Which of the modern women is not familiar with the main symbols of Coco Chanel, placed on each original little thing? Two letters "C" (the first letters of her pseudonym and surname Coco Chanel) are recognizable even by those whose wardrobe lacks items from this designer. But the hallmarks of Chanel's style are not only this logo, but also some other easily recognizable nuances. Which ones - you will find out in this material.
It is obvious that the personality and the very life of the artist directly affects the created masterpieces, and we are only interested in such works. The names of great fashion designers are inscribed in the cultural history of mankind, but no one has such a long life as the exceptional Gabrielle! Chanel is an encyclopedia of style, but style also needs fashion, only with the help of new trends can it express and assert itself.
And what is the Chanel fashion house created by her today? Karl Lagerfeld replies: “I juggle what I know and what I don’t know about her. I didn't want to believe anything she believed, but I believed in her!"
The most valuable thing preserved by Lagerfeld in the brand is style. That is, Karl Lagerfeld developed the idea of Chanel, who believed that "fashion passes, only style remains." And he came to a logical conclusion, time-tested: only in the new coordinate system established by modern fashion, style gets the opportunity to develop.
Today, thanks to the talent of the main artist and, of course, the skillful "golden" hands of the masters of the house of Chanel, elegance is elevated to a superlative level. They, like guardian angels, cherish and improve the secrets of the craftsmanship of creating pure style and fashionable masterpieces. The severity of the contours emphasizes the luxury of matter and impeccable workmanship.
These photos of things in the style of Chanel clearly demonstrate how recognizable the symbols of the great Coco are:
A beautiful thing is like a rare flower, its beauty is created from within. Mademoiselle Chanel was the first to prove it. She perfectly mastered the art of illusion - and loved only “fur coats in reverse”, the precious fur of which, if the owner desired, became the wrong side, and came up with the famous 2.55 bag with a red lining. With sumptuous humility, she gave the craft the noble features of art, teetering on the edge of perfection and elaborate disorder. She loved scope, but believed only in the power of detail. “All these efforts of the master, hidden from the eyes, are necessary for the dress to fit well and move well. This is what fashion is – what happens from the inside out.”
In the world of Chanel, the hidden and the visible maintain mysterious secret connections with each other with the help of certain signs and symbols. So we will look at the basics of Chanel style - to always recognize it by these mysterious symbols.
Symbols of Coco Chanel (with photo)
The main symbols of Chanel are the number "5", "19", shamrock, wheat ear, lion, turtle, sun and comet. These are the companions of Gabrielle's success. With their help, Mademoiselle tamed the luck that she lacked so much in her childhood: she populated her apartment at 31 rue Cambon, as well as a room at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, with magical symbols. In 2003, Jacques Polge created a fragrance in honor of the lucky star that brings good luck - the sensual composition "Chance". The superstitious Chanel defended her fragrances with "lucky" numbers. So the perfume "Chanel No. 19" was born, in the name of which the date of birth of Gabrielle appears, and, of course, the perfume "Chanel No. 5".
Look at the photo of Chanel symbols - today the No. 5 talisman has turned into a pendant of 380 diamonds that adorned Nicole Kidman in a commercial for this fragrance:
Seventy years later, the Comete 2002 necklace in gold and diamonds sparkled in the firmament of fortune. Chanel's amulets very quickly became symbols, mascots of her fashion, and since 1983 they have firmly taken their place in Karl Lagerfeld's luxurious arsenal of jewelry. Since then, these amulets have been used in the form of charms that give their owner magical sunlight, well-being and prosperity.
Here you can see another symbol of Coco Chanel - her zodiac sign "Leo", which symbolizes the Sun and good luck:
Chanel's constellation dreams were reflected in her first jewelry collection in 1932.
Gold jewelry from Chanel and photo chains
At one time, Gabrielle Chanel invented a handbag with a shoulder strap that freed women's hands. And then I replaced the strap with a gold-plated chain in a 2.55 bag. Wrapped in leather cord on daytime models or gleaming with sheer gold on eveningwear, this long sling with signature links is instantly recognizable. The gold-plated metal chain is undoubtedly the most "shiny" symbol of Chanel style. Even hidden from view, it works wonders - a tweed jacket perfectly fits the figure thanks to a light gold-plated brass chain sewn on the inside.
As you can see in the photo, the weaving of this chain from Chanel is also recognizable in the watch bracelet:
For example, such a watch "Premier" was created for Greta Garbo.
Coco Chanel found inspiration for her jewelry everywhere - in the art of Byzantium or the treasures of the Russian imperial court: baroque pearls, crosses and, of course, chains. And the idea of long chain-necklaces seems to be borrowed from portraits by Rubens or Holbein the Younger. The golden sheen of Chanel chains is another sign of style, an independent color on an equal footing with black and white. Long chains, above all, emphasized the slenderness of Coco Chanel. She loved only long chains and wore them either as a belt or as a necklace, like those on one of her famous 1938 "gypsy" dresses. “Believe me, I know women. Give them chains, women love chains."
The chain is one of the embodiments of the style and personality of Chanel, whose strict elegance allows only one whim: an abundance of jewelry and necklaces. In the haute couture collection of 2005, these Chanel-style jewelry cascaded around the neck in a tiered cascade, falling on the chest in a scattering of golden ears of bread.
