I appreciate your video but it’s important to stress that Coco Chanel was legitimately a Nazi sympathizer and not dismiss her as simply “ wanting to be on the winning side” (which is also truly abhorrent anyway) In a time when big fashion houses were standing up to the Nazi occupation; Coco was silent and from all accounts aiding and abetting the Nazi regime.
THIS. Antisemitism is at an all time high since the Holocaust and it’s disturbing to say the least how people slap Nazis and white supremacists on the wrists for assimilation of ethnic groups.
Ikr, and most of their designers that isnt the current person have been problematic, cuz chanel and karl are actually super problematic cuz like islamophobia for karl plus anti semetism for chanel for example
Whatever her true intentions were, honestly, I would probably do anything aswell to get my loved ones out of a concentration camp… I guess if it’s true that this was her reason I could empathise with that
I’d love to hear a deep dive about some of these mega beauty brands like L’Oréal and Estée Lauder. How they started and how they became the huge conglomerates today
Oooh, great suggestion. I remember reading that L'Oreal still tests on animals and I have no idea if this is true but I kind of feel like there should be no excuse for that anymore. I would love to hear more. Yes please!
I know this isn’t so focused on the beauty side of the brand, but I’m surprised there was no mention of the advent calendar they put out in December. Over $800 and they had 4 days of stickers. To be fair, the items were listed so you could see what you’d be getting prior to purchasing, but the sheer audacity to even put a product like that out and then wonder why people were calling them out is wild to me.
I tend to read things incorrectly and I literally thought this said "the rise and fall of my channel" and I was like bish whatchu mean fall SHE IS ONLY RISING🌟👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 but also that would be so meta
I studied fashion history while I was in fashion school. You were so spot on with this video :) just a few things: 1. It’s highly important to mention that Coco was responsable for the iconic “LBD” (the little black dress) than marked a huge milestone in 20s fashion and 2. Karl Lagerfeld didn’t take over as artistic director immediately after Coco. There was a small gap between 1971 and 1983 where various other designers led the brand from haute to ready to wear.
Also, he was increasingly irrelevant before he died and the brand didn't decline after being handed off to his protege. I'd argue both Chanel and Fendi died (after a slow decline) in 2012.
However the 1971-1983 period was incredibly underwhelming and really had no integral part to Chanel’s history, aside from the slight introduction of ready to wear. But the brand definetly died with Karl, since the largest price increases and the biggest decrease in quality had happened since he died and that protege woman took over. There’s a reason nobody relevant really features anything but the classics anymore.
@@alexanderdavidd you're mistaken. People talked about the increasing irrelevance of Lagerfield Chanel, and Fendi since I was a child but they petered out in mainstream pop culture in 2012. I didn't hear about the brand again until complaints about the quality in ~2017, and again after he died in 2019. This is all well-documented and you can start by looking at the Chanel collection for 2012 onward and tell me if you've ever seen them anywhere. The sudden decline of Chanel is a fiction created to protect a racist fatphobe's legacy and, since I remember his reputation in detail at the time of his death, I was shocked by how quickly the narrative took over. If you so much as look at tributes to his life in 2019, right after he died, people were much more honest about his mixed legacy. Sorry you're gullible I guess, but it's pretty ridiculous to think a person who spent 30 years studying under him ruined everything in less than three years because she's a woman or whatever.
@@biguattipoptropica LOL i never said she ruined it because she’s a woman. I said she ruined it because of what has happened since his death. I’m sorry you’re so gullible in believing what you’ve read about the brand dying in 2012, but if you reference social media, with it being the main source of content now, you’d realise that Chanel hasn’t gone out of prominence at all. Chanel is still all over influencer’s posts in handbags and outfits. There’s no lack of classic Chanel pieces anywhere. You’re literally trying to say that since the 2012 collection isn’t featured anywhere that means they’re irrelevant now.. As if brands aren’t allowed to have flukes. The fact you’re so convinced just by what you’ve read, and can’t look past 2012 says all it needs to about your knowledge of the fashion industry.
@@alexanderdavidd Flukes? Honey, no. The 2013 and 2014 collections are just as hideous and unwearable. It's shocking you know so little about fashion you didn't realize a major part of the resurgence of vintage fashion was because of how bad Chanel specifically was. 2015 wasn't on trend or even ahead of the trend, and the quality by 2013 is so bad that the tweed looks to be falling to pieces on the runway. Want some book or article recommendations on the decline of Chanel or fashion quality? We can fix this.
In regards to the question of supporting brands with problematic histories. I am a Historian and German, so maybe I can give some perspective. In Germany you come across a lot of brands who have heavily profitted from the N*zis in the 30s/40s, especially bc many Jewish company where seized and transfered to non-jewish people. For the most part these companies where not given back to their original owners after WWII bc they either had died, emigrated etc. Thus we have a lot of companies who have made huge profits over the last decade due to N*zi politics. There are companies that deal with their history by acknowledging it, donating to Jewish projects, trying to find the descendants of the original owners. But there are also companiew who try to hide their involvement as much as they can. I personally would rather support the first kind of company than the latter.
Thank you for pointing this out. There are too many German companies that directly profited from Holocaust-related slave labor who have made no reparations.
Fellow German here. It's so funny how alot of people who didn't grew up in europe don't realize how many brands who existed before 1939 are assoziated with Nazis. So many hopped on the train, not even because of political views just like coco they thought winning party = success = money. Just like today lol
The creative genius behind No.5 was actually Ernest Beaux, who before he went to Chanel created a nearly identical perfume, Rallet No.1, nearly a decade earlier in Russia. Coco Chanel sure did lots of shady things. She was the one popularising the tan.
You forget that Coco Chanel's favorite number was 5. It was actually the 5th batch that Ernest Beaux created that she chose. She launched her fragrance May 5, 1920.
Sadly, Karl Lagerfeld wasn't that good of a person either.From encouraging eating disorders, over being classist like a sport, to dealing with criticism like a textbook narcissist, this man had a whole buffet of horrible traits to choose from.But still, he carried Chanel and the creativity of the brand died with him.
Something that’s really interesting to me is how the fact that Chanel was a nazi spy is enough for people to boycott the brand (which I support), yet nobody blinks an eye towards the exploitation of garment workers that make their clothes? We talk a lot of shit about fast fashion brands and their crimes towards their workers and the enviroment, but designer brands do just as much damage if not more, since they have the prestige fast fashion brands don’t.
One of the reasons Chanel has been so expensive is because of the fact that they use skilled artisans that are paid well for their expertise. Now the past few years since Karl died the quality has decreased exponentially so i don’t know about anymore, but when Coco and then Karl were overseeing the brand it was all done fairly. Nothing was ever mass-produced to the extent that it needed more than a couple factories of people with incredible skill.
As someone who has pretty much zero interest in high end fashion, I still LOVE these videos. This is like modern history class, topics that would never be taught in a general history class but they are genuinely interesting and these topics still hold influence over modern pop culture. These long form videos are so well done, I’m fully engaged in the content from the beginning to the end.
I want to mention that Karl Lagerfeld himself also had a fair share of controversies. He made fatphobic and other controversial statements that I'm pretty sure you'll find out. I think we should look at his work, but without ignoring the things he did wrong.
Yes! I just listened to the Maintenance Phase podcast on him and it was super eye-opening. I knew he was fatphobic and misogynistic but there were a lot of details I didn't know. I recommend anyone interested in him to check out the episode, but be aware there's lots of discussion of dieting, weight-loss, fatphobia etc.
@@anne-marie339 and more than that he was peddling islamophobic rhetoric while doing those, even used the holocaust as a way to excuse his islamophobia; so like yeah yikes. Mega yikes. Also he’s mega sexist and literally think that women should be pretty only.
This! Karl Lagerfeld was so openly racist, fatphobic and misogynistic. U don't know much about the new director but the brand continued to be run by vile people
Yes and his connections to the Lucerferians. Illuminated ones. He certainly isn’t the only one by any means. These industries are literally owned & run by these people and you have to really sellout to make it.
Outside of the “art vs artist” debate… why would anyone at this point was something monogrammed with her name all over it when the name represents her. And her beliefs. It’s not just the ceo of a company you carry her name around. That name has to mean something.
That's a good point. It's not as though the company have moved on to new things. She is still the figure at the centre of the image of the company that makes it desirable and iconic. That's not something I can support (even if I could afford to 🤣).
Totally agree! This is one of my main issues with wearing Chanel today - it’s not just a brand she founded and has since passed on, the brand is still centered around her as a person. I can’t support her as a person, hence I don’t want to wear Chanel items
Really surprised you didn't talk about the 2021 Advent Calendar they released for $825 that was basically stickers and a single sample sized perfume bottle. People were fuming, literally. Just insanity that a brand with that much stock in its customer base would fumble so badly and so unapologetically. It was really a wakeup call about how little they actually cared about being seen as ripping their customers off. Excellent video as always. Thank you so much for doing this deep dive. I really enjoyed it.
