By Julia Szabo
Seaside culture is as integral to the Chanel brand as those inimitable interlocking C’s: Early in her meteoric rise, a French couturiere by the name of Mademoiselle Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel opened shops in the chic French resort meccas of Deauville and Biarritz. And so, it’s perfectly fitting for the maison Coco built to have a presence on New York’s elegant East End. Open since May 22, the Chanel Hamptons Ephemeral Boutique brings to East Hampton a singular experience of immersive fashion.
Even beyond the luxuries of the collection itself—from Coco’s signature quilted pattern on 18K beige-gold earrings and cuffs, some taking the shape of her iconic numeral 5, to an ivory triangular handbag with quilted stitching and goldtone chain straps, to luxuriously loose denim trousers equally perfect with a red-and-blue tweedy tailored jacket or a white T-shirt, the boutique offers customers an opportunity to become collaborators in a legendary creative continuum. Chanel customers don’t just carry an iconic logo; they continue a tradition founded on Mademoiselle Coco’s core values of practicality, longevity and style that both sets and outlasts trends.
The boutique’s complete and unique range of services highlights “Chanel & Moi,” inviting customers to bring in treasured items from seasons past for an expert tuneup with, according to the brand, “a set of tailor-made services designed to repair, restore and bring back shine to Chanel creations.” Voila: a valuable teaching lesson in how to take a heritage brand into its next century, and the one after that, with no unwanted signs of age—in short, how to make the ephemeral, eternal.
Top of mind for all Chanel personnel, from boutique fashion advisers to the house’s acclaimed artistic director, Matthieu Blazy, is the absolute belief that every item bearing the house’s label—from the little black dress to the littlest leather good—is a treasure well worth every effort to extend its wearability as part of the customer’s wardrobe in motion.
Shannah Stern of Sag Harbor is the proud owner of several pairs of Chanel heels, her favorite being an ivory/black slingback, its black toe cap topped with Coco’s ivory camellia flower. Like the Chanel team, Stern appreciates icons, authenticity and expert preservation. She heads the Bert Stern Trust, the archive of her late photographer husband, renowned for his portraits of Marilyn Monroe, arguably the world’s most famous fan of Chanel No. 5 parfum. Not wanting to chafe the lovely flower-topped shoes with too much wear, Stern has kept them safely boxed. Now, with the Hamptons arrival of “Chanel & Moi,” she feels confident taking her cherished shoes out on the town all summer long: “I’m so excited to wear my favorite Chanel heels again!”
Chanel Hamptons Ephemeral Boutique, 17 Newtown Lane, East Hampton; chanel.com
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