Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel once said, “A girl should always be two things – classy and fabulous.” While she was indeed the epitome of class and fabulousness she was so much more. She had a keen mind for business, courageously embracing every opportunity, and was steadfast in her resolve. Her belief that style should be timeless and elegant is found at the heart of all CHANEL creations, past, present and future.

chAnGinG PErSPEctivES

born on the 19th of august 1883 in saumur, France,

gabrielle chanel transcended her humble beginnings to

become a fashion and beauty icon. her personal proclivity

for comfortable yet stylish attire was revealed through her

designs, which popularised a sportier, casual chic putting

paid to the corseted, confined women’s fashions of pre-

war europe. It was not only her designs that revolutionised

the world’s perspective on fashion and beauty. chanel was

always pushing the boundaries of convention. her boyish

figure, short haircut and glowing tan also had an impact on

the traditionally accepted definition of beauty. amongst her

many gifts to the world of women’s fashion, were the little

black dress, the chanel tweed suite, the iconic chanel

handbag and the black tipped shoe.

rEvolutioniSinG An inDuStry

In 1920, chanel had a short relationship with Russian grand

duke dimitri Polovitch which would have a continuing

influence on the chanel style. It was then that she was

introduced to ernest beaux, former perfumer to the court

of the tsar. always one to capitalise on every opportunity,

she engaged beaux, insisting that she wanted to create a

perfume with him. It was to be a fragrance unlike any other,

a composition, she declared, “a woman’s fragrance that

smells like a woman.”

chanel’s desire for a luxurious and seductive scent,

coupled with her inspired vision, would change the way

perfumes were constructed forever and solidify beaux as a

pioneer of modern perfumery. Rather than the mono-floral

fragrances – roses, violets or peony - that were fashionable

at the time, chanel no.5 was a stunning bouquet of over 80

scents, enhanced by aldehydes. It would be the first time

that aldehydes were used in perfumery.

the chanel no.5 bottle is a testament to minimalism,

simplicity and timeless elegance, all reflecting the

fundamental values of the spirit of chanel. the octagonal

stopper is said to be inspired by the geometry of Place

Vendome, the view she admired from her apartment

balcony at the Ritz.

the distinct white soft-pack, edged in black is a further

reflection of the spirit of chanel, which lies in the art of

uniting contrasts; “black and white are everything, they

are of absolute beauty. the perfect harmony. dress women

in white or black at a ball and other women fade into the

background”.

how chanel came to name the perfume no.5 is all part of

the treasured fragrance’s mystique. did she choose the

fifth sample, or did she choose the number five, (her lucky

number,) to protect her precious perfume?

clAssy And fAbulous

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"1932" Collection

80th anniversary of "bijoux de diamants"

collection by gabrielle chanel

“A girl should always be two things – classy and fabulous.”

– Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel

50 I South AfricA DEluxE I ShoppINg & lIfEStylE history I 51

In 1932, chanel created her first and only high Jewellery

collection inspired by the celestial bodies that illuminated the

heavens and the lights which lit up the signs on the champs-

elysées. approached by the diamond corporation of london

to help re-launch sales after the 1929 crash, the collection

created a sensation, ultimately changing the face of jewellery

design.

“I want,” she said, “jewels that slip between the fingers of a

woman like a ribbon.” chanel’s collection, which sent glittering

comets across the shoulders and showered the décolletage

with stars, was an exquisite exemplification of fluidity as a

principle and freedom as a virtue.

she again bucked convention by following the same principles

she used when designing couture, paying attention to the

pattern, drape and fall of her pieces, using no clasps or

fastenings and creating designs which would highlight the

lightness and suppleness of each magnificent creation. When

the time came to exhibit the creative collection she chose

her home at 29 Faubourg saint-honoré as the venue and

presented each breathtaking piece on a wax mannequin with

styled hair and faces touched with make-up.

eighty years after chanel created the bijoux de diamants

collection, chanel celebrates her founding act of jewellery

creation with the release of 1932, an exceptional fragrance

that rightfully takes its place in the les exclusifs de chanel

collection.

created by Jacques Polge, who was inspired by the

constellation of diamonds, 1932 is like all things chanel,

eternally modern and luxurious. Polge has a superlative gift

for anchoring unexpected compositions in the history of the

house and he does not disappoint with 1932.

“at chanel, jasmine is to perfume what diamonds are to

fine jewellery... essential!” says Polge. With 1932, he delicately

sets jasmine in vetiver and iris, producing an elegantly sensual

fragrance with fresh top notes, the crispness of pear, the

sparkle of grapefruit and the frosty brilliance of diamond. It is

the perfect homage to the talents of an exceptional woman for

whom beauty was simply a way of being.

thE PoWEr of influEncE

chanel said, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be

different.” she certainly was different from most of the women

of her generation. she was strong-willed, determined and

outspoken and unafraid to pursue ideas and concepts outside

of the accepted norms. she changed the face of fashion and

taught the world to see beauty differently. she believed that

the most courageous act was to think for yourself and that if

you were born without wings you should do nothing to prevent

them from growing.

a century after gabrielle chanel opened her first couture

shop in Paris, the house of chanel is still a formidable

producer of modern classic designs and continues to follow

the principles on which it was built – elegance and simplicity.

gabrielle ‘coco’ chanel was not simply one of the most

influential women of her time; she will be remembered

throughout history as one of the most influential women of

all time. lindsay Grubb

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Collier Etoile Filante

in 18-karat white gold, set with

diamonds

52 I South AfricA DEluxE I ShoppINg & lIfEStylE history I 53