Advertising is a contentious medium.  We, the viewers, hate to be manipulated by the avarice of large brands, yet we love to be teased, surprised even delighted by the creativity of people whose job it is to part us from the change in our pockets.  Originally advertising was simple and explicit, even innocent to some extent: ‘buy our products, they’re really quite good.’ With the passing of time, we have become more astute and heightened our expectations. Advertisers have had to raise their game in order to garner ever shortening attention spans of successively resilient generations.

Good advertising is high art in a thirty second glimpse, punctuated with a logo and pithy tag line.  No other medium needs to harpoon our emotions so powerfully and succinctly.  Christmas is a time of tradition and increasingly in recent years, a time for nostalgia.  When the focal point of (a commercial) Christmas is the wonder and excitement felt by children the world over, grown ups too take pleasure from reminiscing about when they were only three foot tall, surrounded by torn paper and chocolate coins.  This is why, without fail the tasteless jingles of Coca Cola and Toys R Us cause a wistful smile at this time of year.

This year one particular advert has captured my attention.  I am talking of course, about Audrey Tautou looking sultry aboard the Orient Express, lusting after a man who is by all accounts not yet hers.  The piece is visually striking in that it is so clearly cinematic: the warmth of its colour palette speaks loudly of extravagance and luxury.  The panning through wide open spaces is nicely symbolic insofar that our two lovers can see no one but each other.  If only all seasonal romances were this captivating.

Audrey’s performance can be viewed here: Chanel 5 Christmas ad.

Do you wear perfume? If you’ve read this blog before then you will see that I do (everyday) and that I’m slighty obsessed with smelling good. I’ve worn perfume everyday for at least the last decade and I think that I will continue to do so. My approach to perfume is a bit scattered and disorganised in that I’ve never really stuck to one scent or brand for more than two bottles (I’m more loyal to shampoo, hair dye and bath foam). This is partly because I am bought perfume as gifts but also because I am seduced by excellent perfume marketing.

Marc Jacob’s Lola Bottle (with the lovely lid) The ad featuring Karlie Kloss

Again, if you’ve read this blog before you’ll have seen the obsession with Lola by Marc Jacobs and that I own the perfume, perfume ring, shower gel and body lotion. It is the first time that I have really thought about sticking to this brand and even buying the massive bottle. And its in no small part because of the really cool bottle lid, advert and website. The added extras to the fragrance make it something that I want to keep on wearing, a trend that I am sure that Chanel No. 5 (whose adverts have featured Audrey Tautou on the Orient Express and Nicole Kidman directed by Baz Luhrmann) Viktor and Rolf’s Eau Mega (with adverts featuring Naomi Watts); Thierry Mugler’s Angel (also featuring Naomi Watts and an amazing bottle), or Dior’s J’ai Adore Dior (with Charlize Theron) have all noticed. I’m not saying that we don’t smell the perfumes first but that the added extras of advertising and bottles help.

Chanel No. 5 Eau Mega Angel j’adore Dior

No longer do most women buy perfume from perfumier’s, now it is from the big fashion houses. I am sure that most designers are glad that Coco Chanel began the trend for fashion designers making scents, as the turnover for perfume is huge as so many of us want a small affordable piece of the designer lifestyle. I do and I smell good. Of roses some may say…

The word “perfume” is derived from the latin per fumum, meaning “by means of smoke”, a practice involving the transformation of a substance into something airborne through nebulisation.  In ancient civilisations, the body and spaces were perfumed by the same method of fumigation, which which was synonymous with “purification”, both for religious and hygiene purposes.

Perfumes didn’t exist in the same way as we know them now.  Originally, flowers, plants and resins were offered to the gods.  Over time more elaborate substances were used to produce more intense aromas, such as suffumigants, oils, balsams and fermented liquors.  They were used as “media for approaching the divine”.

The Egyptian empire is most strongly association with the use of aroma and its cultivation.  They brought frankincense and myrh from Eritrea, storax, cedar, bitumen & galbanum from the East and benzoin, cardamom, cinnamon and pepper from the Far East.

Aromas from woods, resins and incense were the most coveted for fumigation, where the burning of substances resulted in the smoke that reached ” to the realm of the divine”.

