5 DIY Tips To Achieve Karl Lagerfeld’s Coco Cuba by Chanel Look

Karl Lagerfeld’s First & Last Latin American Fashion Collection

When Chanel models walked El Paseo del Prado in Havana, I should have been there, but I wasn’t. Now that Karl Lagerfeld has passed away, I really wish I had made it. Fortunately, a months later in December, during Christmas, my husband Boyd booked was in Paris. And I had the pleasure of going inside Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel Coco Cuba collection and inside Coco Chanel’s personal apartment. International celebrities may have graced the red carpet in Havana as Chanel, the ultimate in worldwide fashion staged its first Latin American catwalk show last May, but my experience in the Chanel boutique below Coco’s apartment was a monumental few hours.

15 DIY Tips To Achieve CHANEL | Karl Lagerfeld’s aka Coco Chanel Coco Cuba Collection

1. Add Jewelry & Patches To Purses | Go Coco Cuba 

If you read my blog, you know I’m obsessed with acrylic (including own art, furniture & my Mood Swings), gold and pearls – this purse definitely made the cut in my photography selections but my bank account and already overloaded carry on did not agree.

To make this look your own, you can add brooches, jewelry, and patches to a basic white, black, or clear acrylic purse. While nothing can replace the genuine Chanel acrylic handbag, click here to view my less than $30 Amazon picks for some of my favorite acrylic purses and blanks that will help you achieve this look. Check https://mynamedgifts.co.uk

2. Wear Two-Toned Saddle Oxford Shoes | Coco Chanel, Coco Cuba Collection

Shoe shopping in Chanel is easy for me, only because I know that photoshopping (and I don’t mean PhotoShopping) is all I can do.  Fortunately for Boyd, Chanel does not make women’s size 11s! Fortunately for me, I have found an alternative to Chanel Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld’s iconic two-toned Italian made genuine leather shoes at my favorite London shoe store. AND their online saddle oxford, two (or three tone) shoe store site is absolutely adorable – click here to see what I mean.

3. Beltway to Layering Belts Like Chanel | Coco Chanel Inspiration

I love the Chanel layered belts and the way Karl Lagerfeld layered belts and incorporated belts with almost everything to enhance a woman’s figure. Yes, you can find a nice belt, but you can search the world over and stil spend half price of what the real genuine designer belt will cost. Therefore, the best option to get the look is to search for luxury goods like belts in consignment, thrift or second-hand stores like Poshmark. 

4. Add Appliques to Garments | Coco Chanel Inspiration

Adding appliques to garments is a genius idea to give an outfit a punch of color and whimsy. If you can’t afford Chanel or Karl Lagerfeld, stitching on your own appliques or adding lapel pins and brooches is an affordable solution to achieving personal luxury. Click here and look on my “Applique & Patches” list and my “Jewelry” list for extremely affordable appliques and patches. 

5. Add Lapel Pins To Purses & Handbags

When traveling I love to pick up a nice but simple lapel pin from all of the places, cities, or regions I visit. Evidentally Chanel creative director, Karl Lagerfeld also believes in the well-traveled wardrobe.  Read this post to see how I incorporate pins and brooches on my jackets, purses, and garments. 

6. Add Lace, Knit, Macrame To Your Wardrobe

Whether in a shirt, sweater, dress, or another garment, handmade looking details such as lace, knit and macrame can go along way.

7. Add Pins & Brooches To Your Favorite Fedora | Coco Chanel Inspiration

Like polka dots…grosgrain ribbon is always in style! Use a black grosgrain ribbon on your favorite fedora and add a couple of brooches or combine your favorite travel souvenirs to achieve Karl Lagerfeld’s Coco Cuba white fedora look. I mean it’s not Chanel, but at least you’ll be in style 😉 Click here for some of my favorite pins and brooches. 

8. Add Mesh Hair Pieces to Shoes.

Shop in the hairband section and affix aka. glue, tape or band a hairpiece onto a basic pair of heels. Pair the heels with ribbed, fishnet, and any cute decorative sock and you’ve got the Chanel look.

Look what was hiding behind the No. 5 perfume bottle…..black strappy, open-toed heels with mesh CHANEL roses…. #todiefor… especially considering this is permission to wear white socks with heels!

9. Mix Pink w/ Army Green | Coco Cuba Inspiration

Enough said? Whether it’s camo or not, army (aka. olive green) can easily be feminized with a dose of pink. Because I own a pink dog, have owned two pink houses, and I’m now on to my pink Miami condo, I will say that any color can be feminized with pink. Did you know that pink was the first pigment discovered? Or so they say.

P.S. This Rocks – Watch the Chanel Cruise runway show here: