From Russia, with Chanel

We're always excited when the latest Naomi Campbell gossip isn't lawsuit-related, so it was great to hear that Karl's shooting her in Moscow for a V Magazine spread. We love that two of our favorite icons are teaming up in the city that Karl paid homage to with his pre-fall collection in December. But actually, this was Karl's first time in the city.

Makes us wonder: is it too presumptuous for a designer to base a collection on a place he has never visited? John Galliano is known for making extensive visits to Egypt or Japan to immerse himself in the culture before he goes to the drawing board.

Well, Karl did it, and he told WWD, "I like imagination and the way I think things could be, had been or should be — better than reality. You’re never disappointed by your imagination, but you can be very disappointed by reality.”

Reality has been coming up an awful lot in fashion. We raised our eyebrows when Riccardo Tisci said he was aiming for reality with the new Givenchy ads. Karl's going in the opposite direction: even a real place has been imagined, for him.

So our final take on Karl and Naomi's Moscow? It's exactly the sort of fashion fantasy that we'd like to escape to.

--AMANDA JEAN BOYLE

Related: Riccardo Tisci - Fashion - Naomi Campbell - John Galliano - Moscow