Hannah did a video on it during glowmas, or it was one on luxury advent calendars in general, but she talked about the Chanel one somewhere. :) I think it’s the video called “luxury brands are scamming you * a rant *”
I remember that! With how incredibly important it is for a luxury brand to retain its customer base, (since luxury brands' customer base tends to be pretty small, and made up of 2 kinds of people: those who can afford to buy luxury regularly, and those who buy it as a rare splurge/treat--and both of them are going to want to feel like it was worth their money, so if it's not, they'll probably quickly move on to something else) you'd think Chanel would have been more conscientious about wanting to provide the best product possible to keep their customers coming back.
I think you're missing a huge piece - Chanel WANTS to be Hermes, that is who they see as their direct competition. The price increases in their popular bags are to make them more exclusion like cool luxury vs the Hermes more classic luxury. The good thing about the mess at Chanel is that it's giving other brands room to shine like Gucci and other non mainstream brands.
In middle school, my aunt bought these fake diamond Chanel earrings for me for 50 cents in Vietnam and I felt so cool when my classmates asked me if they were real. 😂
Chanel today is owned by a Jewish family (who have been involved since the 20s - that history is also super fascinating) which I think is the ultimate irony to our girl Coco
@@Ebrill_Owen yes! The grandfather of the family (Pierre) was the one who set up the original 10% ownership of the perfume brand for Chanel in the 20s. He maintained ownership of the perfume brand until WWII, when he escaped to England and gave official ownership to someone “Aryan” so it could continue to run. After the war he came back to France and reclaimed ownership of the perfume company; his son took over the business in the 50s. After Coco died his son (Jacques) bought the controlling interest of the company. His grandsons, Alain and Gerard, are the owners of the whole company today (although the perfume piece still operates as kind of its own business)
One thing I love so much about vintage and second hand shopping is it gives you a chance to possibly consume a brand but basically put money in the hands of the seller and not the company! Or yeah I enjoy knowing as a consumer I can pick and choose what brands to support. It’s one way we still have buying power.
I've watched some luxury channels. For the record, a lot of luxury brands have increased their prices during this pandemic. Most of the channels I've watched commented that Chanel is in this weird spot. Their classic flaps have become popular in social media and this boosted their sales. However it also made people think that everyone owns a Chanel classic flap which costed them the feeling of exclusivity with the brand. They definitely won't send bags to influencers since they want to keep that feeling of exclusivity and their price increases helps them to keep that. However, some consumers have been wary of their quality so they started comparing the value for money of a Chanel Flap with an Hermes Birkin.
A lot of Luxury brands have been raising their prices during the pandemic, but Chanel is definitely the worst. They keep getting closer to Hermes prices without the Hermes quality. In fact, their bags are leaning towards Lous Vuitton quality, which has also been slacking but is also asking much less money for their bags in comparison.
Just like top designers charge real high prices from street wear they still get their ideas from street kids and charge such high prices when their designs really aren't their own. History repeats itself.
An important thing to mention is Gossip Girl. I’m 34 so I remember that Chanel wasn’t doing so well and the show brought it back in a HUGE way. So many girls and women were desperate for the looks of Blair and Serena. “Chanel” wasn’t in the closets OR the vocabulary of a lot of people before Gossip Girl. I think if Chanel doesn’t get another “iconic moment” like that, then you’re totally right there will be a big dip in the company again. Great video!
Chanel was always my dream brand growing up. I watched all of the documentaries, bio-pics, read biographies. The French film Coco Before Chanel is one of my favorite movies. I think you hit it on the nail that she went along with what she thought would make her feel important. She wanted to be the in history as well as make it, even if that meant associating herself with horrific people.
Chanel was my dream brand too. I always wanted a classic bag or suit but could only afford the perfume. And then I read a biography that detailed her life, decisions, and the war. I can't even wear the perfume in good conscience now. Ah well, money saved.
At the time women had to curry favour with men though who had all the power and money to launch a business. I believe Chanel did what she did in part because she didn't have a choice and in part because it worked for her for years prior.
I’m soooo interested in your thoughts on the ultimatum on Netflix! I swear it’s the most toxic show it blew my mind but I was thinking of you commentating the whole time 😂😂
I love you Smokey glow. I personally like your computer background better. It’s more cozy with the candle. Love your commentary! You always open my mind to new things and perspectives.
I think its misogynistic to say "the only reason she was able to even start this brand was because this man invested in her brand." Literally ALL companies have investors and we never credit the investors with the success, especially when the company is owned by a man
I feel like here in France it is well known that Chanel was a 'traitor' during the war. Then again during the occupation in Paris, your choice (as someone in high society,artists, and especially business owner) was to either lose everything to the nazi and end up dead and living in the streets, flee the country if you survive or get protection from the new gouvernment..... I mean nowadays it is awfull to think she make those choices but she came from nothing and she was not going back to being poor. The same way you couldn't be a women business owner back in those days so she uses men to get there. It's not pretty
Poorer women with fewer choices had their heads shaved to show their shame and some were even hung. Even women who had been forced into relationships with Germans through rape or threats to their families. Yet Coco got off scott free.
Agreed. Also, I don't know if this is common knowledge abroad, but after the immediate backlash after the end of WWII towards traitors and N*zi collaborators, it was hard to bring the nation forward as a whole and a coping mechanism of the population was to deny or at least undermine the role of some French people in helping Germany during the War. It was a taboo for a long time. Although mindests have changed today, it still is a kind of struggle for some.
Karl's own brand is MUCH more accessible than Chanel price wise and also the designs are much more unique and stylish rather than classic. I have one cross body bag from Karl and it's one of my favorite because the quality is so well made and it even had the classic Chanel tweed pattern which I got at a lower price than buying from Chanel.
I feel like Chanel relying on brand recognition alone will backfire more in the future. You are seeing brands like Tom Ford kind of rise and become the modern fashion and fragrance standard in terms of luxury. Fashion changes frequently and while celebrities might be rocking the classic tweed suit or the Chanel No 5 fragrance, that could very well change within 5 years or so. And even though we rightfully dunk on the rich for spending money on frivolous stuff, if the quality is downgrading that much, they will stop purchasing or wanting to be affiliated with it. People want good quality for a big price tag, and if you cannot hold up your reputation of consistently providing that, then it is a total waste of money. Will Chanel totally fail? Unless they completely fumble their literal bag, I do not think so. However, knowing how the rich love getting even richer, any major drop in the profit margins will seem devastating to investors. Loved the video!
Tom Ford is not rising. Maybe his make up and beauty line which is owned by Estee Lauder. Look it up. Tom Ford has been on a decline for years. No one wears there bags, and his clothing has been on a decline for years.
You brought out a great and fascinating point in regards of supporting a brand even if the creator is not being impacted. In my humble opinion I wouldn't want to support the brand with a problematic background because despite they are not benefited, it's supporting their legacy and contributions to the world.
Have been loving your recent videos and well as your older ones😍 Interesting to hear you say you really like Karl. Would love to see you do a deep dive on him considering he is was so synonymous with high fashion and fashion industry in the 2000s and 2010s but also the amount of controversy that surrounds him but that is rarely mentioned.
I love the light in your eyes when you get to be in your element doing these long form informational videos! It brings the viewer in for sure, and you can tell you researched all of your topics carefully because of the passion you have.
Karl Lagerfeld was sadly just as awful! Highly recommend the podcast maintenance phase who did a great deep dive on his book! Love this video and your fashion history series!
I think most high profile people in the art, fashion and entertainment industry have done crazy or awful things to reach the level they are at. It’s just how society is.
Love these brand deep dives! Esp around handbags! Please do more. Love how you analyze and think about a brand's progression - whether it's beauty or bags.
@@shevonkotlowski811 really? You can’t understand why someone would be uncomfortable wearing something that has a logo made up of the initials of a person who actively participated in a regime that exterminated millions of people? You can’t possibly fathom why that would make a person leery? I’m not calling for an active boycott of the brand, this is my personal choice. Thankfully there are many other designers out there I can choose to support instead.
Would love more videos like this about fashion brands! I'm not super interested in fashion but like having some general knowledge and love your videos!
