While Chanel has traditionally been one of those “serious” fashion houses, it seems like the label has been experiencing a playful re-branding thanks to those on the inside (see Karl Lagerfeld’s campy Spring/Summer 2010 runway show) and those on the outside who have taken a more lighthearted approach to the fashions. To wit, this fun stop-motion video of Chanel bags, shoes, jewelry, and clothing dancing around to bubbly French pop music. The project is brought to you by the V magazine team, who shot a very sexy Chanel-clad Natalie Portman for this month’s cover. This clip kind of makes us want to empty our shoe closet and direct our own fashion short. [YouTube]

Hey, here’s something we might actually be able to afford the next time we walk into a Chanel boutique! Behold the premiere issue of 31 Rue Cambon, a new magazine from Chanel that will be distributed in stores. The editor of uber-hip Purple magazine, Olivier Zahm, designed the fashion publication, and posted this pretty preview pic of the mag on the Purple blog. (Which, by the way, is a cool place to find stylish and artsy photographs.) [purple Diary]

Costco used to be the ultimate shopping mecca for people who like to stock up on toilet paper, meat, and socks in bulk. But pretty soon the ladies-who-lunch crowd could become the giant retailer’s best customers, now that the cat is out of the Chanel bag. You see, the Costco store in East Harlem, which opened last week, is selling Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Tod’s, Burberry, and Salvatore Ferragamo purses for a discount (well, a discount compared to their regular prices, not to most people’s expendable income). Burberry’s mini satchel costs $1,019.99. A medium shopper tote by Tod’s is $549.99. The Ferragamo “Marissa” handbag goes for $629.99. And the Chanel bag costs $1,999. I think it would be strange to purchase one of these high-fashion wares while everyone around you is pushing a shopping cart and sampling microwaveable foods. Am I the only one that finds Costco selling designer handbags weird? [StyleCaster]

There’s kind of a random op-ed in the Femail section of The Daily Mail today called “How Can Lily Allen Be Chanel’s Latest Fashion Muse?” that bemoans Karl Lagerfeld’s apparent fascination with the singer, whom the writer refers to as looking “worse for wear” in the past. It’s curious for several reasons: The paper is known for publishing as much as it possibly can about the real girl vs. models debate—they’re always quick to lay it on thick when it comes to busting airbrushers and acquiring quotes from magazine editors who vow to fight too tiny sample sizes, and they even have a regular feature where they photograph their writers trying on designer clothes worn by celebrities to see how they translate in real life. So why would they bother with a piece by a writer who’s all pissed off about Lily Allen being the latest Chanel girl because she’s not fashion enough?

There’s a new online fashion magazine out there called Flamboyant, and its debut issue presents this “artistic” spread of designer-inspired loaves of bread. In the mix are carb-loaded replicas modeled after brands like Hermès, Valentino, and Vivienne Westwood. Normally, we squeal girlishly (um, you know, on the inside) at these types of conceptual fashion/food photographs. Remember those Chanel and Louis Vuitton cupcakes?

While we get the idea, Flamboyant‘s take doesn’t quite follow through. OK fine, we’re just going to come out and say it: that Burberry “croissant” looks like a turd. Yum! [Fashion Copious]

Depending on when you were born, you may remember when clogs, those wooden-soled shoes originally worn by fair-skinned milkmaids in Holland, were resurrected as favorable footwear for the fashion-forward in the ‘70s and then again in the early ‘90s. For those of you who may have missed the earlier waves (or just miss the earlier waves), you’re in luck (?). Clogs are cycling back into fashion, as seen on the catwalk at Chanel and Louis Vuitton, not to mention the feet of everyone’s favorite fashionista, Sarah Jessica Parker. This time around, the clogs are high-heeled, making the already-difficult-to-walk-in shoes a virtual death trap on the streets. Usually, when function is sacrificed for style, the pay-off is a hot look. Do you think that’s the case with these clogs? [via Daily Mail]

Where’s a Fairy Chanel-Mother when a girl needs one?

We jumped for joy when we saw the lot of vintage Chanel jewelry from What Goes Around Comes Around up for sale on Singer22.com. Chunky gold C’s on link chains and large medallion earrings are so perfectly Jackie O. Unfortunately, we should have known that the word “vintage” no longer means “less expensive,” as the selection of accessories features price tags of $800 and up. Guess these are more like collector’s items. Should you have the good fortune (literally) to be able to afford one of these, we’d advise checking out the open heart pendant enclosing double C’s or the rhinestone necklace from the ‘80s. [Singer22.com via Nitrolicious]

Chanel’s Jade nail polish is already so over. Sure, the color is finally hitting beauty counters now that it’s Fall, and nails are getting their first taste of the perfect green hue. But after the Spring 2010 show, gray is the new jade.

On the runway, Karl Lagerfeld not only brought the barn indoors and made farming look chic, but Chanel Beauty Creative Director Peter Philips invited the fashion and beauty obsessed to find their newest nail adoration.

