The Big E – Elegance Is Everything

BY ELAINE LESSIG

I spend far too much time in airports waiting for planes and on airplanes once the flights actually get going. One of my simple pleasures as I travel to shows is to watch movies onboard the plane. On one long distance flight several years ago, I scanned the movie menu on the screen in front of me while the flight was still boarding. There among the selections was a film entitled “Coco before Chanel”. Anyone who knows me will quickly un- derstand why that instantly piqued my interest. I love fashion, both vintage and vogue. I fastened my seatbelt, selected the film, and waited anxiously to start watching. I am glad I did. Its impact remains with me to this very day.

The movie was a visual and dramatic delight. As very young women, Gabrielle Chanel and her sister were abandoned in the French countryside by a disinterested father. Using their skills as seamstresses and entertainers in nearby bars to exist, Gabrielle took the stage name “Coco”. She designed all her own clothing and made her hats, too. Patrons quickly noticed the unique style of the hats and admired the creations she wore. Eventually (this is the abridged version in many ways…aka…use your imagination!), Coco attracted the attention of a well-to-do man who appreciated the natural talent which inspired her creative freedom. With his help and that of several other men along the way, Coco began her lifelong quest to be the arbiter of French fashion–a trendsetter not a follower. What she craved was independence, both creatively and financially. Years later, Coco Chanel became a world-renowned fashion icon. Her designs were always simple, structured and, most importantly, elegant. For Coco Chanel “L’Elegance C’est Le Ligne”- elegance is the line. For her, “elegance” was everything.

Serendipitously, not long after I watched the film, I was doing some online shopping, (shocking, I know!) Among the vintage items listed on the Chanel section of the site I was perusing was a gold-tone Chanel bangle bracelet. I actually gasped when I saw the engraving. There it was jumping off the page: “L’Elegance C’est Le Ligne”. It will come as no surprise that I quickly pur- chased the bracelet, not because it was ‘Chanel’, but because it WAS Coco.

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Posted by Alex on Oct 24 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.