Unction was another practice that involved spreading the oil or scented paste on anything that had to be glorified and protected, both within holy places and without.  Eventually scented essences were added to the mortar during construction of mosques so that during the heat of the day, the building seemed mystical as the aromas awakened and permeated the space.  Apparently the eighty mosques of Harar still give off the scent of myrhh!  Spices like cinnamon and musk were also used for this purpose.

It was not until the 18th Century that perfume took on a more commercial form, becoming lighter more floral with the use of rose, lavender and violet and stored in luxurious glass bottles.  By the 19th Century there was a full structure in place  for the development of fragrance consisting of top, middle and base notes.  The top notes – citrus, fruit and spice – are the first impression of the blend.  Middle notes – floral – provide the more lasting aromas.  Base notes – wood, musk and amber – are the lasting impressions of the scent which can remain on the skin for hours.  The is why perfume changes its personality over time from the initial spray in the morning till the end of the day.  Furthermore, it combines with your own natural scent to produce something quite unique that does not smell the same on anyone else.

Essential oils continue to be used by the fragrance industry today, although industry regulation is clamping down on those considering dangerous (toxic and sensitising) – though, on a side note, it seems that more scrutiny is devoted to natural substances than the synthetic chemicals we find in everyday products like baby oil and mascaras, but I digress.

For example, Vanilla has been an essential ingredient in some of the most coveted oriental perfume formulas in the last century.  First use in Jicky (Guerlain1889) was followed by Narcisse Noir (Caron 1912), Shalimar (Guerlain 1925), Old Spice (Shulton 1937), Opium (Yves St. Laurent 1977) & Lagerfield (Lagerfield 1978), Vanillin has also featured in more recent orientals like Joop! Femme (Parfums Joop 1987). Vanillin is also employed in florientals, & in modern perfumes like JP Gaultier’s le Male, & in the class of Vanilla fragrances themselves which were very popular in the mid ‘nineties e.g. Vanilla Fields Coty 1993). Today vanillin is also key material in sweet foody type perfume notes e.g. toffee, chocolate and berry notes, such as strawberry.*

Synthetic versions of the botanical plant essences were developed for a variety of reasons.  Natural materials may become scarce due to poor harvests, making them more expensive, or extinct altogether.  The desire to maintain consistency was a huge factor – each year the crop may produce a slightly different aroma due to growing conditions, or the supply may have come from a  different country where the chemotype produced a distinctly different aroma.   It would be a mistake, however,  to assume that synthetic fragrances are a recent development in the perfume industry.  The first modern perfume to feature synthetic components was Fougère Royale – Royal Fern- by Paul Parquet for Houbigant in 1882.

Guerlain Shalimar was introduced in 1925 and the notes include bergamot, lemon, rose, jasmine, patchouli, opoponax, vetiver, civet, musk, vanilla, iris and tonka bean.  It seems this was a turning point in the history of perfume in the modern age.  Scientific advances during WW2 enabled the creation of even more complex perfume classics like Opium, Chanel No. 5 and 4711.  Coco Chanel re-birthed the notion of the modern woman’s, supposedly insisting that she wanted a perfume smelling of a woman and not of flowers – “women do not want to smell of a bed of roses”.  It is estimated that in the run up to Christmas this year, Chanel No. 5 will sell one bottle every 30 seconds!

As the debate regarding synthetic copies of botanical as well as the safety of using natural botanical goes on, consider the religious origin of your scent and linger for a moment when someone tells you that you smell “divine”.

Source: *http://www.aromaconnection.org

Other sources: Invisible Smells by Anna Barbara and Anthony Perliss, http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com, http://www.nstperfume.com

These two Chanel no.5 ads were always on tv around Christmas time when I was younger, and remain my favourite perfume adverts of all time…perfect for getting into the Christmas mood!

My dough..made with my Grandmother's rolling pin!

