The jacket: Chanel's eternal icon

Virginie Viard turns to Chanel's ABC for inspiration

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Karl Lagerfeld once said: “There are some things that never go out of fashion, jeans, a white shirt and a Chanel jacket.” And, when one thinks of Chanel, if it’s not the quilted bags, the little tweed suiting or the No.5 fragrance, it’s the interior of 31 rue Cambon, the couturier’s famous maison: of mirrors and a winding staircase, an image as iconic as the fashions of Mademoiselle herself.

“Because it’s such a welcoming space,” confides Chanel creative director, Virginie Viard, who was appointed to the role following the passing of Karl Lagerfeld in 2019 (she had been his right hand prior to that). “I love the huge sofa in beige suede. Karl liked to surround himself with deep divans too. In fact, Gabrielle’s apartment reminds me of Karl’s first apartment that I knew, where one would sit on four-poster beds disguised as sofas.”

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