The necklace in this collection of Chanel gold jewelry is made by Maison Desruers, the vintage firm that also creates all of Chanel's buttons and chains. Here the craft is elevated to the rank of art, and the main source of inspiration and new unexpected ideas is the collection of personal jewelry by Gabrielle Chanel. By the way, the writer Paul Moran called the incomparable Coco "a beautiful lady who knows no mercy."
See how exquisite the Chanel jewelry presented to her by the Duke of Westminster and Grand Duke Dmitry Romanov is in these photos:
Jewelry in the style of Coco Chanel and a photo of pearl beads
Chanel pearl jewelry is another recognizable symbol of her style. “Wearing a black sweater and ten rows of pearls, she made a real revolution in fashion,” said Christian Dior about Gabrielle. Real and artificial, round and whimsical, on a Byzantine cross or on the strap of evening pumps, white pearls symbolize the Chanel style.
In 1926, Coco added them to a little black dress, which they “warmed up” with their soft and sensual sheen. Chanel never parted with her long pearl beads anywhere and never, decorating with them not only evening dresses, but also everyday clothes, she did not forget about them, even going to the beach.
In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld gave new life to Chanel jewelry, which appeared back in 1924. Thanks to the “Pearl Polishing” technology used by Mademoiselle herself to give pearls a pearlescent sheen, the legendary threads have regained their radiance.
As you can see in the photo, Chanel pearls play the first violin in an orchestra of accessories - a ring on the big toe, evening bags woven with pearls, gloves with a bracelet from the ready-to-wear collection:
Pearls also make some spectacular appearances on clothing, such as on a dress from the 1990 haute couture collection, completely embroidered with pearls in the Lesage workshops. And it is quite natural that the house of Chanel uses this symbol in jewelry. This is how the Mademoiselle watch on a pearl bracelet, the Collerette necklace, reminiscent of a fabric collar in the shape of a star, on which the interweaving of gold and pearls create the effect of lace, studded with diamonds and embellished with diamonds along the edges, appeared.
See photos of Chanel jewelry made of pearls:
A flower from Coco Chanel and a photo of a camellia brooch
Chanel's camellia brooch reappears season after season, always remaining true to Mademoiselle's spirit. Why did Gabrielle choose this particular flower, giving him her favor forever? Nobody knows the answer to this question. Maybe because of the first bouquet that Boy Capel gave her. Or maybe because the camellia has a certain ambiguous charm of a flower that equally adorns both women and men, a flower that is refined and beautiful in its impeccable simplicity.
The severity and geometric roundness of the flower from Coco Chanel are perfectly combined with fashion and the spirit of the designer. Camellias can be found in the Chinese decor of the lacquered Coromandel screens that Chanel loved so much.
Pay attention to the photo - the camellia from Chanel was originally created from white fabric:
Such a flower adorns the “simplest” black Chanel dress, sets off the belt or emphasizes the collar. Camellia is embodied in the most unexpected colors and materials: in satin, velvet, leather, plastic and even in porcelain (haute couture collection "Spring-Summer - 2005"), it becomes the main theme in the creation of precious jewelry, in which onyx, cacholong, black and white diamonds.
The House of Lemare supplies up to 40,000 of these flowers to Chanel every year, and the production of camellia requires special technique and skill: the petals are cut one by one in the shape of a heart with a special cutter, then they are corrugated and attached one by one to the stalk.
Up to two hours, depending on the material used, can be spent hand-crafting a single Chanel camellia.
The bride's dress from the 2005 haute couture collection required 320 white cotton tulle camellias, which took 180 hours to create. The lack of smell of this flower also contributed to the creation of the legend. The fragrance "Gardenia", launched by Coco Chanel in 1925, was supposed to recreate the imaginary smell of camellia as Gabrielle herself imagined it. Camellia became her obsession and constant companion.
In these photos you can see photos of flowers from Chanel in combination with a variety of outfits:
Black and white in the style of Chanel (with photo)
The spirit of Chanel lies in the art of combining opposites, in the game of contrasts of textures and colors: a little black dress tinted with pearls or camellias, a bottle of Chanel No. 5 fragrance in a white box with a black outline, a black logo on a white background.
Not influenced by fashion, this duet still embodies the meaning that Mademoiselle put into the concept of luxury and simplicity. When black and white form a giant checkerboard, both colors start to sound softer. In a mottled tweed suit, one emphasizes the silhouette, while the other sets off the collar. "Inseparable colors" adorn both traditional and high-tech materials. Created in 2000, the J12 was the first Chanel watch to be made from black ceramic. Three years later, snow-white watches appeared. “This is the second color of Chanel, absolutely self-sufficient,” comments the creator of the watch, Jacques Helle.
Pay attention to the photo - black and white colors in Chanel cosmetics are extremely popular, they make the face more expressive, give the look more drama:
“The shadows on the face are as beautiful as the face itself,” said Gabrielle Chanel.
Bags from Chanel "2.55" and their photos
In 2005, the Chanel 2.55 bag turned 50 years old! But she still retains the suppleness of youth and the softness of the sages. Fashion changes, but it still enjoys success - a chameleon bag thrown over the shoulder is a symbol of the Chanel brand.
