I have always been quite partial to watching a documentary in my time. I love real life stories and delving deep into subjects and personalities. However, I got out of the habit of tuning in and got sucked into regular TV shows and especially reality shows lately. Now don't get me wrong, I still look forward to Made in Chelsea on a Monday night (much to my boyfriend's dismay!) but I have also been putting my Amazon Prime to good use and finding some documentaries to watch again.
Two nights ago I found Coco Before Chanel. Now, I am aware this is a film, but it documents and tells the story of Coco Chanel prior to creating her hugely famous brand.
Firstly, if you love fashion, beauty, period dramas or romance then I urge you to check this film out if you haven't already. It is a French production so it does have English subtitles, but this wasn't an issue to me and you become accustomed very quickly.
As a fashion lover, I have always loved Chanel and the elegance of the brand. My ultimate measure of success will be when I can afford a Chanel bag; the most classic black bag to me.
I am especially a fan of the Boy bag....but I have never known much about Coco herself, or Gabrielle as she was born.
After watching her story, I now feel such a connection to her and her journey. She had a difficult upbringing and was in a convent orphanage from the age of 12 when her mother died and her father sent her there. I won't spoil the story for anyone who may want to watch, but the part that touched me the most was the ending.
Coco fell in love with a man whose nickname was 'Boy' and she was his mistress for many years, in fact he funded her first venture into the world of fashion making hats. He died tragically in a car accident, and it broke Coco. However she used her passion and let it drive her into creating what we know today. The beauty in this tragedy is that her love story is within the brand and they live on through Chanel today. If you haven't realised already, the Boy bag is named after that very man, Boy Capel, and the name is still used today. He helped to shape the identity of the brand, believing in Coco and a lot of her designs are based around him and their relationship.
Boy had given Coco a camellia flower as a gift once, which began her love affair with this flower. Anyone who is familiar with the brand will know that the camellia makes a regular appearance still to this day. It evens adorns the beautifully packaged boxes when you buy something.
To me, this story proves that something incredible can be born out of tragedy and that love can live on forever. I think this a beautiful message and one that I hope to carry with me and inspire me on my next venture. I have exciting plans in the pipeline, in which I want to share mine and my mum's journey and keep her alive through my own brand. Stay tuned for more details, but in the meantime check out Coco Before Chanel and believe in the power of love and what it can help us create.
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