Let’s see, let’s see….let us begin with the pie. You know…the apple pie I made from scratch…homemade crust and all( made with a rolling pin hand-carved by my great-grandfather for my grandmother as a wedding gift…so sweet). That sucker was kind of an all day affair. Apple pie is just…..laborious…I don’t know any other word for it. Peeling the apples, coring the apples, slicing the apples, mixing the dough, chilling the dough, rolling out the dough, rechilling the dough, don’t forget to put foil on the edges, make sure the pie is toward the bottom of the oven. Bottom line…it was a very nice pie(should be with two sticks of butter in the crust….Martha recipe), but it wasn’t good enough that I want to go through all that again. Seriously, I could have easily bought an apple pie that good, and enjoyed my day more. The nice gentleman who sat by me at Thanksgiving dinner  judged it for me….he said, “It’s pretty good but I kind of had to scoop it out, so it doesn’t look so good.” Or something like that. I didn’t hit him or even consider it….I graciously agreed, and silently made a pact with myself to never do that again. That was my last from scratch apple pie.

Caught a couple of good films over the weekend….The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock is a winner…hands down, one of the best films I’ve seen in a while. And knowing the story of Michael Oher of the Ravens, made me admire him even more. See it if you had a chance. Also enjoyed Coco Before Chanel playing at the Charles Theatre. Oh so very French, very subtitled, lots of cigarette smoking, alors!! Interesting story about the woman who brought us the LBD(little black dress) and Chanel No. 5,  and the idea that clothing should be comfortable….bye-bye corsets. The film conveniently leaves out Coco’s affair with a German officer during WWII and the German occupation of France(it doesn’t really go that far timewise). Some say she was a collaborator, but she was never charged as one. Did Winston Churchill work behind the scenes in her behalf? Who knows, but she left Paris for Switzerland, as people didn’t feel so kindly towards her. Oh, Coco.

Also made some kicking Red Beans and Rice….made with real Camellia Red Beans, which people from Louisiana say are basic to the real thing(though I’ve used plain old kidney beans to pretty good effect). It’s a classic, that once you’ve made it, you really don’t need a recipe for…I just saute a couple of red and green peppers, lots of onion and garlic…put in a couple of ham hocks, bay leaves, Tabasco and your soaked red beans. Cover with water and simmer away. When the beans are tender, add some sautéed smoked sausage, or andouille  if you’re feeling authentic. Let it cook a little longer, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve over rice. Yummo.

Luxury Goods and Short Films

In an economy that could do without the wants of luxury goods, what marketing techniques will sell these items? I found an article that was created in 2004 about how short films can be used to sell luxury items. The article, written by Peggy Donahue, was written in 2004 and titled “Short Films: The New Luxury Marketing” (Donahue, 2004).  In 2004, this type of marketing may have been able to be considered new to some people, but short films have been around for decades. Marketers know that short films can be used to create emotional appeal with the consumer.

Although I know that short films are not “new” to marketing or luxury marketing for that matter, I still feel that this article is very helpful to marketers trying to sell luxury goods. The example used in the article is the Chanel No. 5 marketing short film. Donahue describes the short film as follows:

“With the television debut of Chanel No. 5’s three-minute “commercial “ mini-movie featuring Nicole Kidman, and directed by Baz Luhrmann, on Nov. 11, the stakes have risen for the way luxury products are marketed, says the Financial Times of London. Chanel’s short “film,” which aired during “ER,” is a quick-cut version of a love story that tells a tale of the most famous woman in the world (Kidman), who flees a horde of paparazzi and jumps into a taxi where she meets a young writer (Brazilian Rodrigo Santoro) so immersed in his own world that he does not know who she is. They share a lost weekend in his garret before she acknowledges her responsibilities and returns to the outside world” (Donahue, 2004).

Donahue said that the perfume was shown at the end of the film and that was the only time it was shown. Marketers created this short film to attract consumers to the short story and hopefully create a sense of emotion in the consumer about the film. The film was created to appeal to women and hopefully make the women get lost in the film themselves. Short films like this are the way that many marketers are reaching audiences today.