I absolutely love this content Hannah. You are my no question asked no thought needed automatic"HELL YES". click. You're informative, compassionate and funny. Thank you for doing what you do.💕💖
I think another problem the brand is currently dealing with are resellers, resellers will buy in bulk the classic pieces like the classic handbag and boy bag and resell it online at an even more inflated price. Its currently a problem in Korea where Chanel Korea limited their classic products to one purchase per customer along with increased prices for their classic products (luxury products from brands like Chanel are priced higher in Asia) and it works! People in Korea are still clamouring for and buying their products! While people (in the west) may think Chanel has fallen off recently, I think like many luxury brands, they’re focusing more on the Asian market (China, Korea, and Japan) where the market is way bigger and more profitable there than in the west. Even with the price increases and the limits on the number of products one can purchase, Chanel still remains an extremely popular brand in Asia and consumers there are still willing to pay the exorbitant prices either from the Chanel stores itself or an even higher price from resellers.
it's somewhat popular because French women wear it when it's considered passe amongst the French (or whites in general) then Asia will follow and move on, probably to asian brands
I have note bitten the Chanel bullet yet. Personally I never seen them wear well. I like sticking to LV luggage, Gucci ready to wear and YSL. I actually took a step back from Chanel beauty as well (too much the same thing release over release) but I do still still buy their nail polish. Very interesting video! You mentioned a lot of things to think about!
I really love that you’ve been branching out with your history videos! Your “history of” has always been my favourite series, and it’s really nice hearing about a bunch of different topics that are interesting to you. :) I’m on board wherever your curiosity voyages take you!
I will say, while of course their prices are ridiculous like all high fashion, their fragrances are absolutely on point almost every time. Mademoiselle, Dylan Blue, Gabrielle, they’re so so good and worth the money imo, very good fragrances that work on a lot of people for a lot of occasions
The classic flap bags used to be plated with 24k gold hardware up until 2008 I think? I hate how the prices keep going up but the quality is ehh. They’re trying to complete with Hermes now
I feel like when people discuss female business owners/entrepreneurs they are always skimping over vital context. For starts, when we discuss women finding primarily male investors to start the business, it is always conceptualized as though it was an act of seduction. Everyone is skipping over the fact that men also need investors to start their businesses, and we consider this normal entrepreneurial practice and not an application of feminine wiles. Why does this double standard exist for women? Why do we act like female entrepreneurs use male investors anymore than men exploit or partner with other men to start businesses? Secondly, we are talking about a time period where women had significantly decreased social, legal, and financial power, yet we're "giving credit" to the men who helped run and fund women's businesses. Women literally could not open checking accounts or legally own a business. Men were gate keeping financial wealth, and yet why are we giving them credit for the financial power they hoarded from women? We need to stop acting like women "use" men to start businesses, we need to refrain from double standards, and we need to be honest about the social and financial hurdles women still have to navigate through.
Thank god you had the energy to type this out….. Bc I was thinking it the whole time. I’m really rubbed the wrong way by how Smokey glow presented this and need to unsubscribe. I can’t support a discussion channel that can’t sus out basic gender inequality.
But was that not a big part of the struggle and reality? Finding men to invest through pitches and communication of a great vision was much more difficult as women were just not viewed as being able to have forward business thinking. Women did not have the same support, not the same access to knowledge and money as men. Yes she may have had to seduct for money, but is this not part of female entrepreneurship history and struggle to get where we are at now?
I have to say I'm quite intrigued by your perspective of Karl Lagerfeld, I would be interested in seeing a video on him. I would highly recommend the Maintenance Phase podcast episode on him and his diet book that is really fascinating. Loved the video!!
First of all this is the most beautiful you have ever looked! The tan with the minimal makeup looks flawless. Also I love this video so far and I hope you do more fashion history because I’m totally mine blown by everything you’re saying.
@@hopeahooper hah! Some funny things like his interview was half in English and half in French, the family that owns it is a super kooky French Jewish family (two brothers, one who has a lot more responsibility than the other), the brand owns a few other random smaller brands and wineries in France & California, it’s whole rabbit hole
A lot of Chanel's recent decisions in price increases really point to them gearing up for an acquisition. They also recently appointed Leena Nair as CEO who is an HR professional that specializes in acquisitions and mergers
Ohhh, this should be good!! I'm super fascinated by designer brands even though I'll never be able to afford them. I think Chanel is still iconic though.
I am love love loving these videos !!! I adore luxury brand history lessons (the Birkin video is one of my all time favorite RUclips videos!) and I really enjoy hearing your thoughts on these topics!
so happy to see you upload!! not bc of the content machine, but it’s nice to hear your voice and see ur face. hope you’re feeling just a little bit better❤️
Hey Hannah, I’m glad others have pointed this out but I highly suggest listening to the “Maintenance Phase” podcast episode on Karl Lagerfeld. It’s hosted by Michael Hobbs who also hosts “You’re Wrong About”
While it is true that Chanel has stopped using gold plated hardware, I think overall it’s a misconception that the quality has gotten worse over the years. It’s just that the rise of social media has made it easier to share manufacturing flaws with others. We see more flaws because people are sharing them with greater ease/bigger platform. As someone who owns both vintage and newer chanel bags- I can say my vintage pieces have some uneven stitches, crooked cc, etc that is completely normal for chanel vintage pieces. The quality is no better than my new bags
I agree it's really hard to set rules over where to boycott. I think we are still evolving as a society when it comes to where is/is not acceptable to put our money. I feel almost everywhere we shop gives money to some rich CEO who underpays their workers, and at a certain point it's impossible to shop ethically under capitalism. That being said I still try to do my best and boycott those who I think cross a line, like Nazis for example. I wouldn't buy Chanel personally because of the Nazi thing, but that's easy for me to say because I can't afford it anyway.
The problem in US society is that the system is rigged through taxes and laws to benefit business over people. I have no problem paying for stuff that makes money for the super rich and corporations, but I find it morally reprehensible that they are able to buy their way into taxes and laws that privilege them and their wealth so that everyone else picks up the social tab, and every time Congress tries to correct this imbalance they cry “socialism” and ordinary people cower back in fear as if the Devil himself were being conjured up. There is no cure for such intentional stupidity and the internet has made it worse through capitalistic trolls threatening any attempt to pass along the reality of capitalism’s actual a-morality. That is, capitalism is great at providing stuff, but it also operates with an eye only at profit and minimizing what it owes to society. Thus, capitalism can beggar those who made them rich and can destroy democracies in the long run unless there are laws that rein in the privilege of profit. But people are dumb that way.
Chanel is 100% not worth it anymore, and you’re correct in that it died with Karl. Whatever that woman is doing now is doing nothing good for the brand. The quality is embarassing, and it’s literally had a collective 30% price increase over the pandemic. During a worldwide pandemic and subsequent obvious global recession, she thought it was a good idea to bump their prices 30%. I really wish it had gone to either Marc Jacobs or Tom Ford, two of Karl’s best friends, and incredibly talented creative directors of their own, and other couture brands. But also Hanna you put SO much work into your videos and it shows. This was SO well done, as is everything else you do!
SO ALOT WRONG with your post. Virginie does not control pricing. She is a creative director not a CFO. You want to blame the price hikes blame it on the Wertheimer Family, they are sole owners of the house. You may not like what she's doing with the brand creatively but the growth is undeniable. The brand itself has triple digit growths every year since Lagerfeld's death. Virginie Viard has been Lagerfelds right hand for decades. Same as Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Why would any house revamp something that was already doing well? Risk it all for a flashy designer? That is a horrible business acumen. Actually the Wertheimer Family is probably very happy with Virginie as Lagerfeld's design budgets and marketing budgets was gastronomical. Virginie probably has a better profit margin with less money. Thats a smart business decision. Please do your research if you're going to critique a fashion house. FYI Hana did not do a good job of posting this video. She said Virginie is a man, not a women, which is very sexist and demeaning. She critiqued Coco Chanels business acumen due to her poor profit negotiations, but considering she made these deals back in the 40's and 50's where sexism ran rampant you have to understand she was ground breaking. She did not once mention the Wertheimer Family who is well known for owning Chanel 100%. And while she can complain about the controversy behind this brand. She does not mention all the wonderful things they do for fashion. They own many world renowned ateliers that many other big fashion houses use i.e. Montex, La Marier, Goosens, etc. Look them up.
The creative director is arguably the head of the brand. The creative director ultimately has final say. If this woman didn’t like what was going on, which if she’s truly Karl’s protege and has his vision in mind, she’d step down because all the brand is doing now is devaluing their own products, and their customers. Yes i use the term that woman, because that woman is a disgrace to the Chanel brand. Nothing good has come out of her taking over. Something tells me all the people arguing have never even been inside a Chanel store, nevermind understand how luxury fashion brands work.
@@alexanderdavidd OHHHH you're so incredibly wrong. You obviously don't know how luxury houses work. I have worked in luxury goods for decades. Both in NY and CA. Creative Directors do not have final say in pricing. They have final say in what styles are created. You don't know anything about how fashion works. Do you research before you talk about this. Chanel is a privately owned fashion brand by the WERTHEIMER FAMILY. The sons are soon to take over the brand. They are the ones who have final say on PRICING and DIRECTION of the house. Chanel has been inflating price for years. The fact you say that "that" women has created this change is ridiculous. Even during Karls reign prices has always gone up. You may not like her as a designer but Chanel has been up a triple digit up tick since she took over. Hate her all you want but numbers don't lie. You are clearly misguided and VERY misinformed. And also VERY misogynistic.
