The Love and Inspiration Behind Coco Chanel’s Iconic Feather Brooch Design
Chanel’s 2023 spring and summer fashion show opened with a blouse printed with stills from the movie “Last Year in Marienbad”, paying tribute to the founder, Ms. Coco Chanel. In the minds of many people, her little black dress and Chanel No. 5 perfume are the most familiar, but few people know the feather brooch she designed, which is also famous far and wide! Chanel’s feather brooch is the crystallization of her love, which hides the unrivaled romance between her and Russian Grand Duke Dmitry!
Although Chanel has never been married in her life, when she is in love, she never misses a minute, just as she said: “You may not be able to afford Chanel, but never forget the most important dress, which is called yourself. “So, as an immortal myth in the fashion circle, how does she live out herself, and what kind of unforgettable love and love does she have with the Russian Grand Duke?
Forced by life, the resident singer faltered to debut On
August 5, 1883, Chanel was born in the small town of Samuel in the south of France. Her happy childhood came to an end at the age of 12. At that time, her mother contracted lung disease and left her and her sisters forever. Her father was a wandering businessman. Not only did he not mourn the loss of his wife in middle age, but he lingered even more unscrupulously in his mistress’ arms.
One cold morning, the cruel father directly abandoned Chanel and her sister at the gate of the monastery.
The life in the monastery allowed Chanel to quickly learn a life skill – sewing. In the difficult years, the only thing that made Chanel feel comforted and happy was that her aunt often came to visit her and often brought her some paper-cuts of fashion magazines. It has to be said that those popular designs and some classic culture gave Chanel the initial enlightenment of aesthetics.
Time flies, Chanel finally survived to the age of 18, and finally she can walk out of the monastery to live alone! She worked in a tailor shop during the day and found a bar to sing at night. Every night, she sang the song “Who Sees Coco”, so that the men here used to call her Coco in the future, and it was also here that she met the first man in her life, Baleson.
One night, a young military officer came to the bar. Like other guests, this officer looked at Chanel eagerly, but there was no teasing in his eyes, only appreciation.
Chanel keenly captured this gaze, and walked bravely to meet this gaze after singing. This young officer was Baleson. He said to Chanel: “You should not sing in such a dirty place, but you should sing among the guests who respect you.” social circle.
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, France was rich in two kinds of women – courtesans and mistresses. Baleson was not married at this time, but he made it clear to Chanel that her role was that of mistress. Although Chanel didn’t want to be a mistress, she still silently accepted the role. She wanted to change her life in her own way.
She despises the customary money-making tricks of mistresses and does not bother to emulate them. At the same time, she does not have the jealousy that women often have. She is keen on learning and focuses on improving herself with knowledge. She reads and studies in Baleson’s study whenever she is free.
In the autumn of 1908, Chanel went to Pau, “the best hunting ground in Europe” with Balesson for a hunting vacation. At the evening party, Chanel pulled out a hat full of feathers on a whim, and
when Chanel appeared with the hat decorated with only one small feather, many people voted There was a mocking look. Chanel is unconventional, but rouge vulgar fans don’t understand her advanced fashion: simple and advanced. At that moment, Chanel also clearly felt the neglect of others towards her.
But a handsome young man came towards her and very gentlemanly invited her to dance. After the song, the young man said: “Your hat is very special and beautiful.” He spoke quickly, but every word entered Chanel’s heart clearly, and they fell in love at first sight!
The young man’s name was Bowie Carber, and he was a wealthy gentleman. The young couple, who adored each other, soon became intimate, and Chanel confessed to Balleson her relationship with Capel, whom she felt she loved.
This news made Balleson very angry and painful, but he saw that Chanel’s heart was no longer in him, so he had to choose to withdraw sadly.
Chanel left Baleson, and everyone else thought she was a womanizer. Capel didn’t want others to imagine his love in this way, and he didn’t want others to judge Chanel with general moral concepts. In order to stay away from these rumors, he brought Chanel to Paris and opened the door to the fashion empire.
In 1913, Capel sponsored Chanel to open a hat shop on the streets of Paris, designing unique hats for noble women.
Chanel bought obsolete or overstocked hats in department stores at very low prices, and then improved and processed them according to their favorite styles, forming the original Chanel style: simple and elegant, elegant and durable.
After Chanel redesigned the hat, it became very popular in the local area, which also made her feel the joy of owning the wealth she created for the first time. Chanel took advantage of the situation and developed a number of clothing stores in addition to the hat shop.
The fire of love ignites Chanel and Capel. However, Capel’s father did not allow his noble son to marry the humble Chanel.
Ultimately, Capel was forced to marry Diana, the youngest daughter of Baron Ribesdale in England. Although Diana is tall, beautiful, sweet and delicate, Capel doesn’t love her at all, and he soon deeply regrets his reckless marriage.
