G abrielle Chanel was allured by the camélia. With no fragrance or thorns, it is a flower of simplicity
and purity, much akin to the ethos of Mademoiselle.
Compared to the opulence of a rose, she preferred
the camélia’s elegant and geometric roundedness,
with a classic and consistent ordering of the petals,
intelligible yet beautiful, like the woman that she was.
Above, in 1913, on the beach of étrate, France, was photographed with a camélia
fastened to her waistband — a white camélia that became one of her emblems.
With her taste for opposites, she would wear
it in stark contrast against a little black dress.
Soon, it would adorn clothes, bags, shoes,
and bloom in rubies, diamonds and pearls,
BOUTON DE CAMÉLIA RING 18K yellow gold, diamonds
transcending its status of flower to become the
icon of CHANEL.
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