Thursday, March 17, 2016

Discovering Chanel (Part I)

For fashionistas, CHANEL is one of the most important references that exist. It is not just a luxury brand, but a lifestyle, an icon and the epitome of the classic, elegant but at the same time modern and avant-garde woman.

But before all of that, who was Coco Chanel?

Para los amantes de la moda, CHANEL es uno de los referentes más importantes que existe. No es solo una marca de lujo, sino un estilo de vida, un ícono y la máxima representación de la mujer clásica, elegante pero a la vez moderna y vanguardista.

Pero antes de todo, ¿Quién era Coco Chanel?



    Photo of Mademoiselle Chanel at 31 Rue Cambon/ Foto de Mademoiselle Chanel en 31 Rue Cambon

      Gabrielle that in Hebrew means strength and power, did not have an easy life. He lived most of her childhood in an orphanage with her sisters Julia and Antoinette where she learned sewing, embroidery and ironing. 
        At 18 she began making hats and later came her passion for singing which led her to perform the song "Who has seen Coco in the Trocadero?"  Sound familiar? Yes, this is the reason why she adopted "Coco" as her name.

    Coco Mademoiselle knew the world of luxury, fine dining and the best parties beside her beloved Etienne Balsan, a wealthy and educated man that taught her manners, horsemanship and how to behave like a true lady.
    But despite having learned all the necessary requirements to be a woman of high society, Coco was simply different from other people. She was always two steps ahead of the rest of the world. She did not necessarily love conventional things and was not afraid to be unique, original and innovative.
The style and trends of the time did not go with her personality. Ornate hats and garments which at the time were considered the last word in fashion seemed somewhat ridiculous to her. 

Gabrielle, que en Hebreo significa 'fuerza y poder', no tuvo una vida fácil. Vivió la mayor parte de su infancia en un orfanato junto a sus hermanas Julia y Antoinette en donde aprendió a coser, a bordar y a planchar. 
A sus 18 años empezó a hacer sombreros y mas adelante surgió su pasión por el canto lo cual la llevó a interpretar la canción  "Quien ha visto a Coco en el Trocadero?" ¿Les suena? Si, es por esto que desde ese momento adoptó "Coco" como su nombre. 

Mademoiselle Coco conoció el mundo del lujo, la buena mesa y las mejores fiestas de la mano de su adorado Etienne Balsan. Un hombre con dinero y educación que le enseñó de modales, equitación y cómo portarse como toda una dama.

Pero a pesar de haber aprendido todos los requerimientos necesarios para ser una mujer de la alta sociedad, Coco era simplemente diferente al resto de la gente. Ella siempre estuvo dos pasos adelante de los demás. No le gustaba lo convencional, no le temía a ser única, original e inovadora. 
El estilo y las tendencias de la época, no iban de la mano con su personalidad. Los sombreros recargados de adornos y los vestidos, que en ese entonces eran considerados 'el último grito de la moda', le parecían un tanto ridículos.

           Picture of my most recent visit to Mademoiselle Chanel's apartment in Paris./ Foto de mi reciente visita al departamento de Mademoiselle  Chanel en París 

The shape of the mirror in the entryway is the shape of the bottle of Chanel No. 5 as well as the face of many Chanel watches/ La forma del espejo al fondo es la misma forma de la botella del perfume Chanel No. 5 as como también la forma de algunos de los relojes. 


Coco fell in love with Paris, the city of lights, where she met the great love of her life, Arthur Capel, better known as "Boy".
 "Boy" was a socialite friend of Etienne, handsome, cultured, amenable and very clever. And to be honest, what woman would not fall for a man with these characteristics?

Boy and Coco fell in love at first sight and unlike Etienne, he believed in the potential of Coco without thinking twice.
Etienne pretending to be helpful, lent her part of the apartment where he lived when he was still single to start her first workshop. From that moment, Coco immediately embarked on what would be her first business and the first step of her remarkable future. An uncertain future that ended up being part of history.


     Coco se enamoro de París, la cuidad de la luz, en donde conocio al gran amor de su vida, Arthur Capel, mejor conocido como "Boy".  

     "Boy" era un socialité amigo de Etienne, guapo, culto y muy simpático. ¿Qué mujer no se enamoraría de un hombre con estas características? 

   Boy y Coco se enamoraron a primera vista y a diferencia de Etienne, creyó en el potencial de Coco sin pensarlo dos veces.