I absolutely love this little new series! It interest me learning about companies backgrounds and you do a great non-bias job! Maybe next could you do Louis Vuitton?!!!!
When I was a teenager, I was OBSESSED with Chanel perfume and I even remember the Lifetime movie about Coco Chanel's life. I did NOT remember seeing any Nazis in that movie, tho. Thanks for being such a fun and entertaining channel.
When I was very very young, I grew up with my aunt who loved Louis Vuitton bags, and she had a couple Chanel and Gucci bags too. In my teenage years, and early adulthood, I dreamed of owning a Chanel bag. Now I don’t care. I’m too poor to care. I treat all my bags as utilitarian pieces and don’t desire for something so expensive and precious.
Every time I hear the intro, “…I hope you guys are having an AMAZING day today. Hello! And welcome,” I always finish it in my head with “to Glowmas!” It’s April why is that still stuck in my head?
You forgot to mention 2 things: #1 Coco Chanel tried to take advantage of the Nazis invading France to get back 90% of the perfume stakes from the Wertheimers (who were Jewish) #2 The average Chanel bag now costs close to $10,000
You need to look into French history around WW2 and why many people at the time had the war connections they did. It’s far more complex than “saw that they were winning”. It’s very interesting!
First off Hannah the tan is amazing you are gorgeous as always but damn girl you are absolutely glowing! Second I couldn't give a flying fuck about Hermes or Chanel but if it's you I will watch with bated breath because I LIVE for your deep dives! You put so much work, effort, time, and the RESEARCH!! Absolutely unparalleled!!
i think an important detail with regards to the ethics of supporting chanel as a brand is that she didn't have any children. there is no long term generational benefit from her brand because there were no further generations to pass it on to. there's definitely more nuance than that, especially given that the brand is literally named after her, but knowing that it's not a family business with her descendants directly benefiting monetarily does make the idea of spending money on chanel products a much easier pill to swallow
I’m loving these videos Hannah. So interesting. I appreciate the work that goes into them and just wanted you to know :) As an aside, Karl Lagerfeld had quite a few controversial moments as well that made me not love him as a person. Genius designer, mean human.
On the point of Nazi connections, Hugo Boss was an active member of the Nazi party and designed the SS Uniforms and used labour from the camps to produce them. This isn't fashion-related but supposedly the founder of IKEA had ties to the Nazi party as well. I think it's hard to justify a purchase from a company who have, at least partially, gotten to where they are on the back of Nazism. With Chanel herself literally being a spy for the Nazis, who knows the company may well have benefitted financially from Nazi donors as well, as a spy you imagine her connections are deeper than that of even just the regular members. Obviously it's hard to know for sure but for her to agree to become a spy, she presumably held their beliefs and would have had connections to important members of the party for a fairly long time. With luxury purchases you put more thought into the purchase as it costs so much more and isn't a necessity. As well, for the world to just be surrounded by these symbols with such strong ties to Nazism like the Chanel logo, to be seen now as something fashionable and desirable which also contributed to something so horrendous which had the intention of wiping out entire groups of people, I imagine especially for people more closely affected like Jewish people, it must be tough to see these things still being upheld and idealised in society and to still have to deal with the everyday realities of antisemitism as well. The fact that Chanel herself never really faced consequences of her actions makes it even worse so personally I would steer clear, as each bag you see with the logo smacked on the front sort of adds to the prestige of the brand.
Interesting video as always. But it feels a little off to dismiss the idea of 'Coco' Chanel being a feminist businesswoman and then go on to not even mention Karl Lagerfeld's comments about MeToo or plus sized women... He was a great designer and did some great things, but not everything was golden about his Chanel era either 🤷.
Came here for this comment. Lagerfeld was problematic as was Coco. This is the second video Im watching where there is a lack of research done on important things.
I have absolutely zero desire to ever own a piece of luxury anything but I find learning about the history and wild goings on in that world fascinating! I really appreciate these videos and would love to see more from you!
I grew up in a Jewish museum, surrounded by Holocaust survivors. When I meet someone wearing Chanel or holding a Chanel handbag, I think "this person cares more about how they look in/with Chanel, than they care about supporting a label that collaborated with the Nazis." Because you don't wear a Chanel suit for the suit itself, you wearing it for the label, and that label helped fund and support those who murdered millions in a campaign of ethnic cleansing. I hope that's helpful.
I don’t think it’s totally fair to assume that every person that you see wearing Chanel is fine with Nazis… considering a lot of people had no clue that she had any connection to them.
@@tessabean4085 I always give people the benefit of the doubt; it's just a red flag for me. What Hannah was wondering about in the video - asking what the logo means to people who _do_ know about Coco Chanel's many collaborations with the Nazi party - is what I was addressing in my comment. Thanks for your input, and have a good night.
@@yvellebradley2502 Not for me. If it's enough for you, that's fine. This isn't something you _have_ to care about, and if you care more about owning something from Chanel than how the label makes some Jews feel, that's totally your prerogative.
“it wasn’t the handbag that committed war crimes” the funniest way to start the art vs artist conversation
😂😂😂
That was my fav part lol
I want that cross stitched on a towel
@@TestMonkey254 Or better yet...a handbag!
literally came here to say this
I appreciate your video but it’s important to stress that Coco Chanel was legitimately a Nazi sympathizer and not dismiss her as simply “ wanting to be on the winning side” (which is also truly abhorrent anyway)
In a time when big fashion houses were standing up to the Nazi occupation; Coco was silent and from all accounts aiding and abetting the Nazi regime.
THIS. Antisemitism is at an all time high since the Holocaust and it’s disturbing to say the least how people slap Nazis and white supremacists on the wrists for assimilation of ethnic groups.
Ikr, and most of their designers that isnt the current person have been problematic, cuz chanel and karl are actually super problematic cuz like islamophobia for karl plus anti semetism for chanel for example
I dead ass was about to comment the same exact thing.
Whatever her true intentions were, honestly, I would probably do anything aswell to get my loved ones out of a concentration camp… I guess if it’s true that this was her reason I could empathise with that
@@aneleh6 stop making excuses for a literal nazi. Not a good look. Cooperation with nazis put more people in concentration camps than it got out.
I’d love to hear a deep dive about some of these mega beauty brands like L’Oréal and Estée Lauder. How they started and how they became the huge conglomerates today
Especially how they bought up so many cool brands and…. effed them up.
@@tdsollog exactly!
YES pleeease !!!
Yes Hannah
Oooh, great suggestion. I remember reading that L'Oreal still tests on animals and I have no idea if this is true but I kind of feel like there should be no excuse for that anymore. I would love to hear more. Yes please!
I know this isn’t so focused on the beauty side of the brand, but I’m surprised there was no mention of the advent calendar they put out in December. Over $800 and they had 4 days of stickers. To be fair, the items were listed so you could see what you’d be getting prior to purchasing, but the sheer audacity to even put a product like that out and then wonder why people were calling them out is wild to me.
She covered this in a prior glowmas video!
She did a whole video on it in December!
they banned a tiktoker
way to seem OVER to zoomers, as a brand?!
I tend to read things incorrectly and I literally thought this said "the rise and fall of my channel" and I was like bish whatchu mean fall SHE IS ONLY RISING🌟👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 but also that would be so meta
Same 😂
@@oliviamarquez8004 is it my adhd or like am I dyslexic I have so many questions
@@hayleynugent7710 I think I just get too excited when she uploads 😅
Screaming reading this hahahahaha
If she were to leave RUclips (thank heavens she's not) that would be an iconic final video title
I studied fashion history while I was in fashion school. You were so spot on with this video :) just a few things: 1. It’s highly important to mention that Coco was responsable for the iconic “LBD” (the little black dress) than marked a huge milestone in 20s fashion and 2.
Karl Lagerfeld didn’t take over as artistic director immediately after Coco. There was a small gap between 1971 and 1983 where various other designers led the brand from haute to ready to wear.
Also, he was increasingly irrelevant before he died and the brand didn't decline after being handed off to his protege. I'd argue both Chanel and Fendi died (after a slow decline) in 2012.
However the 1971-1983 period was incredibly underwhelming and really had no integral part to Chanel’s history, aside from the slight introduction of ready to wear.
But the brand definetly died with Karl, since the largest price increases and the biggest decrease in quality had happened since he died and that protege woman took over. There’s a reason nobody relevant really features anything but the classics anymore.
