It has taken me a lot of my life to accept that I am just not much for fashion or designer things. But, it only took me two hours to learn that I am everything for Coco Chanel.
On Thursday, I got to sub the first half of the morning for a high school French class, which was a dream opportunity. This is why I was a little disappointed that the first two classes, which were French 2, were just watching a movie in English and taking video notes. I did welcome them and take attendance in French, but they didn't understand enough for me to explain that we would be watching a video and taking notes. (What is this, amateur hour?!)
The video was a documentary on Coco Chanel, which, although it was in English, featured some archived video footage of interviews with Madame Chanel, which were in French and subtitled in English. I was eager to pass along the smallest amount of wisdom I had, so I would pause the movie after a French interview, ask them if they could pick out the French words being spoken, knowing the English subtitles were there, and even though they couldn't, I would point out les bijoux meant "jewelry," la mode meant "fashion," and la robe meant "dress" and rewind and try to have them listen for these and start training their ears to listen to French. Because of this, I was glued to the video and listening intently for any opportunity to teach, but instead because so enthralled by Chanel. This woman was ridiculous...!
First of all, she began to have a big rivalry with a new designer from Italy, and the video said that Coco Chanel never once spoke her name, but simply referred to her as "The Italian."
She rambled on and on in an interview talking about how a woman who doesn't wear perfume is trashy, and arrogant, because she assumes her own natural musty smell is sufficient, and better than the perfume options available.
She had a long romance with the Duke of Westminster, and it was apparently well-known that he ended their relationship because he needed to have kids and she was 46, but she vehemently maintained that she ended the relationship and was quoted as saying "There have already been two duchesses of Westminster, and there will always only be one Coco Chanel."
Chanel always encouraged wearing fake jewelry. If we wear silk flowers so they don't wilt in an hour, what's the difference with fake jewelry? She said that jewelry was meant to adorn you, not to make you look rich, and that was not the same thing. Then she said (and this is a direct quote translated into English): "I have also set out to deflate certain people" and then described those who go out draped in diamonds, and how tacky they are.
She said that she SET OUT to deflate people! Here I am listening to the video, my jaw dropping, and my class sat there silently with their cheeks resting on their fists and the glow of the TV reflecting on and off their shadowed faces and eyes, completely stoic. Were they not hearing this?! Coco Chanel was unreal! Did they already know? Was I just the last to find out?
I am so fascinated by crazy, bitchy people, and I don't know why! It's not like I want to be them, because I don't appreciate exaggerated egos and the lack of empathy that seems to accompany them, but God Almighty there's something so funny to me about someone so feisty, who fight this heartbreaking world by becoming overly confident and self-assured.
Even as I sub, I learn things too.
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