February 1955: A handbag named "2.55" after its date of birth is born in the Chanel workshops.
More than just a clean line - a rectangle in leather or jersey with a gold-plated metal latch. “I just got tired of holding my handbags in my hands and losing them, so I attached a strap to them and began to carry them over my shoulder,” Gabrielle Chanel told her friend.
Until that time, only the military and postmen used a shoulder strap. The women's shoulder strap, however, quickly became fashionable, and soon the already mentioned variation of it appeared - an elegant gilded chain with leather cords woven into it. The famous "2.55" owes its full volume and strength to the quilted diamonds that have become the trademarks of the Chanel brand.
As you can see in the photo, the lining of the “2.55” bag from Chanel is worked out with the same care as in the manufacture of clothes, it is of the same quality as the outer finish, made of dense beige cloth or pomegranate basan:
Despising all that is useless, Chanel cultivates functional details: three stretchable pockets and many other secret things that are hidden from prying eyes and turn a handbag into a repository of women's secrets.
For the production of one "2.55" it is necessary that 6 people work for 10 hours and perform 180 operations. The legendary handbag has become a faithful companion of Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Romy Schneider, many famous women of fashion begin to collect its variations from tweed and denim, lurex and suede, flannel and alligator skin, as well as knitted patterns. So many years have passed since her first "appearance", and the "2.55" bag continues a series of transformations, remaining recognizable at first sight and retaining its place in the list of iconic symbols of the house of Chanel.
What does Chanel No. 5 perfume smell like?
The main "nose" of the house of Chanel, Jacques Polge, calls the perfume "Chanel No. 5" "a fragrant symphony." “The main thing is that the fragrance should resemble the person who will wear it,” Gabrielle said. The luxury of the Chanel No. 5 fragrance, which sounds differently on every woman, is a luxury available to everyone.
The production of these perfumes is an unshakable ritual. Chanel carefully preserves the tradition of their creation, the brand retains the exclusive right to the fields of jasmine and the irreplaceable May rose, every year 30 tons of the most delicate flowers turn into "gold" - into the absolute. It takes 3,000 flowers to make two ounces of Chanel fragrance. The secret of the production of this pure elixir of happiness is jealously guarded, each bottle keeps the warmth of the hands, devoted workers say “shoulders of the bottle”, “first knot”, “second knot around the neck”. To Ernest Bo (a Russian émigré, former perfumer of the Russian imperial court), the creator of fragrance No. 5, Chanel said: “Include here all the best that you have. I don't care about the bottle itself! Bo added on his own: synthetic compounds, the molecules of which made individual notes of the fragrance sparkle, strengthened and activated it many times over. And composition No. 5 acquired a power never seen before in fragrances - women were delighted, not being able to figure out what these perfumes looked like! "Chanel No. 5" smells like a Woman should smell in the understanding of the incomparable Gabrielle.
But the description of the Chanel No. 5 bottle can be given in a nutshell: strictly and simply. In her desire to draw attention to the precious contents, Gabrielle Chanel chose the simplest vessel, which perfumers usually used to store prototypes, in defiance of the bottles, symbolically repeating female forms and accepted at that time. It was a brilliant idea to neglect the bottle, to shade its shape in order to emphasize the mysterious fragrance, to entrust this austere, almost abstract container with the secret of pulsating femininity. With the involvement of the magnificent intellectual actress Catherine Deneuve in the advertising campaign of the Chanel fragrance in the 60s, she achieves particular success. All this made No. 5 the fragrance of all time.
When the fashion for natural fragrances reigns, Gabrielle Chanel releases the world's first "abstract" perfume. In 1932, at the height of the economic crisis, she surprises the world with a collection of diamond jewelry, although earlier she preferred inexpensive but original accessories. “Fashion is a fun idea. Play and burn! - she said, but she never changed her commitment to elegant style and perfection of lines. She unmistakably determined - "now" or "for a long time", and this sense of time, this impeccable flair revives the house of Chanel again and again, helping to avoid two traps at the same time: the risk of creating a worthless trinket and repeating ourselves. “Less reverence and a pinch of humor is the recipe for a legend to survive in an age of imitation. The spirit of Chanel will always remain a part of modern life,” says Karl Lagerfeld.
Every time you glance at another fashionable handbag, you understand that many people buy them not only because of the beautiful design, but sometimes only because they bear such a recognizable brand mark. Most of the owners of fashionable things, sometimes, really, do not think about whether they like the thing or not, the main thing is that it shows everyone that its owner has bought an expensive accessory for herself and is following fashion.
But what do the logos of famous brands mean? After all, these are not just beautifully engraved letters on gold jewelry. Each of them was once created by someone, and even more so, for a reason.
Let's start with the most recognizable - Chanel. As you know, the logo of this fashion house is two intertwined letters "C". In fact, they represent the initials of Coco Chanel, who once created the most successful and flourishing clothing brand. She drew the sign herself in preparation for the opening of her first store.
But there is another version in the world. Some people say that this symbol is just two horseshoes. And they are known to bring happiness and success.
