I didn't belong here. Or at least I only felt that way until a guard confirmed it. My friend and I approached the door, pulled it, but it didn't budge. I am unaccustomed to locked businesses during business hours, but the again I don't usually frequent places with hundreds of millions of euros worth of inventory. Face unflinching, the Reservoir Dogs dressed guard walked over to the door and pushed a button from the inside and voila, it opened. However, the guard was still blocking the entrance. He laconically asked 'if we had business here' (en français bien sûr), which we did. His dubious look that followed wasn't at all shocking as I was dressed in sneakers, shorts and a t-shirt and was with a teal-haired compatriot, but it was nevertheless obnoxious. Slightly annoyed by letting Riff-Raff enter, he passed us to another guard who took us to our meeting.
The amount of detail that goes into each product, into each client meeting, is unrivaled (although Cartier may beg to differ). Even their 'toys' were astonishing. They have a 'book' that is projected onto a table and simply by waving your hand in one direction or the other, the page will turn. It makes a Kindle look barbaric. Another interesting toy was a three-paneled mirror that has a built in electronic display screen. The purpose is so clients can see how jewelry (that has yet to be made) will look on them. Artistic renderings are displayed through the mirror and it appears as if the client is wearing the piece.
The toys were nice but the architecture was breathtaking. In traditional Parisian style, the handrails in the stairwell had a gold leaf facade and the cascading twenty foot chandelier was a marvel to see. Even the wall panels were upholstered in suede. I wanted to rub my face along the velvety leather like a cat in heat, but somehow I thought this would be in poor taste.
Chanel was a great place to explore and I'm happy to have had the privilege. It is definitely a five star place to a five star person, but alas I am not a five star person. The level of refinement and class is so great that I felt uneasy. That isn't Chanel's fault, but since i wasn't comfortable I can't give it five stars. Thank you Madam Chanel. It was truly a pleasure to see what the best can do. read more