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Do you believe that there are people who do not know anything about Gabrielle Chanel? They do not know who she was or anything about her career in the world of fashion, or the intricacies of the famous and luxurious Chanel Jacket!
I have watched many Chanel fashion shows, visited the Chanel boutiques in France, studied the construction of how the famous French couture Jacket was created, and admired how many of her other designs were brought to life. They are truly works of art based on their construction. Many are considered masterpieces.
But before I discovered all of that, I watched a particular Chanel fashion show that piqued my interest in delving deeper into the brand. It was several years ago. Towards the end of the show, the models were crying - tears were flowing uncontrollably, happy tears, emotion pouring out all over. There were lots of hugs and congratulations. I wondered what in the world was going on. It was such a scene. Yes, it was genuine emotion, but I did not fully understand all the hoopla. It was as if something miraculous had occurred.
And then someone involved in the show said, between her sobs, "Can you believe that there are people who may never know, or get to feel, or experience the greatness of the creation of these beautiful garments..."
At the time, I thought, "Ok, what's the big deal, it's just a jacket... I have bought and worn numerous jackets. I have created a few as well..." I thought to myself, "It is just a jacket."
But, sometime after that, I came to realize that an authentic Chanel jacket is really on a whole different level. I started to learn more and came to respect the artistry involved, the quality, exceptional materials used, and the time it takes to create such beautiful garments, mostly created by hand. When I see or feel a fake Chanel, I know. I once had a Chanel sales associate, try to explain why the repair work on my Chanel key ring resulted in it crumbling like a ring from a crackerjack box. She said, "Chanel is so fragile."
Can you imagine a Chanel representative scamming a customer in such a manner, such a shameful individual. I guess she assumed that I did not know enough about Chanel to know that Chanel does not crumble. The audacity!
During a more recent time, I attended an event with a gathering filled with talented artists, it was surreal. I was mingling a bit and listening to engaging conversations about what each artist in that room had created or planned to create. I was just admiring their talents. It was absolutely fascinating. They sipped wine and nibbled on hors d'oeuvres and shared wonderful stories.
As I was meeting and greeting and trying to get to know some of the participants, I was asked about the beautiful jacket I was wearing. While trying to explain how the jacket came into being, I was asked to model it. I thought that was an odd request, but hey, they were artists, I create garments, and had created the one I was wearing, so I said to myself, why not?
As I was modeling and showing the room full of my jacket, I talked about the history of how I created it. I explained some of the important artistic details of the garment. While elaborating on the jacket's construction, I invoked the name Chanel.
But then, I noticed something that seemed quite odd to me. I was shocked and dumbfounded to find out that no one in that room of artistic geniuses knew who Chanel was. When the crowd saw my shock and disbelief, one person said that there was one lady who had just left, who probably knows.
The rest of the evening I was baffled and in disbelief. Shortly after that shock, I went home to share this hard-to-believe reality.
Sometime later, I had the opportunity to travel with that same group of artists, and we headed to Italy. The heat wave was so bad they called it Cerberous (the watchdog that guards the entrance to Hades). But that's another story. Other than the heat, the trip was fabulous!
Then I went to France where the weather was better.
I visited a few boutiques.
Usually when I go into a Chanel boutique, I don't just shop for a jacket or garment. As a creator of garments, I feel the creation. I know that it has been painstakingly created, mostly by hand, and with the finest of fabrics procured from all around the world.
I analyze the stitches and assess the garment's construction, materials used and the weight of the jacket, I try to examine almost every aspect. The sales associates secretly observing me know that I am more than just a connoisseur of couture garments. It is always a wonderful experience to see the artistry that is created in a Chanel Jacket. The trip was such a memorable experience!
As I was returning home from my trip, I was bustling through the airport, with my large artistic portfolio bag, which held a canvas of embroidery art that I had the pleasure of creating at Ecole Lesage in Paris. It was large and awkwardly shaped. I would get stuck momentarily in small entranceways due to it size, as the canvas was really wide, but lightweight. I was struggling a bit with the large awkwardly shaped item. And I was pulling my luggage.
I happened to cross the path of a tall helpful Airplane Pilot. I am not sure if he was coming or going. I walked past him, as he was exiting the elevator. I was in a hurry. He spoke to me, and was nice enough to offer me a helpful hand. He helped to carry my large portfolio bag down the escalator.
We chatted briefly, and he jokingly asked me what was in my large art portfolio bag. We discussed the embroidery art that I was carrying. He was very familiar with artistic embroidery and interested in hearing more. He wanted to know where in Paris did I go to learn how to create artistic embroidery. He did not realize that there was such a place or school in Paris doing this type of work.
While telling him about the embroidery art school that I attended in Paris, I once again invoked the name Chanel. Embroidery art plays a fabulous part in the design of many famous Chanel jackets, and many other luxury brands as well. I mentioned the history of Karl Lagerfeld and his connection to the embroidery art school in Paris.
The Airline Pilot, who may have traveled extensively around the world, had no idea who Chanel was, nor did he realize that Chanel was a luxury clothing brand, sold worldwide. But he did say he thought it was just a perfume...
And once again, just like that, I was shocked and dumbfounded all over again. I headed to my flight in a daze, not knowing if I was coming or going. It happened shortly before my trip, and now returning from my trip. I could not believe it or understand how anyone could not know who Chanel was. All I can say is what they say in the world of business, they were not the target audience.
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