introduced to the fashion world as a little-known designer with a new menswear brand focussed around youth culture. Back then, few could have predicted that the designer sending pale, skinny street-cast skateboarders down the runway would become one of the most powerful men in fashion, eventually being chosen as Creative Director of Christian Dior. These designers all have one thing in common; they all studied at the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, a school which defines Antwerp as a city at the top of any fashion lover's bucket list. I was recently lucky enough to spend a weekend in Antwerp and, between visits to Dries van Noten's flagship store and swigs of Belgian beer, visit the city's ModeMuseum.

Thierry Mugler,'Chimere'