@@alexanderdavidd you're mistaken. People talked about the increasing irrelevance of Lagerfield Chanel, and Fendi since I was a child but they petered out in mainstream pop culture in 2012. I didn't hear about the brand again until complaints about the quality in ~2017, and again after he died in 2019. This is all well-documented and you can start by looking at the Chanel collection for 2012 onward and tell me if you've ever seen them anywhere.
The sudden decline of Chanel is a fiction created to protect a racist fatphobe's legacy and, since I remember his reputation in detail at the time of his death, I was shocked by how quickly the narrative took over. If you so much as look at tributes to his life in 2019, right after he died, people were much more honest about his mixed legacy.
Sorry you're gullible I guess, but it's pretty ridiculous to think a person who spent 30 years studying under him ruined everything in less than three years because she's a woman or whatever.
@@biguattipoptropica LOL i never said she ruined it because she’s a woman. I said she ruined it because of what has happened since his death.
I’m sorry you’re so gullible in believing what you’ve read about the brand dying in 2012, but if you reference social media, with it being the main source of content now, you’d realise that Chanel hasn’t gone out of prominence at all. Chanel is still all over influencer’s posts in handbags and outfits. There’s no lack of classic Chanel pieces anywhere. You’re literally trying to say that since the 2012 collection isn’t featured anywhere that means they’re irrelevant now.. As if brands aren’t allowed to have flukes.
The fact you’re so convinced just by what you’ve read, and can’t look past 2012 says all it needs to about your knowledge of the fashion industry.
@@alexanderdavidd Flukes? Honey, no. The 2013 and 2014 collections are just as hideous and unwearable. It's shocking you know so little about fashion you didn't realize a major part of the resurgence of vintage fashion was because of how bad Chanel specifically was. 2015 wasn't on trend or even ahead of the trend, and the quality by 2013 is so bad that the tweed looks to be falling to pieces on the runway. Want some book or article recommendations on the decline of Chanel or fashion quality? We can fix this.
In regards to the question of supporting brands with problematic histories. I am a Historian and German, so maybe I can give some perspective. In Germany you come across a lot of brands who have heavily profitted from the N*zis in the 30s/40s, especially bc many Jewish company where seized and transfered to non-jewish people. For the most part these companies where not given back to their original owners after WWII bc they either had died, emigrated etc. Thus we have a lot of companies who have made huge profits over the last decade due to N*zi politics. There are companies that deal with their history by acknowledging it, donating to Jewish projects, trying to find the descendants of the original owners. But there are also companiew who try to hide their involvement as much as they can. I personally would rather support the first kind of company than the latter.
Thanks for your input! I find how Germany has dealt with it's recent past very interesting. (I'm from the US)
Thank you for pointing this out. There are too many German companies that directly profited from Holocaust-related slave labor who have made no reparations.
Fellow German here. It's so funny how alot of people who didn't grew up in europe don't realize how many brands who existed before 1939 are assoziated with Nazis. So many hopped on the train, not even because of political views just like coco they thought winning party = success = money.
Just like today lol
@@annabellmuller1211 Except Coco Chanel WAS an antisemite tho
Also isn't the biggest shareholder/owner of Chanel Jewish????
The creative genius behind No.5 was actually Ernest Beaux, who before he went to Chanel created a nearly identical perfume, Rallet No.1, nearly a decade earlier in Russia.
Coco Chanel sure did lots of shady things.
She was the one popularising the tan.
Thank you. I’m glad in that case she didn’t make all the money that she should’ve in that case.
How is popularizing the tan a shady thing? Just nitpicking your comment😅
Also, thank you for the info on the perfume!
@@gilkanamolina8667 because she was literally a nazi???
You forget that Coco Chanel's favorite number was 5. It was actually the 5th batch that Ernest Beaux created that she chose. She launched her fragrance May 5, 1920.
Sadly, Karl Lagerfeld wasn't that good of a person either.From encouraging eating disorders, over being classist like a sport, to dealing with criticism like a textbook narcissist, this man had a whole buffet of horrible traits to choose from.But still, he carried Chanel and the creativity of the brand died with him.
Something that’s really interesting to me is how the fact that Chanel was a nazi spy is enough for people to boycott the brand (which I support), yet nobody blinks an eye towards the exploitation of garment workers that make their clothes?
We talk a lot of shit about fast fashion brands and their crimes towards their workers and the enviroment, but designer brands do just as much damage if not more, since they have the prestige fast fashion brands don’t.
They don’t create on a large scale to the extent forever21 and Shein do
@@ogdreamgirl not out of the goodness in their hearts though lmao it's just because they're not affordable or accesible
One of the reasons Chanel has been so expensive is because of the fact that they use skilled artisans that are paid well for their expertise. Now the past few years since Karl died the quality has decreased exponentially so i don’t know about anymore, but when Coco and then Karl were overseeing the brand it was all done fairly. Nothing was ever mass-produced to the extent that it needed more than a couple factories of people with incredible skill.
@@alexanderdavidd that’s literally not true 😭
@@xorayne_ source: trust me bro, lmao
As someone who has pretty much zero interest in high end fashion, I still LOVE these videos. This is like modern history class, topics that would never be taught in a general history class but they are genuinely interesting and these topics still hold influence over modern pop culture. These long form videos are so well done, I’m fully engaged in the content from the beginning to the end.
I want to mention that Karl Lagerfeld himself also had a fair share of controversies. He made fatphobic and other controversial statements that I'm pretty sure you'll find out. I think we should look at his work, but without ignoring the things he did wrong.
Yes! I just listened to the Maintenance Phase podcast on him and it was super eye-opening. I knew he was fatphobic and misogynistic but there were a lot of details I didn't know. I recommend anyone interested in him to check out the episode, but be aware there's lots of discussion of dieting, weight-loss, fatphobia etc.
@@anne-marie339 and more than that he was peddling islamophobic rhetoric while doing those, even used the holocaust as a way to excuse his islamophobia; so like yeah yikes. Mega yikes. Also he’s mega sexist and literally think that women should be pretty only.
This! Karl Lagerfeld was so openly racist, fatphobic and misogynistic. U don't know much about the new director but the brand continued to be run by vile people
@@espeon871 Yikes! Even worse!! Definitely don't want to support someone like that - living or not
Yes and his connections to the Lucerferians. Illuminated ones. He certainly isn’t the only one by any means. These industries are literally owned & run by these people and you have to really sellout to make it.
i was just going off about how chanel was not the icon we thought she was lmaoooo
Omg hey girl, I love your videos too ❤️❤️ I am not your first mate LOL
I love your channel so much!
Outside of the “art vs artist” debate… why would anyone at this point was something monogrammed with her name all over it when the name represents her. And her beliefs. It’s not just the ceo of a company you carry her name around. That name has to mean something.
Yeah like why want to be reminded of such a horrible person
That's a good point. It's not as though the company have moved on to new things. She is still the figure at the centre of the image of the company that makes it desirable and iconic. That's not something I can support (even if I could afford to 🤣).
Totally agree! This is one of my main issues with wearing Chanel today - it’s not just a brand she founded and has since passed on, the brand is still centered around her as a person. I can’t support her as a person, hence I don’t want to wear Chanel items
Okay now I’m HYPED for this. You put so much hard work and thought into these videos and it does not go unnoticed. Ily queen.
*does NOT go unnoticed!
Really surprised you didn't talk about the 2021 Advent Calendar they released for $825 that was basically stickers and a single sample sized perfume bottle. People were fuming, literally. Just insanity that a brand with that much stock in its customer base would fumble so badly and so unapologetically. It was really a wakeup call about how little they actually cared about being seen as ripping their customers off. Excellent video as always. Thank you so much for doing this deep dive. I really enjoyed it.
Hannah did a video on it during glowmas, or it was one on luxury advent calendars in general, but she talked about the Chanel one somewhere. :)
I think it’s the video called “luxury brands are scamming you * a rant *”
I remember that! With how incredibly important it is for a luxury brand to retain its customer base, (since luxury brands' customer base tends to be pretty small, and made up of 2 kinds of people: those who can afford to buy luxury regularly, and those who buy it as a rare splurge/treat--and both of them are going to want to feel like it was worth their money, so if it's not, they'll probably quickly move on to something else) you'd think Chanel would have been more conscientious about wanting to provide the best product possible to keep their customers coming back.
I think you're missing a huge piece - Chanel WANTS to be Hermes, that is who they see as their direct competition. The price increases in their popular bags are to make them more exclusion like cool luxury vs the Hermes more classic luxury. The good thing about the mess at Chanel is that it's giving other brands room to shine like Gucci and other non mainstream brands.