The Louis Vuitton brand is known for producing quality bags for many years in a row. And it must be admitted that their fakes began to appear in those years when Louis Vuitton himself was alive. He, as the founder of the brand, was very worried about this, and therefore in 1876 he decided to create his own logo - two letters LV on a brown background. At that time, this mark was a guarantee that the suitcase was real and not fake.
And now, it hasn't been that way for a long time.
A more interesting story can be told about the Versace logo. If you take a good look at it, it becomes clear that the woman depicted above its name is none other than Medusa Gorgon herself (a scary symbol, of course). It has been in use since 1978, and the chief designer of the house said that it symbolizes the charm of all the things he produces so much that everyone who looks at them simply freezes in mute amazement.
And the Givenchy sign is generally shrouded in mystery behind seven seals. On the one hand, it is quite understandable - these are four letters G, the arrangement of which resembles a clover leaf. But on the other hand, there is an opinion that only the one who created it knows the true meaning of this logo. After all, a similar symbol was used in ancient Greece, and there it was regarded as a sign of harmony.
Another fairly well-known sign using letters. There are two letters F, one of which is turned upside down. It is interesting that Karl Lagerfeld became its creator in 1965. With this symbol, he wanted to show that the creators and owners of the brand, the large Fendi family, are united not only by business relations, but also by strong family ties.
In addition to letters, other images can often be seen on logos. For example:
Almost everyone is familiar with Lacoste polo shirts. History does not hide the fact that the famous tennis player Jean Rene Lacoste was the creator of this fashionable empire. He was famous for the fact that he often won and during the game did not leave his opponents a single chance to win. And then one day, he bet with his friend that if he wins the next game, he will give him a suitcase made of crocodile skin. In the end, he got what he wanted. After this incident, another of his acquaintances, Robert George, drew an entertaining picture with an alligator, wanting to show the temper of his friend. The latter did not offend Lacoste at all, but, on the contrary, became a symbol of his brand.
Burberry is a brand that is considered to be truly English. In each of her things, notes of the English style can be traced. Her emblem is a rider on a horse, who holds a flag with the inscription "Prorsum" in one hand, and a long spear in the other. Translated from Latin, a strange word means “moving forward” (the company always has time to follow the latest fashion and is constantly developing itself), and the spear symbolizes that the designers of this brand always adhere to their traditions (it’s true, no matter how things from Burberry change they never lose their style).
The Hermes fashion house is known all over the world as a manufacturer of expensive and high-quality clothes. However, if you look closely at its symbol - an inscription over which a horse in a harness is depicted - you may be surprised not to understand what has to do with one another. Indeed, at first glance it is difficult to understand the motives of the one who came up with such a logo. But, anyone who knows the entire history of the brand will quickly understand what it is all about. After all, the first product that this brand began to produce was bridles and saddles for horses. Having imprinted such a picture for centuries, the founders of the company, therefore, wanted all their followers to remember forever where they started their business and where they ended up.
Everyone knows the fact - Coco Chanel was very superstitious. She believed in numerology, astrology, signs, dreams.
Perhaps this is simply due to the fact that the little French girl Gabrielle, who lost her family and maternal love in childhood and was given by her father to a monastery shelter, subconsciously sought protection and patronage in something invisible, inexplicable and mysterious.
Until the end of her days, Chanel believed (and constantly talked about it) that she owed her success not only to talent and hard work, but also to the patronage of higher powers and "Her Majesty" Lady Luck.
Mademoiselle Gabrielle was a girl both very superstitious and very ambitious. She loved to intrigue and create an aura around her, mysterious, but at the same time scandalous. She herself launched rumors about her alleged romances with influential people, and then mysteriously remained silent and did not refute anything, adding even more fuel to the fire. She liked to feel like a conqueror of men's hearts, and at the same time she was very flattered by such a reputation in the world.
It is also known that Chanel liked to lie about her age. And it’s not a fact that the date of Chanel’s birth, which is considered official, is actually correct. It is difficult to say now what was behind all this. Perhaps it's just Gabrielle's ambitions and her punchy adventurous nature. Or maybe her serious and sincere passion for esotericism really affected (and esoteric practices tend to change names, dates of birth - thereby confusing the thoughts of evil forces and becoming invulnerable to these forces).
Chanel and her #5
So, our mademoiselle was seriously fond of mysticism. She was especially attracted by the world of numerology - the strongest impression on Chanel was made by numbers. She believed every sign in her life that had anything to do with numbers. Koko considered five to be the happiest and most significant number for herself. It was the number 5 that became her talisman, and then the symbol of her fashion house.
The first fragrance, released by the House of Chanel, received a very strange name for that time - (the name of the founder of the House under some strange, understandable number only to her).
But Coco more than knew what she was doing: this first perfume of hers - she herself is under the protection of her number - a talisman.
By the way, according to the official version of the creation of this world's first aldehyde fragrance, perfumer Ernest Bo brought Coco several variants of numbered bottles, but the demanding perfectionist Chanel, without sniffing, chose bottle number 5 and was not mistaken.
Later, the House of Chanel released several more fragrances with iconic figures for Coco. For example, - a fragrance symbolizing the date of her birth (August 19, 1889).
5 shades of passion: Chanel's favorite colors
Gabrielle had 5 favorite flowers. Another "magnificent Five", called The Colors of Chanel and became a classic of the fashion house.
