Coo Coo for Coco
Coco Chanel is one of the most enduring and rare female icons of classic Haute Couture. What made her so famous was also what set her apart. Her success was due in large part to her prêt-a-porter lines rather than her designs for the elite. She was inspired by the modern woman in the 1920s who was self confident and liberated from the confines of corseted attire prevalent in Coco’s childhood years. She wanted women to feel empowered by their dress, not conformant or restrained. She borrowed from masculine lines and shaped the emblematic tweed suit, complete with skirt and blazer, to emphasize a woman’s modernity while maintaining movement and femininity. She did this by using relaxed fabrics and tailoring. Coco also introduced the concept of luxury costume jewellery, which was characterized by layers of glass pearls adorned around her neck and Maltese crosses fashioned to her lapels. Today, Karl Lagerfeld has brilliantly ushered the House of Chanel into the 21st century, while staying true to Coco’s esthetic vision. He recently made a gracious gesture to Coco’s personal life in selecting the venue of Chanel’s 2009 Resort Collection. He chose Venice to set the show, acknowledging that Coco found solace there after losing the man she loved and often returned to the Italian city throughout her lifetime for inspiration. Jeanne Becker’s recent article reports in full on the beauty of the collection. Since Coco, Chanel the brand has magnificently evolved into a worldwide phenomenon with multimillion dollar assets comprised of clothing, jewellery, fragrances and more. Even a tennis racket is available for the Chanel-loving tennis player. It only seems natural that the medium of film would pursue the formative years of the brand, particularly since we are still so fascinated by the woman who brought us dual toned pumps, quilted leather purses and gold chained belts. This year, Belgium released their theatric depiction of Coco in the years leading to her success. In the film, Coco Avant Chanel, Audrey Tautou takes on the role of the precocious seamstress. Fortunately, the rest of us won’t have to wait long. The film is set to release in North America on September 25. To get a sneak peak of the movie, click on the trailer below. Until then, let us wrap ourselves in multi-layered pearls and pencil our eyebrows a little sharper. A bientot, Mme CoCo.
She was really pretty… must have been a Leo
I realy enjoyed reading about Coco.The way you introduced her kept me reading to the last word.Now I want to know more.Bravo