Discover Coco Chanel’s Paris

With or without that dream Chanel handbag on your arm, you can feel closer to Madame Coco Chanel, the icon synonymous with French chic and inventor of the essential Little Black Dress, with every step around her former Paris haunts.

Born on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, in the north-west of France, Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, nicknamed Coco, might not have been a native Parisienne, but she and the city of Paris will forever go hand in hand.

To discover the city in her footsteps, so to speak, start with a sip of chocolat chaud in regal surroundings at Angelina on Rue de Rivoli, which always has a queue outside. Living and working in this epicenter of fashion during her career, Coco Chanel too was partial to the sweet delights offered at Angelina, just steps away from her atelier on Rue Cambon, and from her apartment in the Ritz Paris.

From the tearoom, turn right and walk over to Rue Cambon, where between number 19 and number 31, you’ll find Chanel heaven: the luxury label’s enormous flagship store. Upstairs, the ateliers feature fitting rooms for both the rich and famous who can afford haute couture. This is also where the magic happens as models fit the latest collections for the Paris fashion shows.

Coco Chanel opened her first boutiques in Deauville on the English Channel in 1913, and in Biarritz in 1915, with an investment from Arthur Edward ‘Boy’ Capel, said to have been the love of her life. Both boutiques quickly became hugely successful, and Madame Chanel soon repaid her loan and made her first property purchase. In 1918, the building at number 31 became the first in Chanel’s real estate portfolio, which eventually stretched to some five properties on Rue Cambon alone.

At number 31 Rue Cambon, she maintained a private apartment with a famously mirrored staircase — featured in a recent couture show— as well as ornaments such as gilded mirrors, a tiny birdcage, and a chandelier decorated with the camellia flower, very much a Maison Chanel trademark. These and other personal items continue to inspire the designers at the helm of the fashion house. Sadly, the apartment isn’t open to the public.

After a dreamy spell at Maison Chanel, explore the rest of the neighborhood, from Rue des Capucines and Rue de la Paix, making your way toward the wondrous Place Vendôme. Lined with exclusive jewellery stores, the square is dominated by the bronze column originally erected by Napoleon I. But the true jewel in the crown of this square is the Ritz Paris, the prestigious hotel that has played host to the rich and famous from around the world since 1898.

For reasons unknown, Coco Chanel decided in 1937 to leave her apartment in Rue Cambon and take suite 302 at the Ritz Paris. She stayed there for 34 years until her death on January 10, 1971. Today, the original Coco Chanel suite has morphed into suite 202, one floor lower than the original to allow a better view of the Vendôme Column. It was also redesigned by the late Karl Lagerfeld, who had helmed the fashion house for 36 years, with Chanel’s favorite themes in mind. A night in the Coco Chanel Suite will set you back around €18,000; a less pricey alternative would be a glass of champagne in Salon Proust downstairs. After all, Chanel was quoted as having said: “Je ne bois du champagne qu’à deux occasions: quand je suis amoureuse, et quand je ne le suis pas. (I only drink champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not.)”

Back on Rue de Rivoli, pop into the Musée de la Mode et du Textile, part of the Arts Decoratifs museum housed in the Louvre Palace. The museum specializes in all things regarding fabric, fashion and design. Chanel’s iconic designs form part of the history of French fashion timeline on display, showing off quite how radical and fresh her designs were for the time.

Steps away from the museum lies the Jardin du Palais Royal, and at the back of the green courtyard lies the Belle Epoque restaurant Le Grand Vefour. Unaltered for some 200 years, it was not only Napoleon and Josephine’s local dining spot, but also one of Coco Chanel’s favorite restaurants in Paris.

Still on Rue de Rivoli, wander through the Tuileries Gardens, where one can easily imagine Madame Chanel sitting on a bench under the trees, steps away from her studio. Walk up the Champs-Elysees past the magnificent roofs of the Grand Palais— where to this day, Maison Chanel holds their imaginative fashion shows— to the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. You may have caught a ballet in the lovely Art Deco theatre before, without realizing that Coco Chanel once designed costumes for the ballet show Le Train Bleu performed in this very theatre. So, without doubt, she was once in the audience as well.

Coco Chanel’s Parisian life revolved around a few square kilometers in the heart of the city, where Paris’ timeless appeal lies. This part of Paris is an irrefutable part of Chanel’s DNA in the way Madame Chanel’s life and art continue to add vibrance to the city. As the formidable designer once said, “La mode se démode, le style jamais. (Fashion fades, only style remains.)” And that is true for Coco Chanel’s everlasting vision and worldwide appeal as it is for the beautiful city of Paris.

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