When I started writing a book set on the French Riviera in the 1930s I wanted to see what real people might have been there that winter. And I discovered that one of them was Coco Chanel. How exciting was that?
I have always been in awe of her because she really invented fashion as we know it today.
When women were wearing corsets and flowing skirts and bustles and frou frou Chanel wore tailored men's suits. Can you imagine the uproar that caused? She made French women what they are today with her simple designs and clean lines. The closest I've ever come to owning anything by Chanel, apart from a bottle of Number 5 perfume, was a high end knock off coat, that I absolutely loved (picture of me wearing it, back in my youth), In my story Chanel is putting on a fashion show combining the masculine and the feminine. Haven't we be doing that ever since?
(the picture shows Chanel with friend Vera Bate Lombardi, who was Queen Mary's illigitimate niece)
This Month of French Fun is to celebrate the publication of Naughty in Nice on September 6th. If you want to read a fun and suspenseful story in which Chanel is a key player, order your copy now.
Nancy Grace Augusta Wake died yesterday. A true heroine of France.
ReplyDeleteSeptember 6th! Yay! September 5th is my 29th wedding anniversary. I will certainly be thinking about Georgie as my husband and I plunge into our 30th year together. :)
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to live (and do classical dance) in Europe and the Middle East right after WWII. She bought a Christian Dior Original - a coat - married my GI dad, came to the States, learned how to drive, decided the coat was too bulky behind the wheel of the car, and re-cut the thing so she could hem it 2 feet higher. Aaargh!! But, looking at the bright side, she could wear it to go grocery shopping...
How chic you look in that ocat. Thought it was a real model.
ReplyDeleteI agree you do look fabulous in that coat. I think my Grandmother, who married right after WW 2, would have looked fabulous in French clothing.
ReplyDeleteI am loving your French series and I look forward to reading Naughty in Nice. I'll be waiting for the Kindle version.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to order my copy in these days, but firstly I have to see how to solve some issues I have at home which are driving me nuts.
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