THE CHANEL VIDEO – French Ennuie on the Cote D’Azur

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

Being half-French, it’s a given that I love Chanel. What’s not to love? Coco was a character and one smart cookie, if we’re to believe the story line in “Before Coco”. That little black dress, tweed jacket and quilted handbag with the chain link strap, and “junk jewelry” have risen to the top of the heap in the “timeless classics” category.
Coco was great, but it was KARL who breathed life back into the ailing house. Under his watch, the stylistic tweaks he gives the classics are enough to provide the necessary newness retailers demand, season after season. Once upon a time, there were the spring, fall, holiday, and resort collections. Now, there are multiple pre-spring and fall collections – enough to make your head spin, like Linda Blair in “The Exorcist”.

As far as the short flick, “REMEMBER NOW” Karl created for cruise 2011, watch it, but know that the punch line comes at the very end, when Karl himself appears. If you’re TRULY pressed for time, allot 6 minutes at the end and watch the party dying down and the Kaiser’s arrival. [You’ll have to watch the full version, on www.chanel.com

Regardless of my irritation with the studied aimlessness of the fashion jet set, model/actress, ELISA SEDNAOUI in particular, as depicted in the film, I’m enough of a Chanel/Karl fan to still want to participate, albeit, in my own, indie way. That translates to a mini- spree with my Mother at the Chanel counter at the Danbury Square Mall’s Macy’s CHANEL counter.

Although the counter manager and Maman said I looked like a young-ish Coco Chanel, I nixed the bright red shade, and walked away with “Rouge Coco” formula #11 Legende [pink] and #132 [pink-mauve gloss] and the last bottle of #509 nail polish in “Paradoxal”. Okay, that is NOT really a word, and the gray color looks unattractive in the bottle, but strangely compelling, not unlike the color of wet cement, in the bottle. Once it’s on your nails however, the Chanel magic kicks-in. For under $100, it’s worth every penny to feel this pampered and luxurious, and to be able to pretend you’re part of Karls’ jet set world on the Cote D’Azur.

Viva, Karl!