Photo credit: Kamile Kvaukaite
Crowded. We are filming this look by the Chanel store in the South of France when a group of tourists, natives and Chanel staff surround us. "...très jolie." "..une belle fille" and other pieces of French statements slip by but not to my understanding. So much for 8 years of being grilled en français in primary and secondary school. Of course the show must go on so I smile and accept foreign comments gracefully, eventually having to keep posing as passersby stop to observe the scene.
As I stared into nothingness, thoughts whizzed in and out of my head, like uncontrollable bees during periods of hot climate. What defines the Chanel woman of today?
'A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.' I believe is what Gabrielle Chanel originally said but as the decades zoom by and new generations manifest, the quote has morphed into a demand; that girls must be 'classy and fabulous'. Of course, anybody who truly knows the history behind Coco Chanel knows that she wanted to abolish the very idea of prim and proper ladies in uncomfortable corsets. To hell with 20 inch waistlines and hello plain laid-back box dresses.
It shouldn't go unnoticed that Gabrielle would probably find this outfit I've put together completely disdainful to the Chanel brand but then again she hasn't been around for the last 40 something years and things have certainly changed. Just ask Karl Lagerfeld. When I think of modern day Chanel, I think of the words 'loose, comfortable but dangerously artistic'.
Perhaps some creative directors/stylists/influencers would swap the heels for the sneakers or the mixing of lace and print for something more simple. Some might follow the mantra that the art is in the sheer simplicity of it all but I think Chanel has moved on from simple beginnings and that is something I like very much.
History is Her Story. What I admire most about the brand is the political stance it portrays when it comes to feminism. Women don't crave attention, we are not delicate little flowers and double standards are socially constructed. When I was younger, my Mum would always try to force me into learning how to cook, do laundry or something all 'potential wives' should know how to do, while my brother lazed around the house observing uninterestingly. Like any rebellious teen of the 21st century, I refused to learn. Just like I refuse to believe in marriage and having children by a certain age. Simply no. Playing by the book is a thing of the past and things that are in the past should never be dug up again. I'll drink peppermint tea before bed or if I want to, tequila. I'll go out and party until dawn every night if that is what I enjoy. I'll marry my career and give birth to societal greatness. I live to change the part of the world that is mine and partaking in gardening or any other chore that woman 'should be able to complete' won't help me do that.
So the question is what do you want to do as a Chanel woman? And the answer should always be whatever the hell captivates your mind at that very moment.
Outfit details:
Lace coat// Print dress// Nude heels- Dunnes Stores.
Lipstick- Chanel.
Earrings- New Look.
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