Designer of the week: What's your CHANEL story?

Ever since I understand fashion, I have admired CHANEL. As I walk pass the Chanel store in the heart of Paris, I get mesmerized to have a glimpse of my favorite designer's creations. I never call them products as each creation lying on the shelf has a story to tell. . As I look through the dresses, a certain force pulls me towards the bags and then to a necklace. Everything was irresistible and luxurious.


Its all connected to something immortal in the form of a legacy left behind by Coco Chanel. This post is dedicated to her excellence and creativity which is well maintained in the hands of Karl Lagerfeld , another genius.


Coco Chanel had a great vision for fashion as she combined the desire with the need for a chic woman. She was the first couturier to realize the irrelevance of a wealthy appearance during the day-to-day work that a woman had to perform. She also emphasized on the significance of women's liberation while endorsing the image of an independent working woman through her fashion lines.

                                

I was fortunate to get an opportunity to visit Maison de Chanel in Paris and feel the spirit of Coco Chanel in everything present there. I sat on the staircase with all mirrors around from where she used to watch her collections run through the ramp. I walked on the floor where she spent time creating a new vision for chic clothing meant for independent working women. Do watch the enclosed video of Chanel's apartment. It is a treat to watch. 
Lets go through the most eternal and iconic creations from Coco Chanel.



1. Chanel No.5 Perfume.


No.5 needs no introduction in the world of luxury & beauty. It is by far the most sold perfume amongst all brands. There is a history behind its nomenclature just like every creation of CHANEL. Coco Chanel named it No.5 because 5 was her lucky number. She used to often launch her collections on the 5th day of the 5th month. Moreover the design of the bottle was also inspired from a mirror in maison de CHANEL.




2. The Little Black Dress or LBD

Introduction of the " little black dress" in 1962 has a paramount significance in the history of fashion as well as the label CHANEL. It made Chanel the epitome of chic. It was a slash-necked, short silk dress with only diagonal pin-tucks as decoration. American Vogue called it the "Ford." Like Henry Ford’s Model-T car, the LBD was an instant hit, widely available, though only in black. 

Chanel had always believed in the combination of chic look and functionality. This phenomena was well reflected in the idea behind the LBD which was not designed to showcase the curves of a woman, instead it added to the chic and charm of a woman while making it so comfortable for her.

3. The Classic Tweed Chanel Suit


Invented in 1920s, the Chanel tweed jacket gave her a quick triumph in comparison to her counter parts. The jacket redefined fashion which comprised not only beauty but equal amount of comfort. It was designed in a way that a woman could easily engage herself in any physical work with complete freedom of movement. It felt like a comfortable cardigan than a structured Jacket because of the silk lining, the boxy cut, and the three part sleeve to accommodate extra movement. She used the menswear fabrics like tweed with black trims and golden buttons. 


This jacket was later evolved into the classic Chanel Suit with a matching knee-length skirt. The most fascinating quality about the tweed suit is that the style has been so enduring to be revamped time and again and still holds its position with same strength in fashion which is a true benchmark of great taste and vision.


4. The 2.55 Quilted leather bag

Coco Chanel always felt that is important for a woman to have free hands while travelling . Contrary to the clutches, she introduced bags with chains that could be hung by the shoulders so that the hands remain free. To make the piece fashionable, she inserted leather string in the golden chain, often used as belts by her friends, to form the bag shoulder strap. the very important element of the bag was a LOCK, which was basically based on the privacy she anted to give her clients.The bag was named 2.55 due its release in 1955. It had a burgundy red lining inspired from her school dress.


5. The layered pearl look

Who isn't aware of the famous pearls used as layers by Coco Chanel. She was the first one to collaborate with an Australian company SWAROSKI which was best known for crystals. She often wore a bunch of white pearl necklace and considered them as a great fashion accessory for middle-aged working women. 
The style is re-glamorized by Karl Lagerfeld with an addition of double C logo which is a trademark of Chanel as a prestigious label.


I can go on and on with this as there is no definite number to this list but I have carefully picked the Top 5 creations from her times which continue to exist with little modification and remains a hot cake. I would really like to showcase the label Chanel from Karl Lagerfeld's eye sometime soon. Do remind me folks if I forget!Designer of the week: what's your Chanel story?