Coco Chanel, she of Audrey Tatou's sad and limpid eyes, was what was known post WW2 as a "horizontal collaborator." That is, she fucked lots of high-level Nazis, including Hans Gunther von Dincklage, a Nazi 13-years her junior, who allowed Coco to bed with him at the Ritz, Nazi HQ in Paris. von Dincklage also allowed the beauty to maintain her hold on the 10% of the Chanel business that wasn't owned by a Jewish family called the Wertheimers. Further, she tried to get her well-positioned Nazi friends to "Aryanize" the Chanel business, that is, turn it over to her for a pittance.
After WW2, the adorable Coco fled to Switzerland for 15 years of exile to avoid prosecution for "abetting" the Nazis.
Somehow the Chanel brand was strong enough to overcome all this. But not strong enough to make me see the movie.
Sorry, just had to get this off my chest.
4 comments:
People forget too quickly and to easily.
...and there are others.
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/15/business/hugo-boss-acknowledges-link-to-nazi-regime.html
When I found out, about 12 years ago that Hugo Boss made uniforms for the nazis I threw out a rather well stocked wardrobe. Suits, shirts, ties, jackets.... Almost all my clothes were boss at the time. they seemed to fit my body well. But they didn't fit my heart and soul....
Stories like these remind me as to how little I actually know.
I agree this is all atrocious business (or business as usual?) but why stop at Coco and nazism? Lets look back and see what american (and world) companies conducted their business by taking advantage of slavery? Or lets look today, can you guarantee that your shirt which was "made in China" isn't made in a sweatshop. Further more, are you toiletries tested on animals? etc etc... My point is that what Coco's connection with Nazis drowns in similar atrocious businesses from the past and today. Now instead of boycotting companies that once did something wrong which would not be very profitable today, lets focus on TODAY and companies that get away with child labour, sweatshops, and animal torture daily which an average consumer supports. Lets make the right choice so that 100 or maybe 50 years from now, people don't judge us for the mistakes we keep ignoring today.
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