Black is a color that reminded Coco of the monastic austerity of the orphanage at Aubazine. Thanks to Chanel, black has ceased to be the color of servants and a symbol of sorrow. In 1926, it became the color of elegance in the most famous little dress. “I brought black into fashion. And he dominates, because black overshadows everything,” Coco liked to repeat.
White is the color that precedes all others and is capable of reflecting light. It is the color of absolute clarity and purity. It resembles the headdresses of the nuns from Coco's childhood and the first communion dress given to her by her father.
Beige is the warm color of Coco's native land - Auvergne. The color of the beaches of Deauville, Biarritz and the Venetian island of Lido. As well as the color of nature, the human body and skin, which was gently touched by the first rays of the sun.
Gold is a color that combines naturalness and artificiality. The color of the real gold jewelry that Gabrielle was given by the Duke of Westminster, the color of imitation gold for the costume jewelry she so loved to create. The color of the golden church relics and the embroidered robes of the priests who surrounded her as a child. Gold from the treasury of St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, gold from the Byzantine Empire and the baroque style that so inspired Chanel.
Red - Chanel called it "the color of life and the color of blood." The red lining of the bag allows you to quickly find the right thing. The red color of lipstick has become Gabrielle's calling card.
"If you are sad, tint your lips with red lipstick - and into battle. Men hate women's tears," said the great Mademoiselle.
And again five! The legendary jewelry "five" Chanel
In the first jewelry collection of Coco Chanel, released in 1932, there were again 5 main themes: comet, ribbon, bow, fringe and feather. Chanel believed that it was her favorite number - the talisman that helped this debut collection to have a resounding success.
And the collection was actually revolutionary for those times: Chanel canceled the clasps on necklaces, wrapped precious comets around the necks of women, scattered shining stars in their hair.
These five symbols of Chanel's jewelry work remain the main themes for creating jewelry of the great fashion house to this day.
In 1932, Coco created the famous Chanel comet-shaped diamond necklace, which later became iconic for the Maison's jewelry collections.
Ambitious and bright, Gabrielle Chanel was a star herself and therefore adored space. She was attracted and inspired by comets and stars. She admired their amazing power to shine in endless darkness. Chanel believed and proved throughout her life that a woman was created to be a star or a comet that would leave a bright, long mark behind. And it will shine in the firmament of life, regardless of circumstances and problems. But with all this, in her only interview for television, Chanel admitted that she was afraid to find out what was "out there in the dark abyss."
The mysterious, unpredictable Coco...
Iconic handbag 2.55
And here it was not without numerology! A charming quilted bag on a chain over the shoulder (an object of desire and dream of all fashionistas in the world), which is one of the iconic things of the fashion house, was also called 2.55, why do you think? Everything is very simple: these mysterious figures contain only the date of its creation - February 1955.
Girl and Leo: Chanel and her mystical patron
Koko was born under the fifth (!) Zodiac sign - Leo. And it was Leo who became the main mystical patron throughout Chanel's life. Koko adored her horoscope sign and completely identified with it. Lion for Chanel was a real protector. His disposition fully personified the nature of Koko herself: the same brave, bright and fearless. It was the figurine of the Lion that stood on her work table next to letters, cigarettes, patterns and her favorite scissors.
On the first tweed suits, which gave a second life to the House of Chanel and her name, buttons with the image of a lion were sewn on for good luck (Chanel was sure that her faithful patron would not leave her and help restore her House to its former glory).
And Leo, as always, did not disappoint his transmitted Gabrielle!
Chanel and her magic crystal
How irresistibly Coco was drawn to the mysterious Looking Glass!
As we remember, the Great Mademoiselle was famous for her superstitiousness and therefore tried by any means to protect herself from the evil eye and bad influence. One of her faithful assistants in this was rock crystal - a stone very famous and popular in magic.
Her friends recalled that Koko could spend hours looking into her crystal ball, which was in her room at the Ritz Hotel. This ball fascinated Chanel, attracted (for all its transparency and clarity) with a certain mystical involvement in another world.
Crystal generally fascinated Chanel. When decorating the interior, she was very categorical and wanted to see only a crystal chandelier and nothing else (by the way, this chandelier is still in the Ritz Hotel).
Well, by now everyone has probably guessed why one of the most famous Chanel fragrances was named ?
Chanel and her crystal staircase
Believing that all the secrets of the other world Through the Looking-Glass are perfectly hidden for a simple layman under crystal (which, at first glance, deceptively creates the impression of full visibility), Chanel commissioned a crystal staircase connecting her office with the main store and the main stage of fashion shows of the House of Chanel on Rue de Cambon 31 in Paris.
Thanks to the mirrored edges of this unusual design, during the shows, Chanel could calmly observe everything that was happening below, while remaining unnoticed by anyone.
Already in something, but in the resourcefulness and creativity of Chanel, it was definitely not to be denied!
Chanel's last resort
Nothing is eternal under the Moon...
And now the favorite patron - the Lion and the favorite number-talisman guard Chanel already in the afterlife.
On the gravestone of the Great Mademoiselle in Switzerland, five lion heads rise, as a symbol of an indefatigable thirst for life and faith in one's Star and one's luck.
