Coco Chanel started her career in fashion as a milliner, striding to success with her couture clothing collections, a diamond jewelry line “Bijoux De Diamond,”, two boutiques in France, and her eponymous fragrance Chanel No.5. (My mother wore the eau de toilette when I was growing up in the late sixties.) Coco had two careers, placed between two wars, but Coco’s success was not to waiver. Her response to changing fashion after World War II was to be the first designer to use cotton jersey in women’s clothing and jackets. Fashion, style and cotton jersey had been changed forever. Black, white and beige were the palette of these simplistic ‘men’s style’ jersey pieces, and they needed bold jewelry. Coco would not disappoint.
Coco’s inspiration for her costume jewelry brewed from the jewels of Russian Royalty, the long cascading layers of gold chains and Baroque crosses, enormous colored sapphires, rubys and emeralds from India and layers of artificial pearls, the gem of a true lady. Coco wasn’t the first to produce charm bracelets and jeweled belts, but she transformed the notion of costume jewelry and paved the way again for her own success.
“If you want to start a collection, start with a brooch because you will find most use for it. It can be pinned on a suit lapel, collar or pocket, on a hat, belt, or evening gown.”
Coco Chanel
The spring line is hip, timeless and collectable… just as Coco would have wanted it to be.
Chanel jewelry Blog 