         Etienne pretendiendo ser de gran ayuda, le presto una parte del departamento en donde el vivía cuando aun era soltero. Así que inmediatamente Coco emprendió lo que sería su primer negocio y el principio de su futuro. Un futuro incierto que terminó siendo historia.
On the oriental screens covering the walls you can find motifs of camellias danced- another iconic symbol of CHANEL / Los biombos orientales que cubren las paredes del departamento tienen motivos de flores camelias, otro símbolo icónico de Chanel.
          These silver trinket boxes that sit on the salon’s coffee table are gifts from the Duke of Westminster./ Estas cajitas de plata que están en la mesa de café del salón son regalos del Duque de Westminster .
Her famous quilted bag inspiration comes from the pillows on her 1920’s custom made suede couch/ La inspiración de su famosa bolsa acolchada proviene de las almohadas de este sofá de gamuza de 1920
Mademoiselle Coco opened the doors of her first business which became a huge success. In fact, it went so well that the first Maison CHANEL was on 31 Rue Cambon, the place where the boutique and corporate offices of the brand still remain. 

I wanted to share this story with you because, personally it seems very important to know the story behind the most recognized fashion conglomerates in the world.

La maison CHANEL goes far beyond what today can be considered as "fashion".
The story of this brilliant and innovative woman is a source of eternal inspiration that continues to captivate generation after generation. Today thanks to the genius, Karl Lagerfeld.

Mademoiselle Coco abrió las puertas de su primer negocio siendo todo un éxito. Logró tanto éxito que la primera Maison CHANEL fue nada mas y nada menos que en 31 Rue Cambon, lugar en donde hoy en día se encuentra la boutique y el corporativo de la marca. 
Todo esto se los cuento porque me parece muy importante saber la historia que se encuentra detrás de la casa de moda mas reconocida de mundo.
La maison Chanel va mucho mas alla de lo que hoy en dia podemos considerar como "moda".
La historia de esta mujer inovadora es una fuente de inspiración eterna la cual continua cautivando generación tras generación. Hoy en día gracias a la genialidad de Karl Lagerfeld.
   One of Chanel’s more famous guests broke a crystal off the chandler and hoping Mademoiselle would not see, he hid the piece in the frog’s mouth… It's been there ever sinceUno de los huéspedes más famosos de Chanel rompió un cristal de la cerero y esperando la señorita no vería , ocultó la pieza en la boca de la rana ... El cristal ha estado ahí desde entonces.
 This amazing chandelier in the salon bears both the number 5 and 2 and the iconic double crossing C’s Can you find them? / Este increíble candelabro en medio del salón esconde dos de los números mas significativos para Mademoiselle Chanel el 2 y el 5, asi como también el símbolo de las iconicas C cruzadas. Las puedes encontrar? 

Mademoiselle Chanel's vision changed the world of fashion and art. Her rebellious and androgynous attitude created, revolutionized and marked a before and after, leaving a trail of distinction that will last for eternity.

Today that air of freshness that liberated women of the twentieth century continues to give us an insatiable appetite to know more about the woman who gave sense to fashion forever.

And this is just the beginning of my unforgettable experience with CHANEL ... 

Stay tuned for Part II, 

Love, Mika 

La visión de Mademoiselle Chanel cambió al mundo de la moda y el arte. Su actitud rebelde y andrógina creó, revolucionó y marcó un antes y un después dejando una estela de distinción que durará para el resto de la eternidad.

Hoy, ese aire de frescura que liberó a las mujeres del siglo XX nos sigue brindando un insaciable apetito por conocer más de la mujer que le dio sentido a la moda para siempre.

Y esto es solo el principio de una experiencia inolvidable...

Este pendientes de la segunda parte de mi maravillosa historia junto a CHANEL. 

Love, Mika

XX

 Photo credits: Michelle Salas, Google Images.



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  2. There's a misspelling in the second sentence of the first paragraph of who was Coco. It should be She not "He lived most of her childhood..." Thanks for the post, I'm sure it was definitely a dream come true.

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  3. There's a misspelling in the second sentence of the first paragraph of who was Coco. It should be She not "He lived most of her childhood..." Thanks for the post, I'm sure it was definitely a dream come true.

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  8. "Exploring Chanel (Part I) presents the mysterious realm of classic style and inventiveness that is associated with the renowned fashion label. The documentary offers an inside look into Coco Chanel's groundbreaking journey, from modest beginnings to shaping the pinnacle of style, through painstaking storytelling. The storylines the development of Chanel's iconic style by fusing history with high fashion. A compelling narrative that goes beyond fashion is created by combining archive film and engaging interviews, providing a deep insight of the woman who founded the business. Audiences are excitedly awaiting Part II, which promises to be a captivating examination of Chanel's lasting legacy.
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