I’ve heard they are making it harder for you to get bags too. Also their SA are infamously rude
In middle school, my aunt bought these fake diamond Chanel earrings for me for 50 cents in Vietnam and I felt so cool when my classmates asked me if they were real. 😂
Chanel today is owned by a Jewish family (who have been involved since the 20s - that history is also super fascinating) which I think is the ultimate irony to our girl Coco
I thought that was just the perfume part of the brand? Does the family also own the fashion part now? I had no idea if so.
@@Ebrill_Owen yes! The grandfather of the family (Pierre) was the one who set up the original 10% ownership of the perfume brand for Chanel in the 20s. He maintained ownership of the perfume brand until WWII, when he escaped to England and gave official ownership to someone “Aryan” so it could continue to run. After the war he came back to France and reclaimed ownership of the perfume company; his son took over the business in the 50s. After Coco died his son (Jacques) bought the controlling interest of the company. His grandsons, Alain and Gerard, are the owners of the whole company today (although the perfume piece still operates as kind of its own business)
One thing I love so much about vintage and second hand shopping is it gives you a chance to possibly consume a brand but basically put money in the hands of the seller and not the company! Or yeah I enjoy knowing as a consumer I can pick and choose what brands to support. It’s one way we still have buying power.
I've watched some luxury channels. For the record, a lot of luxury brands have increased their prices during this pandemic. Most of the channels I've watched commented that Chanel is in this weird spot. Their classic flaps have become popular in social media and this boosted their sales. However it also made people think that everyone owns a Chanel classic flap which costed them the feeling of exclusivity with the brand. They definitely won't send bags to influencers since they want to keep that feeling of exclusivity and their price increases helps them to keep that. However, some consumers have been wary of their quality so they started comparing the value for money of a Chanel Flap with an Hermes Birkin.
A lot of Luxury brands have been raising their prices during the pandemic, but Chanel is definitely the worst. They keep getting closer to Hermes prices without the Hermes quality. In fact, their bags are leaning towards Lous Vuitton quality, which has also been slacking but is also asking much less money for their bags in comparison.
I think they're buying secondhand to take them off the market.
@@candyc3314 fr the audacity tho
I'd love more of these! So many designer brands have a cool history! Like Louis Vuitton!
Just like top designers charge real high prices from street wear they still get their ideas from street kids and charge such high prices when their designs really aren't their own. History repeats itself.
An important thing to mention is Gossip Girl. I’m 34 so I remember that Chanel wasn’t doing so well and the show brought it back in a HUGE way. So many girls and women were desperate for the looks of Blair and Serena. “Chanel” wasn’t in the closets OR the vocabulary of a lot of people before Gossip Girl.
I think if Chanel doesn’t get another “iconic moment” like that, then you’re totally right there will be a big dip in the company again.
Great video!
I’m honestly so tired of all these luxury brands and their nonsense. The whole idea of wanting a “status symbol” to me is just weird and gross.
Chanel was always my dream brand growing up. I watched all of the documentaries, bio-pics, read biographies. The French film Coco Before Chanel is one of my favorite movies. I think you hit it on the nail that she went along with what she thought would make her feel important. She wanted to be the in history as well as make it, even if that meant associating herself with horrific people.
Chanel was my dream brand too. I always wanted a classic bag or suit but could only afford the perfume. And then I read a biography that detailed her life, decisions, and the war. I can't even wear the perfume in good conscience now. Ah well, money saved.
At the time women had to curry favour with men though who had all the power and money to launch a business. I believe Chanel did what she did in part because she didn't have a choice and in part because it worked for her for years prior.
@@T-bear73 I totally agree. I think it was her version of survival mode for her.
@@T-bear73 she def had a choice not to sleep with nazi officers. Don’t sugar coat a nazi
@@T-bear73 gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss
I’m soooo interested in your thoughts on the ultimatum on Netflix! I swear it’s the most toxic show it blew my mind but I was thinking of you commentating the whole time 😂😂
omg yes i need her to talk about it
Sameeeee
Yessss omg I couldn’t stop watching
I love you Smokey glow. I personally like your computer background better. It’s more cozy with the candle.
Love your commentary! You always open my mind to new things and perspectives.
I think its misogynistic to say "the only reason she was able to even start this brand was because this man invested in her brand." Literally ALL companies have investors and we never credit the investors with the success, especially when the company is owned by a man
I feel like here in France it is well known that Chanel was a 'traitor' during the war. Then again during the occupation in Paris, your choice (as someone in high society,artists, and especially business owner) was to either lose everything to the nazi and end up dead and living in the streets, flee the country if you survive or get protection from the new gouvernment..... I mean nowadays it is awfull to think she make those choices but she came from nothing and she was not going back to being poor. The same way you couldn't be a women business owner back in those days so she uses men to get there. It's not pretty
Poorer women with fewer choices had their heads shaved to show their shame and some were even hung. Even women who had been forced into relationships with Germans through rape or threats to their families. Yet Coco got off scott free.
Agreed. Also, I don't know if this is common knowledge abroad, but after the immediate backlash after the end of WWII towards traitors and N*zi collaborators, it was hard to bring the nation forward as a whole and a coping mechanism of the population was to deny or at least undermine the role of some French people in helping Germany during the War. It was a taboo for a long time. Although mindests have changed today, it still is a kind of struggle for some.
Just what I didn’t know I needed today! A deep dive into Chanel. *gabs popcorn* 🍿
Karl's own brand is MUCH more accessible than Chanel price wise and also the designs are much more unique and stylish rather than classic. I have one cross body bag from Karl and it's one of my favorite because the quality is so well made and it even had the classic Chanel tweed pattern which I got at a lower price than buying from Chanel.
This!! They’re SO fun! I would’ve never known he was behind Chanel haha
I feel like Chanel relying on brand recognition alone will backfire more in the future. You are seeing brands like Tom Ford kind of rise and become the modern fashion and fragrance standard in terms of luxury. Fashion changes frequently and while celebrities might be rocking the classic tweed suit or the Chanel No 5 fragrance, that could very well change within 5 years or so. And even though we rightfully dunk on the rich for spending money on frivolous stuff, if the quality is downgrading that much, they will stop purchasing or wanting to be affiliated with it. People want good quality for a big price tag, and if you cannot hold up your reputation of consistently providing that, then it is a total waste of money. Will Chanel totally fail? Unless they completely fumble their literal bag, I do not think so. However, knowing how the rich love getting even richer, any major drop in the profit margins will seem devastating to investors. Loved the video!
Tom Ford is not rising. Maybe his make up and beauty line which is owned by Estee Lauder. Look it up. Tom Ford has been on a decline for years. No one wears there bags, and his clothing has been on a decline for years.
You brought out a great and fascinating point in regards of supporting a brand even if the creator is not being impacted. In my humble opinion I wouldn't want to support the brand with a problematic background because despite they are not benefited, it's supporting their legacy and contributions to the world.
I love your fashion and luxury fashion deep dives, they’re so much more interesting to me than I would expect.
I love these long-form content videos, they're my fav
Have been loving your recent videos and well as your older ones😍 Interesting to hear you say you really like Karl. Would love to see you do a deep dive on him considering he is was so synonymous with high fashion and fashion industry in the 2000s and 2010s but also the amount of controversy that surrounds him but that is rarely mentioned.
I love the light in your eyes when you get to be in your element doing these long form informational videos! It brings the viewer in for sure, and you can tell you researched all of your topics carefully because of the passion you have.
Karl Lagerfeld was sadly just as awful! Highly recommend the podcast maintenance phase who did a great deep dive on his book! Love this video and your fashion history series!
Great recommendation
I think most high profile people in the art, fashion and entertainment industry have done crazy or awful things to reach the level they are at. It’s just how society is.
THIS COMMENT
thank you for saying this
@@lt.2992 yeah that’s why we need to acknowlege them for their problematic shit
Love these brand deep dives! Esp around handbags! Please do more. Love how you analyze and think about a brand's progression - whether it's beauty or bags.
The way my day gets instantly better when I see a new SmokeyGlow video 🥺❤️
Yesss go in!!!! Chanel has always fascinated me and historically I’ve refused to buy their stuff because Nazis. So curious to hear your take on this!
Same! I’m like how are ppl just ignoring that HUGE detail about this chick?! I will never buy from them🤷🏾♀️
Same here. I love the Hugo Boss colognes but I won’t buy into them anymore
Me too but because poor person with good taste🤣
It makes zero sense to boycott them now though.
@@shevonkotlowski811 really? You can’t understand why someone would be uncomfortable wearing something that has a logo made up of the initials of a person who actively participated in a regime that exterminated millions of people? You can’t possibly fathom why that would make a person leery?
I’m not calling for an active boycott of the brand, this is my personal choice. Thankfully there are many other designers out there I can choose to support instead.
I'd love to see a follow up video about karl because he has had a lot of controversies (I'm not a fan of him) involving sexual harassment...
Would love more videos like this about fashion brands! I'm not super interested in fashion but like having some general knowledge and love your videos!
