FLEUR MAGIQUE

The camellia is not just the heart of a fashion empire, but also a precious bloom whose energy and exceptional resilience to bloom during harsh winters have led to the discovery of an ingredient with extraordinary powers

- MEHERNAAZ DHONDY

There are many urban legends surrounding the link between the camellia and the legendary Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, but separating fact from fiction, Coco’s absolute and utter fascination with the camellia goes way back to 1913, with documented images of Mademoiselle Chanel, on the beach of Étretat, France, with her favourite white bloom fastened to her waistband. A House emblem (the flower has appeared in almost all collections including high jewellery lines), the camellia continued to write its own history – this botanical treasure soon became the source of key ingredients of the Chanel beauty business.

Pure Nature

One of Chanel’s most extraordinary projects includes a camellia farm in the village of Gaujacq, south-west of France, between the green hills of Béarn and Adour. Initiated in collaboration with nursery owner and international camellia expert Jean Thoby, the farm houses an exceptional project that includes over 2,000 varieties of the camellia within the botanical conservatory garden. Interestingly, Thoby’s invaluable collection also includes two plants that stem from mother plants that would have been ordered, over a century ago, by Gabrielle Chanel herself. This area of southwestern France was ideal for cultivating this flower, which arrived from Asia by the Tea Road in the 17th century; particularly due to its extremely balanced summer and winter temperatures similar to those of China and Japan, the countries of origin of camellia. The conservatory houses the camellia reticulata (which bears enormous flower son spring), the camellia japonica (native to Japan and whose leaves are shaped like fish tails), and 160 different fall-flowering camellia sasanqua, among others.