Art Documentary: Chanel, A Film by Eila Herson and Roberto Gueria

I think the best gifts come as a surprise on an ordinary day, and to my utter delight and wonder, I received a Chanel themed gift which included three films about the life of Coco Chanel.  I randomly chose to view this art film documentary by Ella Hershon and Roberto Guerra called Chanel.

Although I already knew the basic factual elements of Chanel's life, this documentary included interviews with her as well as numerous photos from her archives. There are photos of her many handsome lovers, (and there were many!) In addition, the film includes extensive footage of a young Karl Lagerfeld analyzing Chanel's style using collages that he made from old magazines and newspapers. It was amusing to see him when he was still young, eager to impress and without his many affectations. 

Interspersed through the video are many quotes from Chanel. (If I've made any errors in transcription, they were unintentional.) These are the quotes from Coco Chanel which struck a chord for me:

Fashion is a reflection of the time.


Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.


Simplicity does not mean poverty.


Happiness is something that you sometimes find while doing something else.


Jewelery isn't made to make you look rich, it is there to adorn you.


Let them copy. My ideas belong to everyone.

Only those with no memory insist on originality.


For a woman who had no time for anything other than work and her lovers, she certainly had a lot to say!



Chanel
A film by Eila Herson and Roberto Guerra
Narrated by Diana Quick
Written and Edited by Richard Howorth
RM Arts 1986

Desire

Just around the corner in every woman's mind - is a lovely dress, a wonderful suit, or entire costume which will make an enchanting new creature of her!
Wilhela Cushman

I want to be this enchanting creature from the cover of the Fall 2009 Holt Renfrew catalogue! Ooh la la! Just imagine wearing head to toe Alexander MacQueen....

Three Square Feet of Art

One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art. (Wilde)
Mixed media 12x12.
Copyright of Ingrid Mida 2009 (SOLD)


The truly fashionable are beyond fashion. (Beaton)
Mixed Media 12x12
copyright of Ingrid Mida, 2009


Carelessness in dressing is moral suicide. (Balzac)
Mixed Media 12x12
Copyright of Ingrid Mida, 2009 (SOLD)


In an effort to make something more than just three pretty pictures for the Square Foot Show at AWOL Gallery, I incorporated a witty quote about fashionable dress into my fashion plates. I had no idea that embroidering letters would be so time-consuming and so painstaking. (I ripped out stitches over and over and I still was not able to achieve the level of perfection that I had hoped for.) Nevertheless, I am pleased with the result as the quotes add a level of intellectual whimsy to the work. What do you think?

Square Foot Show at AWOL Gallery
101A Ossington Avenue, Toronto
Saturday, August 15 - September 6, 2009
416-535-5637

Quotes about Hats

Hats by Alexander McQueen, 2008 Collection


At the opening of the exhibition Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Stephen Jones had some insightful comments about hats:

"Hats are a great antidote to what's going on. It's really their purpose to put a happy face on a sad world."

"That's the thing about hats. They're extravagant and full of humour and allow for a sense of costume, but in a lighthearted way."


Here are some other famous quotations about hats:

"Fashion is a kind of communication. It's a language without words. A great hat speaks for itself." (author unknown)

"Saying you don't look good in a hat is like saying you don't look good in shoes!" (author unknown)

"I myself have 12 hats, and each one represents a different personality." (Margaret Atwood)

"I enjoy hats. And when one has filthy hair, that is a good accessory." (Julia Roberts)

"A hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothing and wearing a costume; it's the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it's the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat." (Martha Sliter)

Maybe I will wear that crazy red hat after all!

Please join me on Saturday at 10 am EST for the first Mad Hatter's Tea Party!