Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them.
Coco ChanelRead
Why am I so determined to put the shoulder where it belongs? Women have very round shoulders that push forward slightly; this touches me and I say: 'One must not hide that!' Then someone tells you: 'The shoulder is on the back'. I have never seen women with shoulders on their backs.
Interpretation
Coco Chanel emphasizes the importance of embracing one's natural form rather than conforming to societal expectations.
In this quote, Coco Chanel expresses her fierce determination to celebrate women's natural attributes, specifically their shoulders. She critiques the conventional notion of aesthetics that dictates what is deemed acceptable, advocating instead for authenticity and acceptance of one’s unique physical characteristics. Chanel suggests that true beauty lies in embracing one's individuality rather than conforming to rigid standards.
In practice
Using this quote during a fashion show to highlight body positivity.
Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them.
Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity.
Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable.
You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.
Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress.
Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress.
Moving fashion used to be one of my chief goals. It's not necessarily any more. Fashion needs to change when life changes. You only need to move fashion forward when there's a reason to move fashion forward.
What I do Coco would have hated. The label has an image and it's up to me to update it. I do what she never did. I had to find my mark. I had to go from what Chanel was to what it should be, could be, what it had been to something else.
I work with structure, but I go outside the box and give it my own spin. I adore the challenge of creating truly modern clothes - where a woman's personality and sense of style are realized.
Patrick Demarchelier was the one who got me my first Vogue cover. It was French Vogue - I think in ’87 or ’88. I think I was the first black model to be on the cover of French Vogue, which was shocking to me because when I asked them about it, they were like, "Oh, no. We’ve never had that before."
Something I always look for in an outfit is to have a standout piece.
The little black dress is the true friend...she travels with you...is patient and constant...you go to her when you don't know where else to go and she is ALWAYS reliable and timeless.
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