Here is the Chanel No. 5 commercial with Kidman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfoMbir_Qd4

References:

Donahue, P.J. (2004). Short films: The new luxury marketing. Retrieved November 28, 2009, from

http://www.professionaljeweler.com/archives/news/2004/111204story.html

Cacharel – NoaCacharel

Paris Hilton – Paris Hilton

Chanel – No.5

Hugo Boss – Hugo Woman

Donna Karan – DKNY Be Delicious

Azi am fost prin magazine si: 1) am vazut Samsung Corby care parca-mi place mai mult decat celalalt Samsung cu touchscreen. Este, ce-i drept, mai micut decat as fi vrut eu, dar de cand am pus mana pe el… s-a facut o conexiune, haha.
2) m-am dat Chanel no 5 la un magazin de parfumuri. Si iar m-am indragostit de o… idee, haha x 2.
Am gasit reclama la Chanel no 5 cu Nicole Kidman pe YouTube si e una dintre cele mai reusite reclame ever. Mai are si poveste, e ca un scurt metraj. Si seamana cu povestea din Moulin Rouge. De cand mi s-a spus la scoala ca seman cu Nicole Kidman, incep sa fiu tot mai interesata de ea. Imi place ca e foarte rafinata, sofisticata…
Of… imi trebuie ceva bani ca sa-mi iau Chanelu’ No 5… Of of, mai mai…

In an effort to get outside of myself and share where it was needed, I volunteered with Little Brothers on Thanksgiving to bring lunch to the elderly and hang out with them.  I did this for several reasons, 1) because I couldn’t make it home for Thanksgiving and I thought giving would be a better use of my time rather than sliding into victim mode, 2) because when I visited my grandmother (who I was extremely close to) in a nursing home the last years of her life it was beyond depressing – even as she went out of her way to make the best of it and put on a happy brave face for everyone else 3) I miss her and I guess a part of me wants to alleviate the isolation of people in her position as an homage to her.  She more than any other human being I have met in my 33 years here thought of others over herself – so in a way I am doing this for her.

It’s not always easy though.  What is easy is to bring a meal to two elderly people in a nursing home one day out of the year.  What followed was not so easy:  hearing their stories and facing my conscience.

The first man I visited was 78 and although physically decrepit, mentally sharp.  He had no children or family in the area.  He lay in bed in a cramped space with two other people sharing his room – neither of whom spoke any English.  He mentioned his son later in conversation and when I tried to clarify which children, he pointed to a picture of a Scottish terrier on his wall.  He has a friend who takes him to church every Sunday and brings her dog with him.  This two or three hours out of his week is the highlight of his week and one of his few opportunities at any substantive human connection.  “That dog loves me so much.  He almost licks my hand off every time he sees me.”  He teared up as he said this and I instantly felt my visit to him was so small.  Don’t misunderstand, he was so truly grateful for my visit – desperate for it actually.  But it occurred to me that to truly alleviate his loneliness this would need to be a regular thing.

We become so busy in our lives and take our mobility and freedom for granted, that it’s so easy to forget or even imagine how it must be to be bedridden in a veritable prison and forgotten with no family.  So while I might be praising myself for doing a simple kindness in an isolated incident, it is not enough.  How difficult would it be to visit him once a week for an hour?  It would be very little for me and mean so much for him.  Granted, walking into a nursing home is no parade.  It is depressing and seeing him in this pain causes a natural reaction of wanting to run the other way.  It is difficult to be there.  Hanging out in nursing homes certainly is not at the top of my list, but the reality of the situation is, any one of us could easily or will easily be in this situation one day.  We will all get old, we are not guaranteed to die in our sleep, our mind may go first or our body – either one rendering us unable to care for ourselves.  What if we don’t have family close by to take care of us, or what if we have no family at all by this age?  What then?  So as I argued with myself as to why regular visits wouldn’t be realistic or possible, I really couldn’t justify a reason not to.  I would want someone to do the same for me.

The other woman I visited seemed to be both physically and mentally sound.  She was a young 68 year old who had been sent here and possibly slipped through the cracks because her only son died two years ago and someone decided she couldn’t be trusted with a stove so sent her off to a nursing home.  I’m not sure which situation was more heartwrenching.  I asked her what she missed and as she complained about the terrible food, she said “Mexican food and….I just want to go out and see a good movie at a theater. ” We talked and laughed and she warned me to stay away from her mean cat who she had brought with her from home and had rescued from a shelter.  Again, I left her room feeling guilty; knowing what I had to do, but not wanting to do it.  Not wanting the responsiblity.  But I cannot forget either one of them.  And I imagine how my visit might have affected them.  They were probably grateful for it but as I left probably wondered, “Will she come back? Will I see her again?” They seemed to me like a couple of orphans (albeit orphans who had lived very full lives) who were in essence saying, “Pick me, pick me.”

