Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing the film Coco Before Chanel. It's an absolute masterpiece of fashion, history, romance and inspiration. Coco Chanel, who originally went by the name Gabrielle, is my new favorite person. Even though this movie is simply a portayal of this majestic woman, it still inspired me. It reinforced the notion that celebrating your unique self will eventually gain you success in the future--this notion is so often discouraged in our culture/society, but you will be encouraged if you see this film.
Coco Chanel hated the way women threw themselves at men--parading around with their low-cut and tight dresses. She was frustrated by the fact that men could be so controlling and dominating--she wanted to get her sucess by herself. She had to rely on some people in order to do what she did, but in essence, she wanted to be an independent woman. She had dreams--very big dreams that at the time seemed so silly and unreasonable to others around her, especially the women.
She transformed the fashion world--a world that was once dominated by men. She believed in herself and had the gusto, the talent and the heart....without her there would be no "little black dress," no tweed suits, no patented purses with gold knobs and gold straps, no lavish perfumes...and no pants! I am a fan of dresses, but not having the option of wearing pants? What a world that would be....She never wanted to be considered a foolish and incapable woman and I applaud her for that.
Another thing--the famed horizontal blue striped shirts (the one in the picture above) were inspired by her as well. One day, she went to the sea and saw fishermen wearing them and decided to reinvent the style by making them a tad more feminine and elegant. Those shirts are quite coveted in the fashion market and they're hard to come by. How amazing that she was inspired by fishermen! This proves the point that inspiration for fashion/style is everywhere and anywhere--you just have to make sure you keep your eyes and mind open....
Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, the street; fashion has to to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.
--Coco Chanel
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