“Fashion is what you wear yourself. Everything that others wear is unfashionable. The famous aphorism of Oscar Wilde was refuted by Coco Chanel in the mid-20s of the last century, stating that fashion is a "little black dress". Her authority was so great that women of various classes and wealth without hesitation put on a “mourning” outfit and immediately became equally attractive. This decisive step brought Coco worldwide fame and made her find a symbol of elegance, luxury and good taste. The concept of "Chanel style" is firmly established in the terminology of fashion. She herself said: “First of all, it is style. Fashion goes out of fashion. Style - never!
But if the cut of her models was extremely simple (“You need to ruthlessly remove everything that is excessive”), then the Great Mademoiselle, as the French called her, embellished and redrawn her own biography beyond recognition.
We know very little about her childhood. Gabrielle was born on August 19, 1883 in the city of Saumur in western France. Her father was the fair trader Albert Chanel, her mother was his girlfriend Jeanne Devol. All her life, the legendary Mademoiselle was afraid that journalists might find out about her illegitimate origin, that her mother died of asthma and exhaustion, and that her father simply abandoned her, having handed over at the age of 12 to a Catholic orphanage in Aubazine. When the girl turned 20, the nuns found her a job in a knitwear shop in the city of Moulins. Gabrielle quickly earned the respect of her new owners and customers - she skillfully sewed women's and children's clothes. She devoted her free time from work to singing in a cafe - chantany and often performed a fashionable hit: "Who saw Coco at the Trocadero?" This is where the legendary name Coco Chanel comes from. True, Mademoiselle did not like to remember her singing career and explained the origin of this nickname differently: “My father adored me and called me chicken [coco in French].”
In general, the motive of contempt for her own origin, for the poverty that surrounded her in childhood, haunted Chanel throughout her life. This complex has become one of the fundamental in her stormy activities, in an effort to achieve success and recognition by any means. She wanted to save herself from humiliation and forget her impoverished childhood without affection and love, emptiness and loneliness. And so, when in 1905 the young bourgeois Etienne Balsan appeared in her life, personifying idleness and luxury, she decided that this man was created for her. Settled in his castle, Koko enjoyed all the advantages of the new position: she lay in bed until noon and read cheap novels. But Etienne did not consider her the woman with whom life should be connected. Three years later, Coco met his friend - a young Englishman, Arthur Capel, nicknamed Boy. It was to him that Chanel owed the start of her career: he advised the girl he liked to open a hat shop and promised to provide financial support. Coco changed the lock to Arthur's bachelor apartment in Paris. Here she began to make and sell her hats to all of Boy's former mistresses and their many girlfriends. Chanel's business quickly went uphill, and at the end of 1910, taking money from a friend, she moved to the Rue Cambon and opened her atelier there with a bold sign "Chanel Fashion". Very soon, this street will become known to the whole world and will be associated with its name for half a century.
In 1913, Coco opened a thriving hat boutique in Deauville. But she dreamed of developing her own line of women's clothing. Chanel did not have the right to make a "real" women's dress: since she was not a professional dressmaker, she could be held accountable for illegal competition. Coco found a way out: she began to sew dresses from jersey - a fabric that had previously been used only for sewing men's underwear, and made a fortune on it. All her opening outfits were born in a similar way. Creating, Coco did not refine, but simplified. She did not draw her models or sew them, but simply took scissors, threw the fabric over the model and cut and stabbed the shapeless mass of matter until the desired silhouette appeared. Coco quickly entered the world of fashion, attracting everyone's attention: she created a style that was previously unthinkable for women - tracksuits; she dared to appear on the beaches of seaside resorts in a "sailor suit" and a tight skirt. And in a couple of years, Koko will show a redingote without a belt and jewelry, removing the bust and curves with almost masculine severity. She will create a low waist, shirt dress, women's trousers and beach pajamas. Thus was born the style of Chanel - simple, practical and elegant.
Despite the fact that Coco introduced the fashion for women's trousers, she rarely wore them herself, because she believed that a woman would never look as good in trousers as a man. However, she liked the short male hairstyle. The reason is simple - short hair is easier to care for. Once she cut off her braids and proudly went out “to the people”, explaining to everyone that a gas water heater had caught fire in her house and scorched her curls. So in 1917, a fashion for a short female haircut arose. Now it is difficult to imagine that before Chanel, ladies simply had to be long-haired.
And then trouble came: in 1919, Arthur Capel died in a car accident. Coco's "Women's Life" was upset. Perhaps if this tragedy had not happened in her life, there would have been no famous experiments with black cloth. Wits claim that Chanel brought black into fashion to dress all the women of France in mourning for her lover, because she herself did not have the right to officially mourn: she and Arthur were not married.
The first models of such a dress were sewn from the now forgotten flowing crepe maroquin, they were knee-length, straight cut with narrow sleeves to the wrists. They were distinguished by an incredibly precise, precise cut and a revolutionary length of the skirt. By the way, Chanel believed that the bottom of the dress should not be raised above the knee, because rarely any woman can boast of the impeccable beauty of this part of the body. The more expensive cocktail dresses had a U-neck, while the evening dresses had a plunging neckline on the back. Such dresses were supposed to be worn with long strings of pearls or colored jewelry, boas, small jackets and tiny hats.