Sometimes it is easy to give.  If we have an extra $5 and a homeless person asking for money or food.  It doesn’t take much to help them.  As I try to spiritually evolve and become a better person, the challenge becomes to do those things which are more of a sacrifice.  I would not choose to spend my time in a place that has a heavy cloud of death over it, where it reeks of loneliness and isolation.  I would not be going there to spend the last precious moments of life with my grandmother, listening to her reminisce about my grandfather or just sitting with her on a couch, leaning against her and hugging her, smelling her Chanel No. 5.  I would be going there purely for someone else.  Even to announce that you’re doing volunteer work is not pure giving because you’re receiving something for your Ego.  The highest forms of giving have to be true sacrifices and anonymous.

So as I left this place and became aware of their pain and what was needed, although it certainly is a nice sentiment to have that empathy, it means absolutely nothing unless I do something about it.  And the more resistance I have to do something, the more important it is to actually do it.  I heard somewhere that the right thing to do is almost always the hardest thing or the most uncomfortable. I believe this to be true; now it needs to be put into action.  Awareness is the seed, but without action it means nothing.  We can’t think our way out of problems, we have to be the solution.

Today would have been Isabella Blow’s fifty-first birthday. The fashion icon and former magazine editor made famous by her habit of wearing intensely robust hats, and known for discovering Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chalayan, and models Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant, is this week’s modus operandi. The following personify her brilliance and eccentric spirit amongst some of her most memorable quotes.

“When I die…McQueen says he wants my head, because he wants to wake up one morning and see my lips move, saying: ‘Where are my clothes?’”

Alexander McQueen S/S 2010 RTW

“I do just love breasts. They’re so old-fashioned.”

Agent Provocateur Meteorite Bra

“Fashion is a vampiric thing. It’s the hoover on your brain. That’s why I wear the hats, to keep everyone away from me. They say, ‘Oh, can I kiss you?’, I say, ‘No, thank you very much. That’s why I’ve worn the hat. Goodbye.’ I don’t want to be kissed by all and sundry. I want to be kissed by the people I love.”

“A cheaper and less painful form of plastic surgery.” – explaining her love of hats.

Phillip Treacy Hat A/W 2009 RTW

“It’s not a mad hatter’s tea party. It’s meant to be a sensual, erotic display. You’re there to get a new husband, a new boyfriend, a new girlfriend, whatever. And you can get it. The hat is a means to an end, a marriage contract. It’s everything. It’s a sensual thing – the idea of catching somebody like a spider in a web. It’s the old fashioned cock-and-hen story, the mating dance. Men love hats. They love it because it’s something they have to take off in order to **** you. Anyone can wear a hat.”

“I wear them pretty well every day (hats), but to make myself look better. If I’m already looking ill, I just wear a pair of sunglasses.”

Alain Mikli 30th Anniversary Collector’s Sunglasses

“If you don’t wear lipstick, I can’t talk to you. You need to have lips – they are important for getting men.”

Lipstick Queen’s Red Sinner

It was said she loved to clean her work desk with Chanel N°5

Two biographies on Blow are to be published in 2010. Blow by Blow: The Story of Isabella Blow, is co-written by Detmar Blow, Isabella’s husband of 18 years, and fashion writer, Plum Sykes’ brother, Tom Sykes, who met Isabella at 20 when Plum was her assistant at Vogue. The other is written by Lauren Goldstein Crowe, author of The Towering World of Jimmy Choo, and former Portfolio.com fashion blogger.

Fashion Television’s Tribute to Isabella Blow

Happy Birthday Issie! You are missed.

I’ve been a fan of Audrey Tatou eversince I saw her in the quirky film, Amélie (a.k.a Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain).

