It's Au Revoir For Now Chanel...

Throughout my short time working for Chanel cosmetics it has been an incredible learning experience.

Looks can be deceiving, you would think the best customer would be a gentleman who walks in wearing a gold Rolex, Ralph Lauren jumper and Vivienne Westwood scarf; you would be wrong because this man bought nothing.  Another man walks in not sure what to get his wife, he is not wearing any notable designer clothes, just looks like an average man, I show him all the limited edition items we have and immediately he spends over £400 on buying them all.

I must say my sales skills have vastly increased thanks to great tips from my fabulous boss, and so you know men are the easiest to sell more too and they will buy anything especially when they find out they can get it wrapped.  Also a common question was "Do you think it looks expensive enough?" Ha...

After my project on Coco Chanel I have been fascinated by the woman and brand that she created so working for the exclusive company has taught me many lessons.  It has been hard work but it has been great to earn some money of my own, not that there is much left of it! and my confidence has been given a big boost which is always great so all in all my first ever paid job has gone well.

As I remove my badge for the last time in 2009 the year is almost over and I hope it has been as good to you as it has me, may next year be prosperous for us all!

S

Welcome To My Family...

My Best Friend Sophie, and she definitely deserves the title after she bought light into my life...without sounding bourgeois I am allowed to feel this way about material possessions because I don't have kids yet.  So basically she through her fabulous connections she sorted me out with an A/W 09' Jimmy Choo Odette Bag!!!!!...and wait its not just any Odette bag its the large Colbat Pony Skin and Snakeskin bag.

Who needs a man when you could have a handbag...they are a lot more attractive.

Admire the gorgeousness below...

S

Chanel Is For Life Not Just For Christmas

So I thought now, at the age of 19, Sara Qaddoura should get a job.
Easier said than done.


I have a very protective Daddy who I love immensely but who has always been very much against me getting a job. Ok, I did enjoy using that excuse but to be honest there has to be a point in my life when I must stand my ground and say "No, Daddy!". I didn't quite do that but I did quietly inform him of my impending job interview whilst he was on the phone and couldn't actually hear me...


Thanks to my friend Chris who is the manger of the Givenchy counter at Debenhams recommended me for a Christmas job at Chanel. It's a temporary Christmas job but at least I am it's a start and I will actually get paid.


So I went on the training day to London the train ticket was paid for by Chanel as well as getting paid for a full days work. I had a idea of what to expect from the head office of Chanel on Old Bond Street; the offices would be sophisticated and the workers stuck up, they are 'Chanel' so I was willing to endure it. The stark reality was that yes the offices were like a dream a mix of classy black and white design with fashionable furniture, simple and elegant, very....Chanel. What I wasn't ready for was that the people were actually lovely, very well up-kept with sleek hair and immaculate make-up but great bubbly personalities.


Fiona (aka Fi) had a perfect bob accompanied by a Chanel black tweed jacket and a J12 Chanel watch. The shock was that she started off as a make-up counter girl, I didn't expect that in a company like Chanel that you would have the opportunity to work your way up in such a luxury company from a much lower position.  They were definitely a kind company as well as free mince pies (which I hate but the gesture was appreciated) they also gave each of us a bottle of N°5 Perfume!


Most of the training was based on learning about the history of the brand and most importantly the creator; the magnificent Coco Chanel. I knew that the brand was very much inspired by her life from doing a historical references essay on her last year. But I did not understand the extent of detail that went into representing her past and present in her collections, from the smallest detail like button and stitching. 


I have been looking into my own design philosophy recently and I think Chanel is a prime example of a successful philosophy being put into practice.  It is amazing also to see that until this day Chanel remains true to the brand image Coco created and even after the new creative control of Karl Lagerfeld the brand has still flourished in the modern environment.


I entered into this experience with a very high level of respect and admiration for the Chanel brand and am already planning of my dream future career there. It must be fate... Fi showed us a quote that she felt represented the brand, this happens to be the same one I have been using to represent myself: "Fashion fades, only style remains the same" Coco Chanel.


I will leave you with the new stunning mini film for the Chanel N°5 Fragrance featuring Audrey Tautou; the new face of the original fragrance for Chanel. 


S


P.S. I got a Chanel badge and I get to keep it...Jealous?!

Changing Trends

With the tragic absence of my blogging I thought it would be a great way to justify my lack of respect for the blogosphere by showing all my readers (i.e. Moi) what I have been up to over this time.

We should begin with a Technical Processes unit that I have slaved over for 8 weeks..only to receive an average grade...tut tut.

I have created my own trend book highlighting designs, colours, patterns and trend but they are not meant to reflect current or future trends but my own made up by yours truly.  I must admit that I did watermark the pages for you pesky fashionistas that would want to copy my fabulous ideas, so I can sell them on to any fashion house houses that would want some inspired inspiration...move over Peclers!

All working drawing and designs are ALL my own and I created funky patterns to go with them.  Using Adobe Photoshop to manipulate fabrics that I had created myself using a varying of techniques from batik dying to quilting.  I feel as if the mousepad of my Mac had meshed to to my fingers from the continued use of the dreaded 'Pen Tool' (cue scary music), which I used to create all of my working drawings using the other Adobe Software; Illustrator.  On this software that everyone raved about it took 10x longer to do anything simple...I have only just mastered how to fill a box with colour.

To be honest with you after this project I still don't get the hoo hah about Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator it is so much quicker and simpler to use Paint!  Weren't they the good old days...

S