The "little black dress" quickly became a cult garment and gained iconic status. The popularity of the immortal work of Coco Chanel is incredible to this day: more and more new interpretations appear, so we can say with confidence that this dress will never go out of fashion.
In the summer of 1920, when Coco opened a large fashion house in Biarritz, she met a Russian emigrant, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. Their romance was short, but fruitful: the "Russian period" began in Chanel's work. Coco got a lot of new ideas from her exotic lover, and details of Russian folk costume, blouses with original embroideries appeared in her collection. But the main thing is that the prince introduced Coco to a native of Russia, an outstanding chemist-perfumer Ernest Bo, whose father worked for many years at the Imperial Court. This meeting turned out to be happy for both. After a year of painstaking work and lengthy experiments, Ernest produced "perfume for a woman that smells like a woman" - the first synthesized perfume from 80 components that does not repeat the smell of any particular flower, as was previously accepted. The designers enclosed the golden liquid in a crystal rectangular bottle with a modest label, which was a kind of find - before that, the bottles had always had an intricate shape. Their success has outlived its creators - until now, Chanel No. 5 perfume is the best-selling perfume on the planet.
In the early 1920s, Chanel took up jewelry design. The idea of mixing rhinestones and natural stones in one product was not hers alone, but she was the first to give life to this idea. At this time, Coco actively communicated with the world of Parisian bohemia: she attended ballet performances, was acquainted with the artist Pablo Picasso, the famous ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev, the composer Igor Stravinsky, the poet Pierre Reverdy, the playwright Jean Cocteau. Many were looking for a meeting with a famous fashion designer just out of curiosity, but they were surprised to realize that Koko is a smart, witty, original-minded woman; No wonder Picasso called her "the most reasonable woman in the world."
Men in her were attracted not only by their appearance, but also by their extraordinary personal qualities, strong character, and unpredictable behavior. Koko was either irresistibly flirtatious, or extremely sharp, straightforward, even cynical. To those around her, she seemed purposeful, self-confident, satisfied with herself and her successes. By the mid-1920s, the "Russian period" gradually faded away. Grand Duke Dmitry married and left for America, P. Reverdy became a recluse, with whom Coco had a close relationship, S. Diaghilev died, I. Stravinsky, who at one time was very fond of Chanel, moved to the USA. The Duke of Westminster appeared in Coco's life, an affair with which lasted for 14 years. This unusually long love affair for Mademoiselle introduced her to a different environment - the world of the English aristocracy. In each of the houses where the duke took her, she saw the long-awaited final shelter, often disappeared in England, traveled on his yachts. On weekends, about sixty guests usually gathered at his estate, among whom were often W. Churchill and his wife, the closest friends of the duke.
Chanel with all her being reincarnated as an Englishwoman. And the main reflection of this was found in her models of that time: "I took English masculinity and made it feminine." The newspapers wrote that there had never been so many tweeds, blouses and striped vests in her collections, so many jockey and yachtsman suits, sports coats and waterproof raincoats. Gabrielle adopted the English love for sweaters. Fashion trendsetters were amazed by her new trick: wearing real jewelry over a tight-fitting sweater.
If Chanel could give birth to an heir to the Duke, she would become his wife. Until 1928, while the passion was strong in him, he desired it. Koko was 46 years old when she began to go to consultations with doctors, but it was too late: nature opposed her dream. The Duke of Westminster suffered no less than his beloved, but was forced to marry another. The "English period" ended, and Mademoiselle again plunged headlong into work. Success accompanied her in all endeavors. She was at the zenith of fame and, despite her age (she was already over 50), continued to enjoy enviable success with men. In 1940, Koko became interested in the attache of the German embassy, Hans Günther von Dinklage. They settled in the house above her shop, the only remaining piece of the fashion empire, which had 6,000 employees before the war. Koko closed all enterprises in the fall of 1939 - she did not want to work. Shortly before this, the employees of the House of Chanel went on strike, demanding "some kind of union." So the war became an opportunity for her to get even - Mademoiselle fired everyone. At first, Chanel took a completely patriotic position - by showing her collection of clothes in blue-white-red colors (the colors of the national flag of France), she took a big risk. And then she decided to take revenge for the forced idleness: she took part in the epic connected with attempts to conclude peace between the Western allies and Germany, using personal connections with W. Churchill. However, this mission was not successful.
After the liberation of Paris, Chanel, whose cooperation with the occupiers was obvious, was immediately detained by members of the "Purge Committee". But in the evening of the same day she was released. Koko got off lightly: and for more innocent things than an affair with a Nazi, then you could lose everything. And she seemed to have been forgotten. There were rumors that General de Gaulle was personally asked for such forgetfulness by W. Churchill. The only thing that the new authorities demanded from Mademoiselle in exchange for freedom was an immediate departure from France. And she had to lay low for a good ten years, without a struggle, leaving the professional field in the possession of everyone.