Audrey Tatou plays Coco Chanel in the biopic Coco avant Chanel so who better to hawk the world’s famous perfume on behalf of the fashion powerhouse?

The ad is directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who also directed Amélie. Her co-star is the yummy Travis Davenport. Oh, be still, my heart!

Background music from one of my favourite voice of all time, Billie Holiday’s I’m a Fool to Want You. I think it’s because I grew up watching The Godfather with my dad, so I always love the smoky-olden-days effect.

Enjoy!

xoxo Gloria

Another edition of Did you know…The sometimes brutal, sometimes trivial, always interesting facts about the lovely city of Paris from @Parishideaways:

Did you know…the motto of the French republic is ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité’ meaning “liberty, equality, brotherhood.”

Did you know…though 20,000 light bulbs light the Eiffel Tower, the nickname ‘City of Lights’ comes from the intellectuals in 19th Century.

Did you know…There is no Chanel 1-4: Chanel 5 was coined because the perfume was launched in 1921 on the fifth day of the fifth month.

Did you know…the word denim derived from “Serge de Nimes”, fabric from Nîmes, southern France.

Did you know…the Guillotine executed 40,000 during the Revolution incl King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette – abolished in 1981.

Did you know…Paris comes from the Parisii tribe comes from the Celtic Gallic word parisio meaning “the working people” or “the craftsmen.”

Ok, maybe I am not really the most stylish girl. My clothes tend to be black and baggy. I know, I know, I’m workin’ on it. But I am pretty up to date when it comes to my makeup drawer and my perfume collection. Well, I try, anyhow. And yesterday when I put on my new Chanel lip color, I was overcome with the intense desire to dab on some No.5. I bought my first bottle of Chanel No.5 when I was sixteen. It wasn’t just that I loved the scent, but also I was frustrated with the current trends: Electric Youth by Debbie Gibson, smelling of watermelon Jolly Ranchers, and Coty Exclamation, a general affront to the senses. There were so many others, most I’ve mercifully managed to forget. But I knew that I wanted something real, not another flash in the pan. I was beginning to see that a person can leave their mark on this world, and I wanted a scent that was iconic, not something that smelled like strawberry Glade. So I bought the precious bottle of Chanel No.5 parfum. I didn’t know that it was formulated with synthetic components called aldehydes; never would I have believed that something composed of synthetic elements could smell so lush. What did I smell? After a few years of wearing the parfum, I had time to break down why I loved it so much. Above all it is a grand floral.  The top notes are ylang ylang and neroli, which lead to the heart of the fragrance: jasmine and rose. This is the part, the middle notes, that resonates with me so strongly. Of course the base is lovely as well, with sandalwood and vanilla, but not having lost all the elements of the top and middle notes. They’re still there. So lush I can’t help being amazed and in love, every time I wear it. If I had diamonds, I would wear them with this parfum. As far as the mark I want to leave on the world, that’s still evolving, but it’s a far cry from what I envisioned at the age of sixteen, when i accidentally spilled half a bottle of Chanel No.5 on my bedroom rug. My room smelled like heaven, for a little while. I am left now with a somewhat sad understanding of aldehydes and wondering if I leave my mark, will anyone see it…?

With a change in seasons comes the change in scent. You can literally smell the change in leaf color. It is only logical, then, that we begin to think about changing our signature scent. It’s a universal theme that isn’t necessarily a petite challenge, but there are two designer perfumes that I love, and there is commercial for one of them that does feature a petite lady:

Chanel No. 5, the classic, elegant scent that has had multiple spokeswomen in the past years, but none more perfect than the current: Audrey Tautou. How can you not love the ad? Audrey Tautou brings the charm she showcased in Amelie – complete with fabulous clothes, beautiful scenery and, of course, the man-who-is-tall-dark-and-handsome. The fact that the ad was directed by the same director as Amelie says a lot. Granted, I don’t wear Chanel No. 5. But I have done my time at perfume counters and love it. The scent includes hints of ylang ylang, neroli, jasmine and vanilla. I admit to loving anything Chanel and to wearing, and loving, Chanel Chance.

