Cultural Notes:
1. London Fashion Week is the second in the series of fashion weeks, starting in New York, and followed by Milan and Paris. It’s an annual event which allows fashion designers to display their latest collections and buyers to take a look at fashion trends.
2. Haute couture [高级时装] is a French expression to describe expensive and beautifully-made clothes designed by fashion houses, such as Christian Dior, Chanel, LouisVuitton and Yves Saint Laurent. Paris is generally considered to be the centerfor haute couture design.
3. Street fashion refers to fashionable clothes at reasonable prices that you could wear in ordinary streets. It is the opposite of haute couture.
Cultural Notes:
1. Portobello Road is a street in Notting Hill in West London, famous for its weekly street market where many visitors come for antiques, fashions, food and second-hand goods.
2. Notting Hill is a cosmopolitan area [国际化的区域] in West London which has an association with artists, the Portobello Road market and the 1999 romantic comedy film, NottingHill.
Cultural Notes:
Passage 2
Coco Chanel, (1883-1971), French fashion designer who ruled over Parisian haute couture for almost six decades. In the 1920s, she launched her first perfume (known as Chanel No. 5) and eventually introduced the Chanel suit and the little black dress, with an emphasis on making clothes that were more comfortable for women. She herself became a much revered style icon known for her simple yet sophisticated outfits paired with great accessories, such as several strands of pearls. Elegantly casual designs inspired women of fashion to abandon the complicated, uncomfortable clothes—such as petticoats(裙撑) and corsets (束身衣)—that were prevalent in 19th-century dress. Among her now-classic innovations were the Chanel suit (套装), the quilted purse （衍缝手袋）, costume jewelry (服饰珠宝), and the “little black dress （小黑裙）.”
To see a more real Chanel, you can watch the documentary "The Wars Of Coco Chanel " in https://www.bilibili.com/bangumi/play/ep274549?from=search&seid=11137180130332244374
