Before Creative Director Virginie Viard departed unexpectedly from her position in Chanel, her Fall 2024 show, presented at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris, took guests on a spiritual journey to Deauville.

The August 2024 issue of Vogue celebrates that connection in images of models Angelina Kendall and Lulu Tenney and actor Abraham Wapler wearing “coolly classic” designs styled by Tonne Goodman and Michael Philouze for images by Malick Bodian [IG].

Deauville, a charming seaside town in Normandy, France, holds a special place in the history of fashion as the birthplace of modern Chanel fashion. It was here in 1913 that Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel opened her first boutique outside Paris. Deauville's affluent visitors and relaxed atmosphere provided the perfect backdrop for Chanel to revolutionize women's fashion.

Coco Chanel introduced a new aesthetic that embraced simplicity, comfort, and elegance — with menswear and the lives of men being a key psychological component in Chanel’s approach to fashion design for ‘liberated’, wealthy women.

Leisure as a signature of wealth surrounded Coco in her observations of Deauville's elite vacationers.

Coco Chanel’s innovative approach to menswear influences in women’s fashion resonated with the town's fashionable clientele, marking a significant departure from the rigid norms of early 20th-century haute couture.

Events seemed perfectly positioned for the birth of one of the most successful luxury brands in the world — and one with great staying power.

As we all know, this idyllic vision of luxury brand building would be tested in not one but two world wars after the opening of Chanel’s shop in Deauville.

Given the global political landscape we are living in today, it’s impossible not to reflect on the courage of both men and women who lived and died across Europe in those two wars — whatever stamp was on their passports.

Chanel Is Spinning Its Brand Tires

AOC has challenged Chanel before to evolve their brand narrative. This aspect of brand sustenance is not understood by many sectors of the luxury market, but Chanel is among the biggest investors in maintaining an often confusing narrative about its brand history.

Choosing Deauville in March 2024, 16 months after Dakar in December, 2022 was an absurd brand story decision for AOC. The decision come off as a statement saying “Don’t anybody panic. We’re back in Deauville, where our roots are deep.”

UNLESS, Chanel wanted to advance, expand, enrich and amend the brand’s script around Coco Chanel.

Anne began writing this critique with one set of beliefs about Deauville. But I always try to remain open-minded about the facts of history. Nor do I believe that life is a series of binary choices. Nuance rocks havoc in almost every binary decision in life.

In Praise of Sisterhood

AOC has written several commentaries on wealthy and/or well-connected white women who supported the French resistance. There is no intention to negate the efforts of women of color sharing documents and stashes of cash alone — or in concert with white women — working together in the French resistance.

Josephine Baker, known as the ‘Creole Goddess’ of France, responded to the start of World War II by becoming a spy for the French resistance.

The reality that in October, 1951 the future Princess Grace [Kelly] of Monaco escorted her close friend Josephine Baker out of New York’s Stork Club, observing management’s treatment of the iconic talent and freedom fighter at her own table, is less well-known.

Stories like this one — women standing together on bedrock principles — existed for Chanel in March 2024. And they happened in Deauville.

Had Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri decided to go to Deauville thematically, when white nationalism is on the move across Europe, America and France, she would have pounced on the historical reality about WWII women of Deauville.

In 1940, the German forces occupied much of the country, including Paris. The Occupation brought about significant hardship and turmoil for the French people, as well as complex moral dilemmas for those in positions of influence.

Deauville Under German Occupation

Deauville, the glamorous town that once epitomized wealth, luxury and leisure, found itself under strict German control. For many residents and visitors alike, daily life became a careful balancing act among forces of avoidance, collaboration and resistance.

Coco Chanel found herself entangled in this web of intrigue and survival.

AOC will print a very public apology in big typography if I am in error with the assertion that Coco Chanel was never praised for her deep ties to the French resistance.

Chanel has taken issue with my first amendment rights years ago, and I choose my words carefully when writing about the brand. I won the argument over a decade ago, flipping the tables by quoting Karl Lagerfeld in an interview with The Telegraph [London]. What more could they say after I quoted him directly!!

The possibility that some wealthy white women who leisured in Deauville — and probably wore Chanel — had connections to the French resistance just popped into my mind while writing.

Uninformed about the possibility, I turned to AI.

The impact and legacy of the French women who participated in the WWII resistance, particularly those with ties to Deauville, are profound and multifaceted. These courageous women not only played critical roles in undermining Nazi operations but also reshaped societal perceptions of women's capabilities and roles in post-war France. Their efforts in espionage, communication, and direct combat challenged traditional gender norms and laid the groundwork for future movements advocating for women's rights.

Spring Cleaning in the Chanel Closet

What a fabulous lost opportunity for Chanel — finding themselves in Deauville for whatever reason — to say little about Coco Chanel but instead celebrate Chanel clients in Deauville. Or workers at Chanel’s shop in Deauville.

With the resources of the brand, Chanel could have arranged a gallery show about their heroism in fighting the Nazis as members of the French resistance.

Yes, addressing the story does create risk that the questions around Coco Chanel’s loyalties and activities could be stirred up. But Chanel decided to strike the match by choosing Deauville in the first place.

Once the deed was done, then get creative. What luxury brand ever went down celebrating the heroism of its freedom-loving clients? Or its own Deauville store staff?

Sponsor five young filmmakers who imagined what went on in those dressing rooms.

AOC has already noted in another article that when a wealthy woman in the Paris club ladies room asked the woman attendant to adjust the boning in her evening dress, it’s very likely that attendant in Deauville — or Paris — was actually removing a wad of cash and instructions hidden in the dress’ internal compartments.

No words were exchanged between the two conspiratorial women.

The women of Deauville — both wealthy and those who led more ordinary lives — performed extraordinary acts of bravery living under Nazi occupation.

They served as couriers, intelligence gatherers, and saboteurs, risking their lives to disrupt enemy operations and support Allied efforts. Their intimate knowledge of the local terrain and social networks made them invaluable assets in clandestine activities.

By leveraging their seemingly inconspicuous positions within society—whether as housewives, students, or professionals—they skillfully orchestrated acts of defiance that significantly hampered enemy advances.

In Deauville's cobblestone streets and quaint cafes, these women exchanged vital information under the guise of casual conversation.

They harbored fugitives and smuggled weapons under the noses of occupiers. Their resilience was not just a testament to their courage but also to their unwavering belief in freedom and justice.

Anne’s quick-research claims assert that today, Deauville honors these unsung heroines with memorials and educational programs that ensure their sacrifices are remembered. With Chanel deciding that they are not worth mentioning, I’ll just have to hunt them down myself. A story to be continued . . .

Peace out. ~ Anne