Burberry Brit Perfume

I have long loved Burberry Brit. I wore it every day (or at least close to it) for nearly four years. It was my signature scent. My first signature scent. I love it because it’s not really that fruity, even though it does have fruit hints in it. I think of it as a little bit young, a little bit fun and a lot of elegant. The major ingredients in this scent are almond, peony, amber, mahogany and vanilla. It is perfect for every season. Very light, very easy to wear and you will get many, many, many complements. Even today, when I’ve moved on to another scent, there are still the times when the only scent that I want to wear is a little Burberry Brit.

What was your first signature scent?

A Plus,

Petite et Belle

Classic: ‘A classic is something that has been judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality, a work of art of established value’. 5 Classic Perfumes are:
Shalimar by Guerlain (1925):

Chanel No 5 by Chanel (1922):

Je Reviens by Worth (1932):

Joy by Jean Patou (1930):

Heaven Sent by Dana (1936):

Check out this article Beauty and Fragrance: classic perfumes still made today

Coco Before Chanel starring Audrey Tautou (Amelie) and directed by Anne Fontaine, another lady director (!), is coming out September 25, 2009 in New York and L.A.  This film focuses on the fashion icon before she became the perfume bottle that nearly every grandmother in America has on her dressing table.  Before she made Audrey Hepburn so chic every girl wants to emulate her (including Lily Allen).  Before Jackie Onassis set the standard for graceful style in a Chanel suit, paving the way for the fashion forward and opening up a space for our dear Michelle O.    Imagine that! A woman with a dynamic life!

This biopic portrays Gabrielle ”Coco” Chanel as a George Sand, a Frida Kahlo, a “free woman” as Doris Lessing would put it, wearing men’s clothes bucking tradition and convention all around her.  Ironically enough, she has become just that – conventional; failing to attract the likes of youth and instead, being forever the mainstay of fierce grandmothers.  Her house of style is the epitome of modern sophistication with a touch of Old World class.  No longer edgy, no longer daring, but, in fact, quite safe.  Her style has somehow become timeless and classic.  That elusive feminine grace of the women who wore Chanel has been so deftly applied to the hard lines of the men’s suit in its many variations over the years.  While the turn of the last century seemed to be a pretty vibrant period for Western women coming out and establishing themselves, sartorially, politically, and personally this film is a celebration of the American dream.  A rags-to-riches story of a woman who  never marries and achieves ultimate success.

It just does not get any better than Chanel.

what are you wearing?

Nu am un frate sau o sora deci nu cunosc dinamica dintre frati. Am in schimb o verisoara mai mica care se poarta asa de dragut cu mine, iar eu nu stiu de ce ma port…adica nu ma port urat, dar nici nu o bag prea mult in seama. Am incercat sa ma bag in pielea ei asa de bronzata in comparatie cu a mea care e alba ca varul. Plus ca aseara nu puteam sa dorm din nou.

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                                           Marti, 08.09.2009, 02:14

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Iar daca fratele meu, Gabriel, era febletea mamei, sora mea mai mare, Brianna, era dragostea bunicii din partea mamei. In primult rand ca Brianna si mama semana ca doua picaturi de apa: inaltime, trasaturi, degete de la picioare, voce, privire, ticuri verbale. Amandoua adorau acelasi parfum- Chanel No. 5. Brianna are douazeci de ani si este studenta la Belle Artes-violoncel. S-a mutat de la noi imediat ce a terminat liceul intr-un apartament chic din centru. Are o viata sociala foarte activa din cate imi dau seama. Este o victima a modei si a urbanului si probabil singura persoana care reuseste sa mearga pe tocuri de zece centimetri fara sa scoata un sunet si care poarta Chanel No. 5 ca o a doua piele.