When Christmas came in 1918, he decided to rush back to Paris in the snow to surprise Chanel. Kappa returned home like an arrow, and drove frantically on Christmas Eve. Unexpectedly, at a street corner, his car slammed into another carriage that flashed out…
Chanel was shocked by the bad news and rushed to the scene. At that time, it happened to be snowing heavily all over the sky, falling like pieces of feathers. At that moment, the world seemed to be still, and Chanel felt that every feather had the figure of Capel…
For a long time after Capel’s death, Chanel was so depressed that she arranged her bedroom in black. In grief, Chanel created a little black dress to honor the love of her life. And it was this little black dress that made Chanel a great success in the fashion industry, making it an eternal synonym for classic and fashion.
In
the winter of 1920, Chanel met Grand Duke Dmitry, a nobleman in exile from Russia. Unexpectedly, she has formed an indissoluble bond with Russia since then! Interestingly, ten years have passed since they first met this time. It turned out that Dmitry and Capel were friends, because of Capel’s relationship, Chanel once had a relationship with him.
Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich is handsome, he is a standard handsome man, and his status is also extremely prominent.
He was the cousin of the last Tsar Nicholas II, Dmitry’s mother Alexandra Georgyevna was a Greek princess, his uncle Prince Andreas and Princess Alice of Battenberg They gave birth to four daughters and one son, one of whom was Philip Mountbatten, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Therefore, Dmitry is Prince Philip’s cousin.
Dmitry went to Paris as a refugee because he participated in the assassination of Rasputin, the most trusted monk of the tsarist couple. When Rasputin was in full swing, he had a large number of fans among the Russian nobles, and he also used healing techniques and prophecies to confuse countless ladies.
Today, Chanel meets Dmitry again!
Kabo is gone, and everything is no longer what it used to be. Chanel lost the company of her beloved and became the queen of wealth in the Parisian fashion industry; and Dmitri also lost her noble status and became an exile abandoned by her family and country. Desperation and loneliness seem to be the triggers of love. The two of them have been through the years, and after going through the vicissitudes of life, a different kind of emotion has sprouted after seeing each other.
They often chat late into the night. Demetrius fled to France, but his royal status could not conceal his extremely elegant speech, broad knowledge and rich experience.
Chanel adores him so much! Her eyes were immersed in the gaze of Grand Duke Dmitry. He was the Tsar’s cousin and one of the assassins who killed Rasputin. He’s more handsome than a movie star! His attire, including hat, buttons and pipe, all showed the high style of the royal family.
In Dmitri’s eyes, Chanel is more beautiful than any of her models. Her short hair, white silk dress and iridescent pearl necklace reflect her sunny skin, which is shining in Dmitri’s eyes. Brighten. They often chat until they forget the time, and regard each other as an “old friend” who can confide in their thoughts.
After a few years, Dmitry was finally able to return to Russia, accompanied by Chanel. Came to Russia, Chanel was shocked. It was a magical country where women, too poor to eat bread, would still go to a play in the theater proudly in their mink coats and sparkling pearls and diamonds.
At that moment, Chanel suddenly understood the reason why Dmitry was still so noble even though he was lonely. Coldness and abundance are gifts from God. The flying stone must be a gemstone that even the pope would be jealous of.
At that time, Dmitry’s sister, Princess Maria, had divorced the Swedish prince. In the conversation with the princess, Chanel got a lot of fashion inspiration from it! Princess Maria, whose life in the palace is too boring, is deeply impressed by Chanel’s independence!
The trip to Russia has been a bountiful harvest for Chanel! One day, when night fell, Chanel was lying in Dmitry’s arms, smelling his unique smell, and she suddenly felt that this pleasant smell became noble. Chanel had a flash of inspiration. Wouldn’t it be very meaningful to make a noble perfume to keep the lover in the form of smell?
She immediately told Dmitry this idea, and Dmitry was moved by Chanel’s affection and talent, and introduced the famous Russian perfumer Ennis to her the next day. Subsequently, Ennis and Chanel worked together to extract benzoic acetate from coal tar and flower juice from jasmine to create a unique, strong and long-lasting perfume. This perfume is the famous Chanel No. 5. As the first synthetic “abstract” perfume, “Chanel No. 5” ushered in a new era of perfumery!
This perfume has been popular since the day it was born. Marilyn Monroe once said: “I only wear Chanel No. 5 when I sleep.” No.
5 perfume eventually became Chanel’s most profitable commodity. Work came to a standstill, but the fragrance kept her on a steady income. During this period, more than 3,000 employees worked for Chanel, and she became a well-deserved fashion queen.
Dmitry did not expect Chanel to be such a talented woman. After the celebration dinner, Chanel and Dmitry strolled through the streets of Paris. A desolate cold wind blows, and Dmitri hugs Chanel tightly.
At that time, pieces of snowflakes fell softly and slowly. Under the street lamp, Dmitri’s chestnut hair at the temples was like the strings of a harp, exuding a faint amber luster. He stared at Chanel in his arms, a snowflake fell lightly like a feather on Dmitri’s curly eyelashes, paused, and then the snowflakes slid down from Dmitri’s deep black pupils.
