Coco Avant Chanel

I watched a wonderful movie last week about Chanel's
life before her fame and fortune. I really enjoyed it.
The movie gave some insight into the early years of
Chanel's life and really hits home just how far ahead of
her time she was when it came to fashion, comfort and
easy elegance. She, was a very elegant woman.

Audrey Tautou (from the movie
Amelie) plays young Chanel.

Here's a side by side photo of Chanel and Audrey Tautou.

Some stills from the movie. Can you imagine how eccentric
people thought she was for wearing mean's clothing? You
must remember that Gabrielle Chanel was born in 1883
and became 21 years of age around the turn of the century.
Women back then did not simply strut around in men's
clothes.

Alessandro Nivola plays the love of her life who was Arthur "Boy" Capel.
Both "Boy" and Chanel had other lovers as well but Boy seemed to be the
one that Chanel loved most. Boy also financed her first shop in Paris and
she borrowed greatly from his closet for inspiration. Since 99% of the
movie is in French, Alessandro had to learn French for the movie.
Alessandro is an American actor who was born in Boston. He is very
dashing and appropriately intense in the movie.

Coco Chanel with Cecil Beaton in 1937.

This was the only real picture of Arthur "Boy" Capel
that I could find. He was an English Polo player who
was also a politician and self made businessman.

I really love this image from the movie as it
depicts Chanel so elegantly in her workspace.

This is a very old photograph of a very young Coco.

Chanel always had this way of mixing masculine
and feminine style together effortlessly.

All of her portraits are just stunning. Not in the flat out
sexy feel that Marilyn Monroe had but a true kind of
elegance, chic and just plain coolness.

Back then, it was chic to smoke and Chanel definitely
smoked A Lot. Many of her famous portraits and
photos show her with a cigarette hanging out of her
mouth - even while working and pinning models.
Now that I think about, I don't see many photos of
her without a cigarette in hand.

I love this portrait of Coco. It's a very unique angle that
shows off her profile. It was either a popular angle back
then or Chanel just really knew how to pose. I think Chanel
really knew how to pose...I'm not sure I've seen a bad photo
of her.Another photo of young Chanel.

This one with short wavy hair. She cut her hair at
a time when short hair wasn't fashionable. During
the 1930's, you had the "flappers" era of daring and
forward women who bobbed their hair and wore
short skirts. Chanel cut her hair before it had come
into fashion.

Chanel with a straw hat - straw hats that
she brought into fashion for women.

Love the netting. She crossed her arms a lot -
like a man. I don't imagine it was considered
feminine for women to do it back then.

What a cool looking pose. She's like the epitome
of cool. The female version of James Dean.

I love this candid photo of her. She just always
looked so relaxed - very much so in her own skin.

Chanel: Her Style and Her Life

I think this this book is one of the best books about
Chanel as it combines her life story with beautiful
photographs of her, her life and and her work. It's
a bit pricey but well worth it if you're looking for an
informative and beautiful book about Chanel.

In the past, I've blogged about Coco Chanel's apartment
above her flagship store and her suite at the Ritz in Paris.
Check them out if you're interested.

Coco Chanel's Paris Ritz Suite Part I

Coco Chanel's Apartment Part II

Chanel's 2007 Campaign - Keira Knightly

Photos from the UK's Guardian, Getty
Images and various Google Image sources.

Chanel's 2007 Campaign ~ Keira Knightly

In the fall of 2007, Chanel created its most expensive

campaign ever. Yes...I'm still posting on Chanel - I promise

it will be my last post on it for a while.

The campaign was shot in Coco Chanel's apartment

above her flagship shop in Paris - steps away from the

Hotel Ritz Paris.

Keira Knightley was really the perfect person to shoot

the ad campaign. I really love the way they paired a

striking red dress against the dark walls and fireplace.









I just love silhouettes.

Irina Lazareanu is the woman in the photo that Karl

Lagerfield himself took. Irina is Karl's latest muse.

I just wanted to show a photo of Coco Chanel herself

lounging in front of the same fireplace in 1959.

All photos courtesy of Google Images.

Coco Chanel's Apartment - Part II

So after much digging, I finally realized that Coco Chanel

actually lived in a suite at the Hotel Ritz Paris...But her

flagship shop was only steps away where she worked

and had an apartment at the top of the building. Her flagship

store is in a 4 story high building.Although her actual

apartment was in this building, she only used it for entertaining.

The entrance to her shop.



She had a really interesting staircase installed that

spirals to the top of the building. There are angled

mirrors that she had specially installed that covers the

walls of the staircase leading up to the top of the building.

She did this so when they were preparing for shows,

she could see what was happenning on almost every

floor from the top and also watch the reaction to

her shows unseen.

Quite brilliant really.

The entrance to her apartment

in the same building.

There is a great room as soon as you enter her apartment

with a grand sofa and walls of books on one side.

Light coming in the windows from another side.

The famous fireplace across from the
sofa in the great room seen with
Coco Madamoiselle in some past photos.





In the fall of 2007, the most expensive campaign ever for

Chanel was launched and a group of handpicked bloggers

were invited to attend in Paris for 3 days to see the taping

of the commercial with Keira Knightly and personal tours

of the perfume factory and Coco Chanel's apartment.
These photos of Coco Madamoiselle were taken personally

by these bloggers. They were SO lucky!
Can you imagine?

I never did solve the mystery of the rooms that
Jean-Louis Deniot designed that were labeled
Coco Chanel Suite, Hotel Ritz Paris....


So what do we think of Coco Chanel's apartment?


Photos courtesy of the following blogs: NOTCOT,
Fashion is Spinach, Blographic, DeeDee, and Cool Hunting.

Coco Chanel's Paris Ritz Suite - Part I

Coco Chanel is one of the most interesting

designers in the last century. She bucked

social norm and designed "man-nish or

boyish" clothing that women could wear

comfortably and stylishly. Many of her

classic designs from the beginning never

really changed year to year. Even today,

her designs are worn. I don't think

anyone disputes the fact that Coco Chanel

had huge influence in style and fashion.

One of her classic suits. No more

corsets - rather style with comfort.

It's no secret that Coco Chanel resided in a suite

at the Hotel Ritz Paris for over 30 years. Today,

they have tried to replicate some of the rooms

in the suite and it is one of the most expensive

suites to rent on the market today in any hotel.

It costs between $4,000 and $5,000 USD to

spend one night in the suite that Coco Chanel

resided in.

These 3 very striking photos with mirrors and

dark walls I actually found as a project on

Jean-Louis Deniot's website. Yes...one of the

latest designers I've been stalking. What

confuses me is that these photos look completely

different from the few photos offered on the

Hotel Ritz Paris website of the Coco Chanel Suite.

It didn't stop me from admiring the rooms as

they are so very dramatic and striking.

This photo straight above and the ones below

come straight from the Hotel Ritz Paris website

and a couple of other travel sites. The suite

is said to have 3 rooms.

The very luxurious bathroom.



The very spacious and elegant bedroom.

Isn't it odd how different the rooms look from the

Hotel's website versus the photos on Jean-Louis' website?

I had to do more digging to satisfy my curiosity. Are

these rooms really from the same suite or was it a

mistake? What do you think?

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post which is

the second part to this 2 part post.

Photos courtesy of Hotel Ritz Paris, Google Images,

and Jean-Louis Deniot's website.