"It's more interesting to have just a picture of a small detail - then you can dream all the rest around it.
Because when you see the whole thing, what is there to imagine?" -Dries Van Noten
Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel's Apartment
Paris.Honey, we’re home! Welcome to our staycation homestead, 31 Rue Cambon – the infamous abode of Gabrielle (a.k.a Coco) Chanel. It’s not at all what you would expect from Coco’s trademark black-and-white allover aesthetic. Her rouge-infused, Orient/Occident-inspired home remains to be a staple in our Parisian dreams. In fact, we’re still asking ourselves, “Did that really just happen?” and if we could, we’d click our quilted ballet flats to go back in a heartbeat. It’s a surreal and magical place… to say the least! We lusted, we learned and we lounged in the very same place Coco, herself, did some 75-plus years ago with Giacometti, Stravinsky and Dali. And we couldn’t help but feel her presence with every step we took. Every crevice and corner oozed that mystical allure of CHANEL; the ever-present camellia fleur, the black lacquered surfaces and the Coco-designed, suede sofa created an inescapable air of enchantment. And, call us crazy, but we’re pretty sure Coco made an appearance that day 'cause our camera captured something quite peculiar! (We’ll explain that later!) After walking up the mirrored, spiral staircase of which, we later learned Coco used to see the audience’s reaction to her collection during the show—we played “I Spy” with her custom, crystal chandelier. (See below! Bonus points for those who spot the iconic “5’s” in less than five.) It’s no surprise that we were itching to “Coveteur” Coco’s infinite bookshelves, which were screaming for some signature strands of CHANEL pearls. The East-meets-West feel of Coco’s eclectic place was a Coveteur’s dream come true. There were lions and deers and frogs... Oh my! And who knew Coco was so superstitious? The inspiration for Uncle Karl’s more recent collections is a constant thread throughout Coco’s home. The marble lion with the ball, anyone? How could we ever forget the CHANEL Couture F/W 2010 show? Even the miniature birdcage played inspiration for Chanel's “Coco” perfume campaign, featuring our girl, Vanessa Paradis. And the ears of golden wheat were sprinkled throughout Lagerfeld’s luxe SS 2010 collection from belts to bracelets to headbands. From her mahogany desk, which is etched with the legacy of a million scratch marks to her hand-assembled Chinese screens, which enclosed the space, traces of Coco’s legacy remains mummified and hidden away in her eternally beautiful apartment. It never ceases to amaze us how behind the façade of the art-deco-influenced exterior, lies a perfectly preserved and ultra-luxurious piece of CHANEL history.
Digital Inspiration
