FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE

There are times when imagination can be stronger than reality—that certainly was the case for Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. She never visited Russia, but the country’s influence can be felt in many of her creations. One can even see this in her apartment at 31 rue Cambon, where a large mirror with a sculpted frame featuring a two-headed eagle depicting Imperial Russia served as an anchor of her living space.

“IT IS THE RUSSIANS WHO HAVE TAUGHT WOMEN THAT IT IS— GABRIELLE “COCO” CHANEL