Fashion
Virginie Viard, the Woman Behind Chanel’s New Chapter
She wants her work to be in the light, rather than her,” the model and music producer Caroline de Maigret says of Viard. “I find it so modern….
Paris eventually beckoned, where—through her well-connected Lyonnais roommate—Viard found an internship with Jacqueline de Ribes, the city’s queen-bee socialite, who had recently decided to parlay her consummate taste and flair for fashion into a brand of her own. “We were working in her house,” Viard recalls, “all the fabrics were laid out on the bed, and the photocopy machine was in the bathroom. I was the assistant to three people—we were four in total.”
Soon she moved on to become an assistant to the costume designer Dominique Borg, acclaimed for her work on such movies as Bruno Nuytten’s Camille Claudel and Claude Lelouch’s Les Misérables, and discovered what she felt was her true calling. Her family, meanwhile, had long since moved to a country house in Burgundy, where their neighbor—the aide de camp of Monaco’s Prince Rainier—soon met Karl Lagerfeld, a Monegasque resident and intime of Princess Caroline, the prince’s daughter, and boldly asked him whether he needed an intern. Fatefully, he did. Viard duly went to rue Cambon to meet Lagerfeld’s aide de camp, the patrician Gilles Dufour, who hired her on the spot.
“Immediately Karl was asking me, ‘What do you think of this?’ ‘What do you think of that color?’ I was so embarrassed,” Viard recalls. Her internship soon morphed into a full-time job. “Karl clicked with Virginie immediately,” says Eric Wright, another pillar of Lagerfeld’s design team. “There’s always been this calmness to Virginie that’s very, very discreet, but her presence and her energy are very, very strong and very influential.”
At the time, the team was small: Besides Dufour and Wright, there was a ready-to-wear assistant, an accessories designer with an assistant, and Victoire de Castellane, Dufour’s high-spirited niece, then responsible for Chanel’s larger-than-life costume jewelry. Viard soon saw an opportunity that appealed to her training in costume design and her meticulous organizational skills.
“My chance was that nobody was in charge of the embroidery,” she says, and so she would be dispatched to work with the formidable François Lesage of the storied embroidery workshop. “He and Karl were two egos,” Viard recalls. “Ooh-la-la! I had to be diplomatic!”
Viard relished her interactions with the extraordinary characters who provided Chanel with a treasury of handcraft. The button-maker Monsieur Desrues, for instance, who would arrive every day at twelve, bringing his suitcase, which might be empty but for one jewellike example of his art, wrapped in a piece of paper, or Madame Pouzieux, who wove extraordinary braids for the Chanel suits in her atelier above her farmhouse stables in the depths of the French countryside. “I would receive her samples,” says Viard, “and they would smell of her horses…. Luckily, I love horses.” (In recent years, Chanel has acquired 38 of these endangered Maisons d’Art, or craft workshops—including feather- and artificial-flower-makers, custom milliners, glove-makers, pleaters, and textile and footwear designers—and 11 of them will soon be consolidated in 19M, a vast dedicated hub in the north of Paris scheduled to be unveiled next year.)
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Mike Amiri’s Fashion Empire, Unveiling the 2024 Net Worth of the Trendsetting Designer
Mike Amiri’s Fashion Empire, Unveiling the 2024 Net Worth of the Trendsetting Designer
Artist Spotlight
Shreyaa Sumi: A Red Carpet Sensation with a Story of Triumph
In the glitzy world of fashion and entertainment, certain personalities shine bright, capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide. One such luminary is Shreyaa Sumi, a multi-talented individual who has left an indelible mark on the global fashion scene. Shreyaa has become a symbol of success, juggling roles as an American model, actress, and a devoted wife and mother. Let’s delve into the fascinating journey of this accomplished individual who recently graced the Los Angeles fashion show with her stunning presence.
Red Carpet Glamour at Los Angeles Fashion Show:
Shreyaa Sumi recently stole the spotlight at a Los Angeles fashion show, turning heads with her radiant red look. The Instagram sensation posted a video flaunting her glamorous ensemble – a short and sassy red dress paired with long black shoes and a chic red jacket. The caption, “What time is it? It’s showtime! Thank you for inviting me to your private NY Red Carpet event,” exuded confidence and excitement. The location tag placed her at the heart of the entertainment world – Los Angeles, Hollywood.
Early Life and Modelling Beginnings:
Shreyaa Sumi embarked on her modeling journey in India, where her passion for fashion and media first took root. However, it wasn’t until she moved to the United States with her husband Vijai, that she decided to pursue her dreams on an international scale. From that point forward, there was no looking back for Shreyaa.
Family and Personal Life:
Beyond the glitz and glamour, Shreyaa Sumi is a proud wife to Vijai and a doting mother to her daughter, Sia Vijai. Her ability to balance a thriving career with family life is a testament to her resilience and dedication. In media interviews, Shreyaa has openly shared how her family has been her pillar of support, standing by her throughout her journey to turn dreams into reality.
Awards and Accolades:
Shreyaa Sumi’s success in the fashion industry is underscored by a slew of prestigious awards. In 2022, she clinched the title of Mrs Universe Asia USA, a testament to her excellence on the international stage. Additionally, she has been honored with a doctorate, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the fields of media and fashion. Shreyaa also holds the Asia’s Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award, further solidifying her status as an industry trailblazer.
Shreyaa Sumi’s story is one of triumph, resilience, and unwavering determination. From her modest beginnings in Tamilnadu, India, to gracing the red carpet in Hollywood, she has come a long way. As an American model, actress, and a devoted wife and mother, Shreyaa Sumi continues to inspire aspiring individuals in the fashion and entertainment industry. With a string of accolades to her name and a supportive family by her side, Shreyaa is indeed a force to be reckoned with in the world of glamour and fame.
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