In seeking a defining fashion sense, Coco Chanel developed her look from utilitarian things around her–a man’s polo sweater, a straw boater, a yachtsman’s beret, a duke’s line of English tweeds. She rethought and reworked the givens of the day–mixing real jewelry with faux, wearing pants with a simple cashmere sweater and pearls. It worked then and it works now.
The result was a style that married conventional with the unconventional, expanding the meaning of what’s classic, then and even more so now under the direction of designer Karl Lagerfeld.
The Chanel Boutique, celebrating its 10th anniversary in Chicago, also has expanded, moving into a considerably larger 8,800-square-foot space in the Drake Hotel. There will be more of everything, with the special addition of the Chanel Joaillerie Boutique, the fine jewelry area featuring hand-crafted pieces in gold, platinum with diamonds and pearls and gems such as rubies, sapphires and emeralds. This will be the company’s ninth fine jewelry boutique in the U.S.
The legacy of Coco Chanel lives on. As she once said: “Fashion changes–style remains.”
