The House of Chanel Boutique Chanel Joaillerie, 18, place Vendôme, Paris
I put on my deepest scarlet Chanel lipstick this morning as it is a very important day. Today is the day I take over Parfums Chanel. I am Gabrielle Chanel and this company is mine. I have used my support for the German party to help connect with old friends in high places. The previous directors, the Wertheimers, are Jewish and most likely hiding out somewhere which means their rights are no longer. Real business owners, creators, do not abandon their namesake. That is why on this day, May 5, 1941, I begin again Coco Chanel.
But, before I arrive at the final overturning of documentation, I need to get my bearings. Down the street from my apartment is a quaint café. No customers, no journalists, just locals that do not lift their hats. As I sat at my usual table and stared at the eerily quiet street I thought about how I got to this point. I had found my passion and I had become successful. I managed several shops in Paris with men and women customers alike. My hats, you may have heard, are already legendary and not far behind them is my most recent line. It was one of pure and genuine class. Ladies’ tailored skirts with fringed jackets, only the finest glass buttons, and oh, the pumps crafted from chocolate Italian leather. But, when this wretched war fell upon our nation, fashion was not in the forefront of anyone’s thoughts. Never mind the loss of profit from deployment and rationing, but it was not proper to entertain the thought of high-end materials when men and families were suffering. Sure, darling, I might be wearing my patent, red, leather pumps and hourglass silk skirt-suit gifted to me from Christian Dior; but I vow that my allegiance is to the war effort. The only shop that remains open is one that I run from my loft.
Just this morning I had one of my regulars put an order in for three new hats, almost unheard of at these times. Madame Lafaurie often placed many garment purchases with me before the war, but she now mostly fancies hats. For most women hats are the only option for sprucing up an otherwise drab ensemble. Cashmere, silk, wool, and even cotton are all either going to the production of uniforms or are just too fine to be made right now. Many of the fashion houses’ factories have been taken over by the government for military use. Thankfully my genre of fashion requires only a small area for now, until this war ends of course, then I will resume Maison Chanel to its upmost potential. Back to Madame Lafaurie; as I look back at my sketches I see a few details needing revision. Not much change really, just a pinch here and there. The first, a royal purple feathered hat is to be worn tilted and will have only one large peacock feather stitched on; these are hard to come by. The second is a classier and more comfortable piece; it is a rich black matte finish with a netted front and is placed on the crown of the hair. The third and final order came for a hunter’s green rounded hat with pearl beading spaced just right along the stitches. Madame has beautiful olive skin and is one of my favorite muses. All of the above designs will work marvelously with her wardrobe and well after the war.
My tea has gotten chilled and my scone untouched; I offer it to a young boy near me. He was sitting with his mother while she chatted with a friend. A very well behaved boy I thought, rare it seems, and I could tell by his bright eyes my scone would be enjoyed more than I could have ever savored. Some of my friends say I have lost that sparkle in my eye, some say it has gotten stronger. Who’s to know what the truth is. I shall keep doing what I love to do and make women feel beautiful. I will keep class in this new age of media and culture. I do not waver in my ideas, which has cost me much. My loyalty to Germany and their officials is not a topic that many dear to me care to take up. I am afraid I may be called in to be questioned, or how they say, interrogated someday. But, until that point I am Coco Chanel and I do not regret anything I have done or will do.
I must be going; I have my business to recapture.
Columnist: Allison Eldridge-Nelson
Chanel No. 5 Perfume
Coco Chanel: Born Gabrielle Chanel in Samur, France, 1883. She is a famous fashion designer and style icon, known for her tailored suits, little black dresses, and namesake perfumes. She had a relationship with a Nazi officer, Hans Gunther von Dincklage, during the Nazi occupation of France, which tarnished her public image at the time. Her legacy and style, however, still live on.
http://www.biography.com/people/coco-chanel-9244165?page=2
Wertheimers: The family who owns a portion of the Chanel company, initially Parfums Chanel. They are currently in charge of a fashion empire, managing their business behind the scenes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/24/magazine/the-power-behind-the-cologne.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
Christian Dior: Born in Northern France, 1905. He is a fashion designer, known for the reintroduction of femininity during the late 1940s, and focus on luxury fashions.
http://www.biography.com/people/christian-dior-9275315
Fashion Houses: The headquarters of many name brand fashion lines. They employ multiple designers to make products: clothes, accessories, jewelry, perfume and the like, under one name.
The Cave 