Fashion and Politics gel well. Since French president Francois Hollande is expected to propose a same-sex marriage bill this Friday, Karl Lagerfeld thought it to be apt to show his support for gay marriage. Karl Lagerfeld sent not one – but two — brides down the runway for the finale of his spring 2013 Chanel Haute Couture in Paris early Tuesday. The two models, in identical feathered wedding dresses and headpieces, walked hand-in-hand down the runway.
As always Chanel’s haute couture runway played stage to some of the most theatrical make up we’ve seen so far; taking two of next season’s major beauty trends – the smoky eye and messy up-style – and giving them both a very gothic twist in the tale.
The Chanel spring-summer 2013 haute 
couture collection consisted of ensembles focussing on the shoulder with lots of off-shoulder dresses, delicate black Chantilly lace layered over a cream bouclé suit, worn with thigh high skinny leather boots and peep-toes, the beaded, embroidered and sequined flowers blossoming across long column dresses and cinched with spaghetti-thin red belts, 60s inspired tube dresses and empire line gowns.
Yet another blow to Galliano. John Galliano, decorated as a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor at the Élysée Palace in 2010, has been stripped of the merit award. On Jun 23, 2010, John Galliano was awarded one of France’s highest honors: he was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. And just over two years later, he’s been stripped of his award.
Following Galliano’s conviction last year for making racist and anti-Semitic slurs, President Francois Hollande, who serves as the grand master of the Order, revoked the decoration. Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Nicole Farhi and Sonia Rykiel are all recipients of the prestigious award and Anna Wintour was the most recent fashion marquis to receive the Legion of Honor.
What makes the stripping of Legion of Honor award a big news is that it’s a rare occurrence. In fact the infamous Panamanian dictator – Manuel Noreiga still hold on to his Legion of Honor.
I am pretty sure the Chambre Syndicale doesn’t recognize Zahia Dehar, but that hasn’t prevented her from staging her second “couture” lingerie runway show in Paris. Dehar, you’ll recall, is a former underage prostitute who made headlines for sleeping with a bunch of French footballers for payment. The French love her, as does Karl Lagerfeld, who’s supported her projects in the past.
Her second lingerie collection featured models popping out of giant cupcakes, and one picture even seems to suggest that one emerged from a refrigerator. But the grand finale was Zahia herself, dressed as the hottest bride ever, stepping out of a doll box. Apparently Zahia really has a thing for showing off her boobs, as well as other people’s. The collection did so with aplomb!
It is probably for the first time in the history of Paris Couture Week that Couture Panties would be paraded on the runway. The initiative is taken by Zahia Dehar who is set to launch an eponymous, high-fashion lingerie line with a catwalk show during couture week in Paris.
Zahia called on the talents of a host of couture specialists for the line’s one-off creations, including corset maker François Tamarin, flower maker and plumassier Bruno Legeron and embroiderer Jean-Pierre Ollier. Artist Michel Carel and accessories designer Cécile Boccara also collaborated on the collection, 
which will show on Jan. 25 at the Palais de Chaillot. And to complete her journey to fashion legitimacy, none other than Karl Lagerfeld shot her for the line’s look book–which will be handed out in the press kit at the show.
Who is Zahia Dehar? Zahia Dehar caused a furor in France back in 2010 when it was revealed that she had slept with several prominent French footballers for payment (about £2,000 a night, according to an article in the Telegraph at that time). Prostitution is legal in France, but you have to be 18 to peddle your wares, and she wasn’t.
Herb Ritts, the fashion photographer who rose to fame in the 80s and 90s, was known for his work in black and white, and for making humans look like classic sculpture. He became more popular in pop culture circles after he famously shot videos for Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Michael Jackson.
NOWNESS has some newly-revealed and never-before-seen shots from the photographer, Herb Ritts, who died in 2002. They feature a young Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Johnny Depp, David Bowie and Karl Lagerfeld. Naomi famously once said, “All of us experienced pain with Herb, but the pain was worth it. You want one of those photographs in your lifetime of modeling.” Cindy Crawford said, “Herb would always get you naked. I think he photographs women the way they want to look. You knew that’s the way it went, you are going to look good.”
