As well as introducing groundbreaking garments for women, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel embodied her brand in a way no other designer had done before, a new exhibition highlights. Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto – at London’s V&A Museum – traces the life and work of the famed French designer, who was born in the Loire Valley in 1883 and taught to sew by nuns in the orphanage to which she was sent aged 11, when her mother died. “Before her, designers weren’t really known,” says Oriole Cullen, curator of modern textiles and fashion and the V&A. “Their names were known, but they weren’t visible figures within society.” Starting out as a seamstress and cabaret singer, before establishing herself as milliner, Chanel later turned her focus to couture fashion and began designing casual clothing for women, inspired by the menswear of the era. “The Chanel brand as it stands [today] is really based on these ideas that she ushered in 100 years ago,” Cullen says, which is where the exhibition title comes from. “The meaning of that is really about a template that Gabrielle Chanel set out at the very beginning of her design career and came back to, reimagined and reinvented throughout her long career of sixty years.” Bringing together nearly 200 outfits, the show features items from the opening of her first millinery boutique in Paris in 1910, to the showing of her final collection, two weeks after she died in 1971. Signature designs on display include little black dresses, tweed suits and quilted leather handbags – the most iconic of which is the 2.55 bag. “The 2.55 has never really gone out of fashion since she designed it in 1955,” Cullen says. “That is fascinating in terms of high fashion, that an object can stay the course for such a long time and still be relevant.” Part of the upper echelons of French society, Chanel initially relied on wealthy lovers, such as French ex-cavalry officer Etienne Balsan and English polo player Arthur Edward ‘Boy’ Capel to fund her boutiques. Later becoming a celebrity in her own right, she amassed a personal fortune, thanks to the success of her fashion, accessories and cosmetics lines. “The perfume Chanel No5 was introduced in 1921, but then introducing make-up in 1924 and skincare in 1927, she was really ahead of her time,” Cullen says. “It’s something she was doing because she was designing for herself.” Chanel is credited with helping to liberate women from the constricting corsets and long skirts that were de rigeur at the turn of the century, and for popularising softer textiles, such as jersey. “She cuts her garments with high armholes, so you can lift your arms over your head,” Cullen continues. “She thinks about fabrics that are practical, and skirt lengths you can move in.” The exhibition – which was originally staged at Paris’s Palais Galliera in 2020 – highlights the brand’s UK and Ireland connections via British Chanel Limited. “This was an umbrella company set up in 1932 to work with an array of British textile manufacturers,” Cullen explains. “From lace in Nottingham, cotton velvets from Manchester, wools from Huddersfield, and also voiles and silks from Carlisle. “One of the other companies she worked with was the Old Bleach Linen Company, which is based in Randalstown in Northern Ireland.” Split into 10 sections, the exhibition concludes with a recreation of the mirrored staircase from Chanel’s Paris atelier. “Gabrielle Chanel used to sit at the top of the stairs when she was having presentations,” Cullen explains. “The models would descend and this faceted mirror would reflect back the audience’s faces to her, so she could read the mood in the room.” Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto opens at London’s V&A Museum on September 16. Tickets available at vam.ac.uk/chanel. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 6 times Kate has worn London Fashion Week designers Pro-gamer Jukeyz ‘died for two minutes’ after cardiac arrest which left him ‘scared to sleep’ Young people not snowflakes or wasters, says curator of rebellious fashion exhibition

