Coco Chanel signed vintage charms designed into pendant necklaces by jeweler Renee Hafeman.
About Renee Hafeman jewelry designer:
“Growing up, my grandmother would pull out her jewelry box, take each piece out one-by-one and explain in detail what it was, where it came from and why it was so special to her. This developed my love of antique and vintage jewelry. I started to think of how many treasured pieces are sitting in drawers and jewelry boxes, many handed down, some outdated, some broken and others, just put away because they didn’t match anything you wore. I decided enough of that! Let’s dig out those pieces and give them new life. As I design, I pray over my work that whoever wears this piece, may be blessed in some way. I thank God for blessing me with this creativity and passion.”–Renee Hafeman
Just in! CoCo Chanel purse charm designed as a pendant necklace by Renee Hafeman.
Q: What’s trending in jewelry, you ask?
A: “One reads a lot about the returning of a sense of vintage glamour. Those that are hyper active and vogue seem to be embracing the resurgence of elegant jewelry. The millennial new age nomads are returning to family oriented keepsakes. Full of vibrance, in effect, this trend is as much treasured vintage as it is contemporary.”– Denise Fairweather, Allied member A.S.I.D., American Society of Interior Designers/ Fairweather House and Gallery
Please visit http://www.fairweatherhouseandgallery.com for more information about the regional artists and artisans featured in the gallery.
Q: Who was CoCo Chanel, you ask?
A: Fashion designer Coco Chanel, born August 19, 1883, in Saumur, France, is famous for her timeless designs.
In 1969, Chanel’s fascinating life story became the basis for the Broadway musical Coco, starring Katharine Hepburn as the legendary designer. Alan Jay Lerner wrote the book and lyrics for the show’s song while Andre Prévin composed the music. Cecil Beaton handled the set and costume design for the production. The show received seven Tony Award nominations, and Beaton won for Best Costume Design and René Auberjonois for Best Featured Actor.
Coco Chanel died on January 10, 1971, at her apartment in the Hotel Ritz. She never married, having once said “I never wanted to weigh more heavily on a man than a bird.” Hundreds crowded together at the Church of the Madeleine to bid farewell to the fashion icon. In tribute, many of the mourners wore Chanel suits.
A little more than a decade after her death, designer Karl Lagerfeld took the reins at her company to continue the Chanel legacy. Today her namesake company is held privately by the Wertheimer family and continues to thrive, believed to generate hundreds of millions in sales each year.
In addition to the longevity of her designs, Chanel’s life story continues to captivate people’s attention. There have been several biographies of the fashion revolutionary, including Chanel and Her World (2005), written by her friend Edmonde Charles-Roux.
In the recent television biopic, Coco Chanel (2008), Shirley MacLaine starred as the famous designer around the time of her 1954 career resurrection. The actress told WWD that she had long been interested in playing Chanel. “What’s wonderful about her is she’s not a straightforward, easy woman to understand.”
