In honour of the ‘little black jacket’

It began as a coffee table book — ex-Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld took photos of models, actors, and musicians, all wearing Chanel's classic coat. Now, the Little Black Jacket is a major exhibition, opening in London next month.

FORGET the haughty stereotypes; fashion is the only cultural pursuit that is truly universal. The most committed philistine has to dress in the morning and whatever s/he chooses will have some catwalk connection, however tangential.

There are even some garments with a place in every wardrobe: blue jeans, a white shirt or a simple black jacket. Karl Lagerfeld and former Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld claim the Little Black Jacket for Chanel with a new book of photographs that celebrates her box-cut classic’s endless versatility.