Last week, the Normandy town of Deauville has hosted its 50th Festival of American Cinema. Created in 1975, the 10-day event annually presents around 100 American films and welcomes actors, directors and the public to the upmarket seaside resort.
Located a handy two and a half hours by car or train from Paris, Deauville itself has been a favourite weekend getaway destination for well-heeled Parisians since the mid-19th century, such that it’s often referred to as ‘Paris-sur-Mer’ or the Queen of the Normandy coast. It is prized for its long and sandy beach, beautiful Belle Epoque hotels, casino and racecourses.
During a second wave of development at the turn of the century, Deauville became a signature destination for the “fast set” – personified by the dashing English tycoon and polo player, Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel and his mistress, Coco Chanel.
In the summer of 1913, while the couple were staying in Deauville, Capel rented a boutique between the casino and the Hôtel Normandy for Chanel. Under the sign of her full name Gabrielle Chanel, initially selling hats, it was here that she took inspiration from the local fishermen’s marinières and sailors’ deck pants to invent a new summer fashion – a modern vision of women and androgynous clothing. “I’ve given women’s bodied back their freedom,” Chanel said.
The boutique was busy, as was Chanel herself. She took inspiration from the colour of wet beach sand to create a signature beige. Jockeys' saddlecloths at the racecourses inspired the quilted seams of her handbags. Seeing Deauville’s potential and popularity among the leisured classes, Chanel opened her first shop here in 1913, marking the birth of her fashion empire.