And here’s a hint: If you can’t afford the Chanel polish, Essie’s new fall shade, Chinchilly, definitely has a perfect gray look to it, and it’s more affordable!

In fashion, it’s all about the details—from the choice of buttons to the hemline—and designer Karl Lagerfeld is a master of the little things. While much of the talk about the Chanel spring 2010 show has been about the barnyard setting and Lily Allen‘s live performance, we noticed an interesting-yet-subtle element: Some of the models sported Chanel bracelet and garter temporary tattoos. Layered on their wrists and upper thighs, the fake tattoos resembled chic chains, rather than tacky tribal bands. Wanna try out a similar look for a few bucks? Pick up a few temporary inks from a 25-cent vending machine at the grocery store. Keep reading for closeups and online purveyors that sell similar faux ink.

Rihanna showed off one of her most recent tattoos while attending the farm-themed Chanel spring 2010 fashion show. She had two guns inked on both of her sides shortly after Chris Brown assaulted her. [Paris, 10/6/09]

Itching to dress up like a style dah-ling this Halloween? Dear old kooky Karl Lagerfeld is the obvious choice, but who wants to be obvious on arguably the most important fashion day of the year? Trust me: heads will turn if you arrive at your Halloween fete dressed as classic Coco herself. We prefer the older, established Coco Chanel, whom we imagine left a trail of heaven-sent No. 5 perfume in her wake, so we looked to Shirley MacLaine, star of Lifetime’s “Coco Chanel,” for inspiration.

Damn Lily! The singer-turned-Chanel-model showed up at a London party this weekend dripping in (presumably gratis) Chanel hardware. We knew the whole chunky necklace trend was mage right now (Rihanna certainly thinks so), but this rendition is totally intense. We love it but, budget-wise, we’ll probably stick to the DIY version our own Lily recently suggested. [London, 9/07/09]

It’s no-big-whup news that Lily Allen is starring in the new Chanel campaign. In her first foray into Chanel ads, she did the whole Audrey Hepburn thing. But the new 411: We’ve spotted behind-the-scenes photos from the latest installment, courtesy of The Daily Mail. Lily’s posing with Karl (who’s also working it behind the camera) and rocking a seriously layered ‘do. The Mail claims she’s looking sort of nervous, but I’m calling BS on that—Miss Allen is a photo shoot vet, and knows her way around a camera. Check ‘em out…

According to New York magazine, the male version of bimbos, himbos, are the new high-fashion trend. Chanel’s taste maker, Karl Lagerfeld, says the must-have accessory in ads are prop boy toys. Just check out his own luvah Baptiste Giabiconi, pictured here, being strung along by Jerry Hall. And on her other arm, she’s got that glamorous white Chanel bracelet— outfit complete! Of his angle, Mr. Lagerfeld told WWD:

“It’s very simple. They put the girls in a more lifestyle situation. Lonely girls can be a little sad in a fashion story. They dress not only for other girls, but also to please men. The popularity is sudden because there are a few new faces.”

Yes, bring on the fresh hot dudes! Hey, I’m a feminist, but I’m also egalitarian. I have to admit, I’m kind of excited about this objectification of men (as you might have been able to tell by the underwear models slideshow). And now high-end designers are telling me I’m not alone. Is this trend a sign that women are finally earning their market share by having their half-naked mantasies photographed? Feast your eyes on more of this tasty man-candy trend, after the jump!

Leave it to Chanel to design an item that’s at once classic and quirky. Case in point: this Russian doll-inspired bangle from their pre-fall 2009 collection. The bracelet is made from enamel and wood and features an iconic Imperial Russian symbol, the Matriochka doll. We love the combination of the bright red lips plus ubiquitous logo. It will set you back a few hundred dollars, but it looks sort of worth it, no? Also, between this and Guerlain’s new makeup collection, we totally smell an all things Russian trend coming on. [Chic Report]

Option #1: Drop several thousand bones on Chanel handbag you always dreamed of. Option #2: Spend practically the same amount and get ... a Chanel CAR!

We found this money 1986 custom Cutlass on the Detroit Craigslist. The owner chopped the top off and tricked her out with black and white Chanel logos on the dash, doors, and trunk. According to the post, the $4,500 car runs well and has low mileage. (We might also note that among the “keywords” in the post are “donk,” “Chevy,” and “Ashanti.”) Oh and yes, we checked: The owner verified it’s still available.

We wish we could buy it and use it as the Friskymobile, because that’s how we ride. Class. Act. [Craigslist.com]

The singer is the new face of Chanel accessories. We likey. One more, after the jump…

“My aunt just passed her old Chanel suit down to me, and obviously, I’m stoked. It fits like a glove and it’s lilac, which is kind of a fun color, but I just have one problem: As a 29-year-old, do I wear it without looking too matronly or worse, costumey, like I’m dressing up as Jackie O. for Halloween?”—Anabelle

Ah, this is a tricky one. We solve our reader’s most serious fashion crisis, after the jump!