Coco lived in Switzerland until 1953, and then returned to Paris, to a new generation of fashionistas who had long been sure that Chanel was only a brand of perfume. When Marlene Dietrich asked Koko why she needed this, she explained her return to the main occupation simply: "Because I was dying of boredom." True, there was another explanation: “I could no longer see what designers like Dior or Balmain had done to Parisian haute couture. These gentlemen are crazy! Ladies in their dresses, as soon as they sit down, they look like old armchairs! The first reaction of connoisseurs and the press to the show of the new Chanel collection was shock and indignation - she could not offer anything new! Alas, critics failed to understand that this is precisely her secret - nothing new, only eternal, ageless elegance. Koko took revenge in an unthinkably short time - in a year. What failed miserably in Paris was slightly reworked and shown across the ocean. The Americans gave her a standing ovation - the triumph of the "little black dress", a symbol of the era, took place in the USA. A new generation of fashionistas began to consider it an honor to dress from Chanel, and Coco herself turned into a tycoon, managing the largest House in the global fashion industry.
The world recognized her as the only trendsetter of the most refined elegance. The concept of "Chanel style" is firmly established in the terminology of fashion. This style suggested that the suit should be functional and comfortable. If there were buttons on a Chanel suit, then they must be fastened. The costume was usually complemented by low-heeled shoes, the toe of which was trimmed with a transverse strip, which visually reduced the leg. Chanel's skirts covered her knees and had pockets where a businesswoman could put cigarettes. She also came up with the idea of carrying a shoulder bag.
Despite the great many people who surrounded her throughout her life, Mademoiselle remained lonely. On the day of her death, January 10, 1971, when she was 87 years old, only the maid was nearby. Chanel's empire earned $160 million a year, and only three outfits were found in her wardrobe, but "very stylish outfits," as the Great Mademoiselle would say. Coco Chanel was buried, according to her will, not in Paris, but in Lausanne, Switzerland, where, according to her, she had a sense of security.
The logos of the leading fashion brands are the favorite toy of all kinds of experimenters, who themselves have not yet “grown up” to the level of brands, but consider themselves very creative designers and dream of global fame. Inscriptions like "Prada" and "Hermes" can be found on gun butts, car hoods, carpentry tools, and bags of candy.
The fashion for non-standard play on iconic logos arose back in the nineties of the XX century and sometimes took rather eccentric forms. So, the Englishwoman Laura Kibli in 2007 installed "tombstones" for the brands "Chanel", "Nike" and "McDonald's" at one of the cemeteries in Essex. By what principle she selected logos for the realization of her artistic intention and what she wanted to say with this action, no one really understood. But millions of fashionistas on the planet are well aware of the style and concept behind this or that logo.
The logo of the famous Italian brand specializing in furs, perfumes and luxury goods was created in 1965 by Karl Lagerfeld. He mirrored the two Fs, with one of them flipped upside down. The logo symbolizes the strong family and business union of Eduardo and Adele Fendi, who founded the brand. It is often referred to as a jigsaw puzzle and is found on buckles, bags, eyeglasses, or printed clothing.
The Chanel logo is designed on the same principle as that of Fendi, only the semicircles of two letters C are intertwined in it like wedding rings. It first appeared on the packaging of Chanel No. 5 perfume in 1925, and subsequently the badge was already placed on all the other fashionable “things” from Mademoiselle Coco. The official version says that her initials, Coco Chanel, are immortalized in the logo. And mockingbirds attribute authorship to the Russian artist Mikhail Vrubel, who back in 1886 depicted two crossed horseshoes - a sign of undoubted success and good luck. Be that as it may, with the choice of the logo, the house of Chanel clearly did not lose.
Since 1978, all the collections of the Italian designer Gianni Versace began to come out with a signature icon - the head of the Gorgon Medusa. The maestro interpreted his choice as follows: in ancient culture, the jellyfish symbolizes beauty and fatal charms, it was able to hypnotize and paralyze. The hypnosis of clothes from Versace never needed comments, and the sign has become one of the most recognizable.
Givenchy
Another type of flipped letter logo is the emblem of the Givenchy house: four letters G are connected in it. Even the cliché “Givenchy code” has appeared. Some researchers argued that the arrangement of the letters of the attractive rebus corresponds to the ancient rules of the accordion and carries a hidden meaning. Singapore Airlines once emblazoned the Givenchy logo on all service items in first class: blankets, linens, crockery, and so on. The caustic comments of journalists about this did not subside for a very long time.
Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein began to use the first letters of his own name and surname as a brand logo in the early seventies of the XX century. By that time, his clothes had managed to conquer fashion catwalks and world markets, but she clearly lacked recognition. And the designer marked the back pockets of jeans from the next collection with the logo of the letters C and K. Currently, the color of the Calvin Klein logo can be easily navigated in the classes of clothing produced by it. The black logo is associated with the highest level, the gray logo is associated with regular clothing lines, and the white logo is used for sports series.
Burberry
A knight in armor riding a horse recalls the ancient traditions of the county of Hampshire, where Thomas Burberry opened a store selling finished products back in 1856 and developed the technology for making waterproof material - gabardine. At first, he sewed clothes for the army, and then for the mass buyer. In 1901, Burberry received an incredibly large order and decided to trademark the swift horseman. Its flag bears the inscription "Prorsum", which means "go ahead". One of the traditional collections is still sold under the name Burberry Prorsum.
Svetlana Usankova
