Inside the atelier on rue Cambon in Paris, every seat was taken. It was February 5, 1954, and Coco Chanel was staging her comeback fashion show. All 200 guests turned up, on time, causing a seating scramble – there were critics crammed in corners and huddled on the floor, at the feet of their rivals. Chanel was in her usual position, crouched at the top of the winding staircase, looking down from above.
For almost a decade, Chanel had lived in semi-retirement, first in Switzerland and then at La Pausa, her bougie bolthole on the French Riviera designed as a retreat for her and her lover, the 2nd Duke of Westminster. After the duke died in 1953, Chanel sold the house and moved back to Paris. There, she met with her old business partners, the brothers Wertheimer, who convinced her to return to work. Chanel was 70 years old, and this was her first collection in 14 years.
For two hours, guests sat in uncomfortable silence watching a parade of Chanel classics – tweed suits, neat blouses – and they were not amused. The French press panned the collection, calling Chanel’s designs out of sync with the current sartorial mood, which favored the high romance of Christian Dior. “How could someone … so totally lose touch with her age and its style?” sneered one.
Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ?  Logg pÄ
Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg pÄ
SHANNEN DOHERTY
The rebellious actor died in July after a nine-year battle with cancer. Zara Wong looks back at the legacy of a woman who always lived on her own terms
IN THE WILDS OF ALASKA
Nature served up a spectacular array of delights, while cruising the majestic waters of the far north.
Back to EARTH
In its earliest days, the farm bred draught horses for export. Now Tasmania's 1840 cottage Leighton House has been restored as a glorious getaway
ODE to LIGHT
Created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian in 2011, Elie Saab's Le Parfum has since gained a cult following and become an industry icon. Here, Sally Hunwick uncovers the origins of the stunning chypre floral scent
JEN ATKIN
The Ouai beauty guru is regularly called on by the Kardashians and a host of other A-listers. Here, she talks about hair, her beauty cupboard and how she keeps up her energy levels
A NEW DIRECTION
When she was 16, Jordan Lambropoulos told her surgeon she'd rather die than wake up with a colostomy bag. Today - 10 years, countless operations and 14,000 Instagram followers later - she's proof that a colostomy bag is not the end. In fact, it can be the beginning of a whole new life
LADY LUCK
RosalĂa takes her accessories as seriously as she takes her art. The Spanish musician spent three years working on her much-lauded album Motomami, finessing the details and perfecting the finishing touches. And when it comes to her outfits, she's no less specific
Wait... superhero movies are cool now?
Who had Emma Corrin and Juno Temple as supervillians on their 2024 bingo card?
CURTAIN CALLING
Brisbane-born star Vidya Makan steps into the shoes of America's founding mother in the long-awaited return of Hamilton
LEIGH-ANNE
The English singer on colourism, freedom and reuniting Little Mix