I absolutely love this content Hannah. You are my no question asked no thought needed automatic"HELL YES". click. You're informative, compassionate and funny. Thank you for doing what you do.💕💖
I think another problem the brand is currently dealing with are resellers, resellers will buy in bulk the classic pieces like the classic handbag and boy bag and resell it online at an even more inflated price. Its currently a problem in Korea where Chanel Korea limited their classic products to one purchase per customer along with increased prices for their classic products (luxury products from brands like Chanel are priced higher in Asia) and it works! People in Korea are still clamouring for and buying their products! While people (in the west) may think Chanel has fallen off recently, I think like many luxury brands, they’re focusing more on the Asian market (China, Korea, and Japan) where the market is way bigger and more profitable there than in the west. Even with the price increases and the limits on the number of products one can purchase, Chanel still remains an extremely popular brand in Asia and consumers there are still willing to pay the exorbitant prices either from the Chanel stores itself or an even higher price from resellers.
it's somewhat popular because French women wear it
when it's considered passe amongst the French (or whites in general) then Asia will follow and move on, probably to asian brands
I have note bitten the Chanel bullet yet. Personally I never seen them wear well. I like sticking to LV luggage, Gucci ready to wear and YSL. I actually took a step back from Chanel beauty as well (too much the same thing release over release) but I do still still buy their nail polish. Very interesting video! You mentioned a lot of things to think about!
You are doing amazing work on these videos! I could listen forever! Awesome learning! Your #1 South African fan! Your work is appreciated 👍🏾
I really love that you’ve been branching out with your history videos! Your “history of” has always been my favourite series, and it’s really nice hearing about a bunch of different topics that are interesting to you. :) I’m on board wherever your curiosity voyages take you!
I will say, while of course their prices are ridiculous like all high fashion, their fragrances are absolutely on point almost every time. Mademoiselle, Dylan Blue, Gabrielle, they’re so so good and worth the money imo, very good fragrances that work on a lot of people for a lot of occasions
The classic flap bags used to be plated with 24k gold hardware up until 2008 I think? I hate how the prices keep going up but the quality is ehh. They’re trying to complete with Hermes now
I feel like when people discuss female business owners/entrepreneurs they are always skimping over vital context.
For starts, when we discuss women finding primarily male investors to start the business, it is always conceptualized as though it was an act of seduction. Everyone is skipping over the fact that men also need investors to start their businesses, and we consider this normal entrepreneurial practice and not an application of feminine wiles. Why does this double standard exist for women? Why do we act like female entrepreneurs use male investors anymore than men exploit or partner with other men to start businesses?
Secondly, we are talking about a time period where women had significantly decreased social, legal, and financial power, yet we're "giving credit" to the men who helped run and fund women's businesses. Women literally could not open checking accounts or legally own a business. Men were gate keeping financial wealth, and yet why are we giving them credit for the financial power they hoarded from women?
We need to stop acting like women "use" men to start businesses, we need to refrain from double standards, and we need to be honest about the social and financial hurdles women still have to navigate through.
Thank god you had the energy to type this out….. Bc I was thinking it the whole time.
I’m really rubbed the wrong way by how Smokey glow presented this and need to unsubscribe.
I can’t support a discussion channel that can’t sus out basic gender inequality.
But was that not a big part of the struggle and reality? Finding men to invest through pitches and communication of a great vision was much more difficult as women were just not viewed as being able to have forward business thinking. Women did not have the same support, not the same access to knowledge and money as men. Yes she may have had to seduct for money, but is this not part of female entrepreneurship history and struggle to get where we are at now?
I have to say I'm quite intrigued by your perspective of Karl Lagerfeld, I would be interested in seeing a video on him. I would highly recommend the Maintenance Phase podcast episode on him and his diet book that is really fascinating. Loved the video!!
First of all this is the most beautiful you have ever looked! The tan with the minimal makeup looks flawless. Also I love this video so far and I hope you do more fashion history because I’m totally mine blown by everything you’re saying.
I'll never get over their Christmas advent calendar with the stickers in it!
Such a scandal
i haven't even started the video and I already know its going to be good. also, i need you to do a video on the ultimatum 💛
she said on twitter she's going to do it!
@@biancaprimo4168 thank you for letting me know! I’m sooooo excited to hear her opinion
Super interested in your take because my dad actually worked in Chanel’s corporate office in the 90s (so I also know some very outdated tea)
Ooooooo, can you share any??
Karl Lagerfeld was Brilliant and he made CHANEL what it is today.
@@hopeahooper hah! Some funny things like his interview was half in English and half in French, the family that owns it is a super kooky French Jewish family (two brothers, one who has a lot more responsibility than the other), the brand owns a few other random smaller brands and wineries in France & California, it’s whole rabbit hole
A lot of Chanel's recent decisions in price increases really point to them gearing up for an acquisition. They also recently appointed Leena Nair as CEO who is an HR professional that specializes in acquisitions and mergers
Ohhh, this should be good!! I'm super fascinated by designer brands even though I'll never be able to afford them. I think Chanel is still iconic though.
I am love love loving these videos !!! I adore luxury brand history lessons (the Birkin video is one of my all time favorite RUclips videos!) and I really enjoy hearing your thoughts on these topics!
i’m about to cook a late night meal and clean up my very messy kitchen so this is a god send 😩
so happy to see you upload!! not bc of the content machine, but it’s nice to hear your voice and see ur face. hope you’re feeling just a little bit better❤️
Begging you to do a breakdown of the ultimatum on Netflix, it’s the most messed up show and I really think I need to hear your thoughts on it!
Hey Hannah, I’m glad others have pointed this out but I highly suggest listening to the “Maintenance Phase” podcast episode on Karl Lagerfeld. It’s hosted by Michael Hobbs who also hosts “You’re Wrong About”
While it is true that Chanel has stopped using gold plated hardware, I think overall it’s a misconception that the quality has gotten worse over the years. It’s just that the rise of social media has made it easier to share manufacturing flaws with others. We see more flaws because people are sharing them with greater ease/bigger platform. As someone who owns both vintage and newer chanel bags- I can say my vintage pieces have some uneven stitches, crooked cc, etc that is completely normal for chanel vintage pieces. The quality is no better than my new bags
Interesting point!
I could honestly listen to videos like these for HOURS.
I agree it's really hard to set rules over where to boycott. I think we are still evolving as a society when it comes to where is/is not acceptable to put our money. I feel almost everywhere we shop gives money to some rich CEO who underpays their workers, and at a certain point it's impossible to shop ethically under capitalism. That being said I still try to do my best and boycott those who I think cross a line, like Nazis for example. I wouldn't buy Chanel personally because of the Nazi thing, but that's easy for me to say because I can't afford it anyway.
She’s long dead and the Jewish business partners family owns the brand now.
The problem in US society is that the system is rigged through taxes and laws to benefit business over people. I have no problem paying for stuff that makes money for the super rich and corporations, but I find it morally reprehensible that they are able to buy their way into taxes and laws that privilege them and their wealth so that everyone else picks up the social tab, and every time Congress tries to correct this imbalance they cry “socialism” and ordinary people cower back in fear as if the Devil himself were being conjured up. There is no cure for such intentional stupidity and the internet has made it worse through capitalistic trolls threatening any attempt to pass along the reality of capitalism’s actual
a-morality. That is, capitalism is great at providing stuff, but it also operates with an eye only at profit and minimizing what it owes to society. Thus, capitalism can beggar those who made them rich and can destroy democracies in the long run unless there are laws that rein in the privilege of profit. But people are dumb that way.
Those glasses and that tan is everything on you, you look so good!
I kept scrolling to see if anyone else noticed.
I LOVED her tan.
Chanel is 100% not worth it anymore, and you’re correct in that it died with Karl. Whatever that woman is doing now is doing nothing good for the brand. The quality is embarassing, and it’s literally had a collective 30% price increase over the pandemic. During a worldwide pandemic and subsequent obvious global recession, she thought it was a good idea to bump their prices 30%.
I really wish it had gone to either Marc Jacobs or Tom Ford, two of Karl’s best friends, and incredibly talented creative directors of their own, and other couture brands.
But also Hanna you put SO much work into your videos and it shows. This was SO well done, as is everything else you do!
SO ALOT WRONG with your post. Virginie does not control pricing. She is a creative director not a CFO. You want to blame the price hikes blame it on the Wertheimer Family, they are sole owners of the house. You may not like what she's doing with the brand creatively but the growth is undeniable. The brand itself has triple digit growths every year since Lagerfeld's death. Virginie Viard has been Lagerfelds right hand for decades. Same as Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Why would any house revamp something that was already doing well? Risk it all for a flashy designer? That is a horrible business acumen. Actually the Wertheimer Family is probably very happy with Virginie as Lagerfeld's design budgets and marketing budgets was gastronomical. Virginie probably has a better profit margin with less money. Thats a smart business decision. Please do your research if you're going to critique a fashion house.