Lewis Hamilton is reportedly set to be offered £40m to make a shock switch to Ferrari next year. The 38-year-old, who has won six of his seven world titles at Mercedes since joining the Silver Arrows in 2013, is currently stalling on extending his current contract which expires at the end of the season. While both Hamilton and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insist a new deal will be agreed, Ferrari now look poised to enter the race for the seven-time world champion with a lucrative offer. According to the Daily Mail, the Scuderia are prepared to offer £40m-a-year to land Hamilton – with president John Elkann already in close contact with the Brit and his team. The report adds that one possible scenario is for Hamilton to replace current Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, in what would amount to a straight-swap deal with the Monegasque joining Mercedes to partner George Russell. The other, more favourable, option is to pair Hamilton with Leclerc, meaning Ferrari would look to offload Spanish driver Carlos Sainz. With Hamilton’s current contract close to the £40m-a-year mark anyway, money would not be the predominant factor in his decision-making. Instead, the competitiveness of both cars compared to current runaway leaders Red Bull would be of greater significance, as Hamilton targets a record-breaking eighth world championship in his final years in the sport. While Mercedes, the dominant team in the hybrid era from 2014-2021 with eight-straight constructors’ crowns, took a backwards step in 2022, Ferrari burst to the front of the field with a potential championship-winning car. Leclerc’s challenge was foiled by reliability problems and strategic errors, as well as a few mistakes himself, and Ferrari have struggled at the start of this year too despite Fred Vasseur replacing Mattia Binotto as team boss. Mercedes are poised to bring new upgrades to this week’s race in Monaco – with a new floor, sidepod design and front suspension in the works. The modifications were set to come in at Imola last week before the race was cancelled due to flooding in the Emilia Romagna region. Whether Mercedes can haul in the deficit to Red Bull out in front – by 128 points in the constructors’ standings – this season remains very unlikely, but Hamilton will want to be encouraged that his team are taking a positive step before signing a new contract. Hamilton has been linked with Ferrari in the past, particularly surrounding contract negotiations in 2019, but stated at the time there were “things that don’t mirror my values and approach.” "The Ferrari thing is not going to happen, I think," he said then. "I’ve always been positive about Ferrari. I watched Michael win there. I’ve always been a Ferrari fan. I remember one of the first cars I ever bought was a Ferrari. And I think it’s a hugely iconic team and brand, particularly. "I think the team has, in my period of time. There have been things I’ve seen that I don’t necessarily feel mirror my values and my approach. However, it is a team that every driver, I think, has dreamed of what it would be like to sit in the red cockpit. Hamilton has not won a grand prix since December 2021, in Saudi Arabia, and a race later missed out on a record-breaking eighth crown in controversial and dramatic circumstances in Abu Dhabi to Max Verstappen. Currently, Hamilton is level in the all-time leaderboard on seven F1 world titles with Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher. Hamilton could, possibly, also be swayed by the fact that hero Ayrton Senna was poised to join Ferrari in 1995 before his fatal crash at Imola in May 1994. Red Bull is not seen as a realistic option for Hamilton, with Christian Horner saying as much in April, while Aston Martin are content with their current driver pairing of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Hamilton currently trails championship leader Verstappen in the standings this season by 63 points after just five races. Read More Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are the biggest losers from Imola Grand Prix cancellation Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 F1 title still under threat as Felipe Massa bemoans ‘injustice’ Where are Mercedes and Ferrari? Frankly, you don’t want to hear the answer ‘Nasty piece of work’: Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes slammed by Toto Wolff Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ‘pray’ for Imola as they urge people to ‘stay safe’ during floods

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Olivia Rodrigo has sparkled in a silver gown on the 2023 MTV VMA’s pink carpet. The “Vampire” singer arrived at the award show ceremony in a crystal-covered , floor-length liquid silver Roger Vivier gown that sparkled in every direction. Rodrigo’s appearance marks the Disney Channel alum’s first award show appearance since the recent release of her sophomore album, Guts. During this album cycle, the singer has aimed for sleeker, more glamourous looks that are definitely turning heads among her fans. She paired the dress with her hair worn pin straight and parted down the middle, choosing the soft glam look that she usually gravitates toward. She accessorised the look with a nod to her album cover with a couple of rings that spell out “Guts.” Viewers were collectively in awe of Rodrigo’s showstopping look. One fan wrote X, formerly known as Twitter: “The queen! She is dazzling!” “Olivia Rodrigo the princess that you are,” someone else wrote, comparing the singer-songwriter to Ariel in the ending scene of the animated version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. A third commented that Rodrigo “is not playing this era”. Rodrigo’s fans aren’t the only ones excited to see her make an appearance at the VMA’s, as K-pop group Stray Kids said that the musical act they’re looking forward to seeing the most is Rodrigo. “We would really like to see Olivia Rodrigo,” group member Bang Chan told Entertainment Tonight host Rachel Smith. Read More 2023 MTV VMAs: The best-dressed stars on the red carpet, from Olivia Rodrigo to Doja Cat Selena Gomez returns to the VMAs red carpet in red gown for first appearance since 2015 MTV VMAs: Most iconic outfits of all time, from Lil’ Kim to Lady Gaga

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