The year 2024 is only just beginning, and theoretically the wagon-load of best intentions, ambitious plans and why not, a few new dreams to be realised, with which we usually start the new year, should still be up and running. And I’m sure that fashionistas like me also belong to the category of those who have a goal to achieve, and more than one of them has included on her wish list the desire to leave an elegant boutique, perhaps the one in Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré (Paris is always Paris…), with a black bag on her arm, elegantly wrapped and sealed with a white fabric camellia, the unmistakable symbol of the Chanel maison.

But have you ever wondered why that short century fashion genius Gabrielle Chanel chose this flower as the imprint of the empire she founded?! Originally worn by dandies on their jackets as a manifesto of refinement, the camellia then went down in history as the identifying element of the double-C brand. It is completely thornless, rich in simplicity and purity at the same time, and capable of not losing its petals for long. It is therefore no surprise that mademoiselle Cocò saw in this symmetrical and iconic flower the perfect exemplification of her universe, with its understated elegance and timeless charm.

The French designer began to take an interest in camellias when she was still a teenager, after attending a theatrical performance of Alexandre Dumas’ ‘The Lady of the Camellias’ and it is also said that years later, her greatest love, the nobleman Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel, would give her a bouquet of camellias. She became so fond of them that, in 1923, she decided to use one to decorate the waistband of her chemise Breton, having a preference for the white version as it gave greater luminosity and elegance. This is how Madame Gabrielle’s favourite flower became one of the symbols of the Maison de Rue Cambon.

It comes in a wide range of colours and in a wide variety of fabrics: from chiffon to satin and even feathers and diamonds, following the whim of the imagination and with the certainty of giving and guaranteeing a very sophisticated look. Moreover, by not emanating any perfume Gabrielle is certain to ensure women the freedom to choose their own fragrance to wear (Chanel n°5, ça va sans dire…).

There is a unique place in the world, in the south-west of France, precisely in Gaujacq, entirely dedicated to its cultivation, where one can find two seedlings born from the mother plants ordered by Cocò over a century ago. The camellia is also known as the Chinese winter rose, in fact it blooms in the coldest periods, always a season ahead, just like Gabrielle Chanel and it is no coincidence, or perhaps just irony of fate, that its petals spell out perfect Cs, which intersect to become a double C. It is therefore not a mistake to consider the camellia much more than a simple flower: it is the timeless emblem of CHANEL.