De obicei cand sentimentul de vinovatie devenea insuportabil, aparea in pragul usii cocotata pe tocurile ei Prada, in costumasul ei de la Burberry, mirosind discret a Chanel No. 5 si manca pranzul cu noi. In mod surprinzator, nimeni nu se atingea de mancare, ci statea si o asculta absorbit de vocea ei sasaita si de miscarile fluide ale mainilor care pareau ca se creau una pe cealalta. Si in atmosfera plutea aroma de Chanel No. 5. Povestea nimicuri pe care probabil ca le uita imediat, dar pe care eu le am memorate pana si acum. Ori ne scotea pe mine si pe mama in cele mai sofisticate locuri. Tot timpul dupa ora opt, tot timpul undeva nou. O priveam cum sorbea Cosmo ca si cum ar fi fost ambrozie in timp ce eu ma consolam cu o sticla de Cola de doua sute cincizeci de mililitrii la pretul ridicol de trei euro. Iar mama ii povestea totul bunicii entuziasmate la telefon. Tresaream cand ocazional era mentionat si numele meu.

Ceea ce mi se pare de neconceput era faptul ca in ciuda stilului de viata pe care il avea; in ciuda dragostei si admiratiei pe care o primea pe merit, Brianna era foarte nefericita. Nu pot sa pun egal intre nefericire si tristete. Nefericirea este mult mai acuta pentru ca atunci cand esti nefericit incerci sa pari vesel, plin de elan, implinit, iar asta o sufoca pe dinauntru. Reusea sa pacaleasca pe toata lumea, dar pe mine nu. Era prizoniera propriilor ganduri si insecuritati precum acea pasare in colivia deschisa cu greutatea legata de picior. Cred ca singura care o poate intelege este mama. Brianna nu avea nevoie de intelegere. Avea nevoie de admiratie, de incredere si mai presus de toate de dragoste. Vroiam sa i le ofer pe toate daca m-ar fi lasat. Recunosc, ea si Gabriel au fost favorizati, iar ea a fost alintata mai presus de oricare. In ciuda acestui lucru, pe care mentionez ca nu m-a afectat deloc, a pastrat o anumita distanta fata de mine si ma trata cu raceala.

Am mai zis, nu era nevoie sa o inteleg, dar vroiam sa ma lase sa o iubesc, aveam nevoie sa o iubesc, dar ea nu ma lasa. Era bine si asa. O admiram numai, in rochita ei retro albastru de Tiffany’s & Co. si Chanel No. 5.

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Chiar ieri sau alata ieri seara, cand o transcriam pe Catherine face mama “Oare ce scrii tu acolo e de calitate?” Am zambit si i-am rapsuns. “Nu. Conform curentelor literare de azi e plictisitoare, nu as scoate bani de pe ea. Dar e ce mi-ar placea sa citesc.” A dat din umeri si s-a dus sa se utie la TV.

They’ve all discovered the beauty of Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune and brought it to a variety of new audiences.  Whether you’re a teenage girl, an arty student or a fashionista, there’s no escaping the power of Debussy’s beautiful melody.

I have no problem admitting that many of my favourite pieces of classical music came to me through modern populist means and Clair de Lune is one of them.  I first remember coming across it in the early 1980s and I didn’t like it at all. Then it was introduced to me again in recent years and I realised the error of my ways. It’s a fantastic piece of music. Even with solo piano, it has such passion and beauty, it is amazing.

It is because of this passion and beauty it remains so popular with artists in the modern age.

Stephanie Meyer, the celebrated author of the Twilight book series, makes reference to the music in the book Twilight and the reference and music appear in the film.  Take one look at the number of Twilight/Clair de Lune montages on youtube and it’s clear that the music has taken hold with that generation.

Wes Anderson also uses Clair de Lune as a backdrop to a poignant moment in his film The Darjeeling Limited.  The quirky comedy and intellectualism of Anderson’s style of cinema attracts a very different audience to that of the average Twilight fan but they are equally susceptable to Debussy’s charm.

And finally there’s the Chanel No. 5 commercial with Nicole Kidman, directed by Baz Luhrmann.

To break the stereo type with myself, I don’t fit into the architype follower of any of the above but I am a fan of all three all the same.  However I must confess it was Baz Luhrmann’s genius aesthetics that first won me over to the magic of Clair de Lune.  How could I resist the crafted camerawork, the fabulous Karl Lagerfeld dress, Nicole’s radiance and the indulgent beauty all round. It’s the ultimate fantasy of a Romantic like me.

It’s only a matter of time before Clair de Lune lends its passion to popular culture once more..