FYI Hana did not do a good job of posting this video. She said Virginie is a man, not a women, which is very sexist and demeaning. She critiqued Coco Chanels business acumen due to her poor profit negotiations, but considering she made these deals back in the 40's and 50's where sexism ran rampant you have to understand she was ground breaking. She did not once mention the Wertheimer Family who is well known for owning Chanel 100%. And while she can complain about the controversy behind this brand. She does not mention all the wonderful things they do for fashion. They own many world renowned ateliers that many other big fashion houses use i.e. Montex, La Marier, Goosens, etc. Look them up.
Second comment I’ve seen (so far) referring to Viard as “that woman” or “that protégée woman”. So dismissive and snide.
"That woman"?!?! So patronising
The creative director is arguably the head of the brand. The creative director ultimately has final say. If this woman didn’t like what was going on, which if she’s truly Karl’s protege and has his vision in mind, she’d step down because all the brand is doing now is devaluing their own products, and their customers.
Yes i use the term that woman, because that woman is a disgrace to the Chanel brand. Nothing good has come out of her taking over. Something tells me all the people arguing have never even been inside a Chanel store, nevermind understand how luxury fashion brands work.
@@alexanderdavidd OHHHH you're so incredibly wrong. You obviously don't know how luxury houses work. I have worked in luxury goods for decades. Both in NY and CA. Creative Directors do not have final say in pricing. They have final say in what styles are created. You don't know anything about how fashion works. Do you research before you talk about this. Chanel is a privately owned fashion brand by the WERTHEIMER FAMILY. The sons are soon to take over the brand. They are the ones who have final say on PRICING and DIRECTION of the house.
Chanel has been inflating price for years. The fact you say that "that" women has created this change is ridiculous. Even during Karls reign prices has always gone up. You may not like her as a designer but Chanel has been up a triple digit up tick since she took over. Hate her all you want but numbers don't lie. You are clearly misguided and VERY misinformed. And also VERY misogynistic.
Honestly, you are hands down my favorite person on RUclips 🙌🏻 thanks for the always interesting content
I don't think Chanel would have been able to come back like that after fleeing to Switzerland if there was the internet/social media back then.
please do more if these videos, I absolutely love them!!!
What is going on with the lighting?! Hannah looks bright orange!
I absolutely love this little new series! It interest me learning about companies backgrounds and you do a great non-bias job! Maybe next could you do Louis Vuitton?!!!!
Smokey glow: * posts a video
Me: * super Sonic speed to click the notification
I was literally just thinking about your channel, so glad you posted a new video at the same time! Hope you're doing well
When I was a teenager, I was OBSESSED with Chanel perfume and I even remember the Lifetime movie about Coco Chanel's life. I did NOT remember seeing any Nazis in that movie, tho.
Thanks for being such a fun and entertaining channel.
Totally love this series of looking into iconic fashion things. Please keep doing it!!
I have been binge watching almost all your videos and I was waiting for your next one and omg I’ve never been more excited
I love these "deep dives" your doing!! Please keep up this amazing work!!
When I was very very young, I grew up with my aunt who loved Louis Vuitton bags, and she had a couple Chanel and Gucci bags too. In my teenage years, and early adulthood, I dreamed of owning a Chanel bag. Now I don’t care. I’m too poor to care. I treat all my bags as utilitarian pieces and don’t desire for something so expensive and precious.
As long as it holds all my stuff im good
Every time I hear the intro, “…I hope you guys are having an AMAZING day today. Hello! And welcome,” I always finish it in my head with “to Glowmas!” It’s April why is that still stuck in my head?
You forgot to mention 2 things:
#1 Coco Chanel tried to take advantage of the Nazis invading France to get back 90% of the perfume stakes from the Wertheimers (who were Jewish)
#2 The average Chanel bag now costs close to $10,000
I can’t even explain how excited I was to see and how fast I clicked when I seen you had a new video!! 😆😆😆
You need to look into French history around WW2 and why many people at the time had the war connections they did. It’s far more complex than “saw that they were winning”. It’s very interesting!
Love your deep dives!
The lighting on this video is making you look a little orange. Cue rawbeautykristi, “Am I orange?”
First off Hannah the tan is amazing you are gorgeous as always but damn girl you are absolutely glowing! Second I couldn't give a flying fuck about Hermes or Chanel but if it's you I will watch with bated breath because I LIVE for your deep dives! You put so much work, effort, time, and the RESEARCH!! Absolutely unparalleled!!
i usually don’t comment on videos but Hannah, your content is unbelievable!!!
thanks so much for creating such interesting videos for us ♥️
i think an important detail with regards to the ethics of supporting chanel as a brand is that she didn't have any children. there is no long term generational benefit from her brand because there were no further generations to pass it on to. there's definitely more nuance than that, especially given that the brand is literally named after her, but knowing that it's not a family business with her descendants directly benefiting monetarily does make the idea of spending money on chanel products a much easier pill to swallow
Really living for this series
I’m loving these videos Hannah. So interesting. I appreciate the work that goes into them and just wanted you to know :)
As an aside, Karl Lagerfeld had quite a few controversial moments as well that made me not love him as a person. Genius designer, mean human.
Was just binging this series. Always happy to watch and rewatch your content!!!
How many times do you rewatch her videos?
@@KourttneyL Constantly; example I want her Love is Blind video every day at breakfast haha.
You always look so glowy and radiant in your videos! I can’t wait to watch🥰Love you queen!💖
I love the brand but it’s always nice to get another person’s perspective. Thanks!
On the point of Nazi connections, Hugo Boss was an active member of the Nazi party and designed the SS Uniforms and used labour from the camps to produce them. This isn't fashion-related but supposedly the founder of IKEA had ties to the Nazi party as well. I think it's hard to justify a purchase from a company who have, at least partially, gotten to where they are on the back of Nazism. With Chanel herself literally being a spy for the Nazis, who knows the company may well have benefitted financially from Nazi donors as well, as a spy you imagine her connections are deeper than that of even just the regular members. Obviously it's hard to know for sure but for her to agree to become a spy, she presumably held their beliefs and would have had connections to important members of the party for a fairly long time. With luxury purchases you put more thought into the purchase as it costs so much more and isn't a necessity. As well, for the world to just be surrounded by these symbols with such strong ties to Nazism like the Chanel logo, to be seen now as something fashionable and desirable which also contributed to something so horrendous which had the intention of wiping out entire groups of people, I imagine especially for people more closely affected like Jewish people, it must be tough to see these things still being upheld and idealised in society and to still have to deal with the everyday realities of antisemitism as well. The fact that Chanel herself never really faced consequences of her actions makes it even worse so personally I would steer clear, as each bag you see with the logo smacked on the front sort of adds to the prestige of the brand.
This type of video is my favorite, and I hope this format continues.
Interesting video as always. But it feels a little off to dismiss the idea of 'Coco' Chanel being a feminist businesswoman and then go on to not even mention Karl Lagerfeld's comments about MeToo or plus sized women... He was a great designer and did some great things, but not everything was golden about his Chanel era either 🤷.
To be fair the only living thing Karl loved as much as himself was his cat Choupette.
Came here for this comment. Lagerfeld was problematic as was Coco. This is the second video Im watching where there is a lack of research done on important things.
I have absolutely zero desire to ever own a piece of luxury anything but I find learning about the history and wild goings on in that world fascinating! I really appreciate these videos and would love to see more from you!
I grew up in a Jewish museum, surrounded by Holocaust survivors. When I meet someone wearing Chanel or holding a Chanel handbag, I think "this person cares more about how they look in/with Chanel, than they care about supporting a label that collaborated with the Nazis." Because you don't wear a Chanel suit for the suit itself, you wearing it for the label, and that label helped fund and support those who murdered millions in a campaign of ethnic cleansing. I hope that's helpful.
I don’t think it’s totally fair to assume that every person that you see wearing Chanel is fine with Nazis… considering a lot of people had no clue that she had any connection to them.
@@tessabean4085 I always give people the benefit of the doubt; it's just a red flag for me. What Hannah was wondering about in the video - asking what the logo means to people who _do_ know about Coco Chanel's many collaborations with the Nazi party - is what I was addressing in my comment. Thanks for your input, and have a good night.
Don’t know how Chanel can redeem itself. Marc Jacobs designed for the company. Does that help make the murky past clean?
@@yvellebradley2502 Not for me. If it's enough for you, that's fine. This isn't something you _have_ to care about, and if you care more about owning something from Chanel than how the label makes some Jews feel, that's totally your prerogative.
I love that you're talking more about these topics. Can you make more videos on things like this, (Gucci,etc.)