At that moment, Chanel was fascinated, and Grand Duke Dmitry’s eyes were like shining stars, imprinted on her heart. She wanted to hold Dmitry’s handsome cheek with her hands, but suddenly found that the brooch on her coat was missing!
Chanel was about to search around, but Dmitry hugged her tightly, and then took off a feather from his top hat, and pinned it gently to Chanel’s collar. After a while, the snowflakes were covered with this feather!
Against the backdrop of street lamps and snow, these crystal clear little snowflakes are like lavender diamonds inlaid on feathers! Like a shining feather brooch! As a result, a classic and refined Chanel “feather brooch” also stands out.
The true love of the whole life, the feather continued to write the brooch
fate The love of that night made the always rational Chanel confused, happy and complete! In a trance, Chanel would think of Capel who died in the heavy snow, but Dmitri was by her side, and only he was the most real!
In the deep love of Grand Duke Dmitry, Chanel, inspired by love, is full of inspiration! So Chanel designed the feather from Dmitry’s hat into the brooch. In 1932, Chanel designed a diamond brooch in the shape of a feather.
Like a natural and pristine feather, this brooch is artfully designed with flexible joints. A brooch is the most special piece of jewelry for a woman. It has not even touched a woman’s skin, but it inadvertently reveals a woman’s identity and expresses her pride.
The greatest significance of jewelry is to convey emotions, and brooches can best express or complete this euphemistic wish. Any traditional art form, painting, poetry, relief, etc., can be reflected in that tiny square inch of space.
On the anniversary of her love with Dmitry, Chanel gave him this feather brooch, which also refers to the design of the royal coat of arms, and is set with multicolored gemstones and tourmalines, placed in a red velvet box, Surrounded by old photos of the two.
Seeing the feather brooch in the gift box, the Grand Duke was filled with passion. Chanel herself wore the brooch on Dmitry’s black flannel coat. Dmitri’s unique noble temperament of the royal family, coupled with this brooch inlaid with diamonds, looks even more brilliant! Feather is light and elegant, full of fairytale dreams, it combines with hard jewelry to form a unique style, which is both rigid and soft.
The curved shape of this feather brooch is curved, as sexy and gentle as the lip line of the Grand Duke, full of affection. The bones of this brooch are still made of special metal materials, showing a bit of firm texture in the gentleness.
In 1932, at the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, Chanel exhibited this feather brooch designed for Dmitry. The beautiful diamonds are paved with the outline of flying feathers, and under the embellishment of 8-carat pear-cut diamonds and 2-carat rose-cut diamonds, the perfect combination of lightness and drape texture shocked everyone.
All of a sudden, the critics are raving about this Chanel feather brooch! This feather brooch is on par with the Duke of Windsor’s brooch and Queen Elizabeth’s – two world famous brooches! Chanel designed it because she missed the feathers flying on the brim of her grand lover’s hat; the Queen of England never left the huge brooch because she tried to show the majesty of the royal family; Adding a feminine side to her iron-faced political image.
Women who love brooches have never been easy!
After Chanel’s feather brooch was exhibited, various brooches she designed were brilliant. Inspired by her love affair with Dmitry, she not only added a lot of Russian cultural elements to each work, but also Contains a love story unique to them.
She used the ears of wheat that symbolize good luck, the sun and the double-headed eagle imitating the Russian military medals, and the embroidery texture of traditional Russian blouses and headdresses, and matched them with different colored gemstones and diamonds in various feather shapes. Brooches will be continuously delivered.
Chanel once said: “Even if you are born without wings, it doesn’t stop you from spreading your feathers and flying.” Light and soft feathers are one of the classic elements of Chanel brand design. It is a top hat decorated with colorful feathers. And her love of feathers has always been closely related to Grand Duke Dmitry.
If it weren’t for this unforgettable love with the Russian Grand Duke Dmitry, how could Chanel create those exquisite designs with sharp styles and complex layers? The pure white mist rising by the Neva River and the shining golden amber in the Baltic Sea have become her constant sources of inspiration.
In 1942, at the age of 51, Dmitry died suddenly of chronic tuberculosis. Along the way, accompanied by Dmitry, Chanel has successively launched a series of products such as diamonds, leather bags, shoes, etc., each of which is a subversion of the previous work, a flash of Chanel’s inspiration, but they are destined to be unable to grow old together .
Austrian writer Stefan Zweig once wrote in his first novel “The Love of Erica Wald”: “For women, the brooch is more a symbol than a decoration, because it is the only one of all ornaments. A special case of not having contact with women’s bodies. Even if you are as noble as a queen, you must bow your head humbly when wearing a brooch. At that time, there will often be a slight dizziness, because what you see is yourself in your heart.” Always,
Chanel They are all being their truest selves. In 1971, Chanel, who had lived in the Ritz Hotel in France for nearly 30 years, died suddenly. She was never married all her life, but she just used her own legend to tell the world that a woman can live for herself.
Italo Calvino once said: “Everything that is light will show great weight afterwards.” Chanel’s feather brooch is very light, but it continues to write a legend of eternal weight.
