Chanel Shows Black & Gold with the Noir et Or Paris-Shanghai Collection

3/28/10

Chanel Shows Black & Gold with the Noir et Or Paris-Shanghai Collection

The runway look at the Metier d'Art Paris-Shanghai show December 2009 (left) and the resulting makeup collection, (right). Courtesy Photos

Chanel is dropping new beauty collections like it's hot: Last week it was aquamarine nail polish and color-pop brights for summer, and today it's black and gold, in a glamorous spring collection inspired by the Orient.

Based on the look global creative director Peter Philips created for Chanel's Paris-Shanghai Metiers d'Art fashion show this past December, the collection, called Noir et Or, is a glamorous study of dark and light which juxtaposes matte and shiny textures, and conveys how Coco Chanel perceived Shanghai in the 1930's and 40's.

Since 2002, designer Karl Lagerfeld has been showing yearly Metiers d'Art collections as an ode to the skilled artisans responsible for the exquisite details that set Chanel apart -- such as feather makers, milliners, goldsmiths and embroiderers. The show takes place in a different city each year; spots have included Moscow, London and New York, along with this season's Shanghai.

Noir et Or marks the second makeup collection that's sprung from Metiers d'Art; the first was The Moscow Collection, a cadre of three limited edition, velvety nail polishes Philips created for 2008's Paris-Moscow show. Standouts from Noir et Or include Le Vernis Nail Color in Black Velvet, a matte black polish that'll make a great tip for reverse French manicures (shown above) or a statement when worn alone, Le Vernis Nail Colour in Gold Lame, a satiny gold, and Ligne et Ombre de Chanel in Jet-Gold, an eye compact containing a matte black eye liner and sparkling gold shadow.

Matte polish is a great way to update your look for spring, and dark nails are also a seasonal must.