Misia Sert & Coco Chanel

by Marlies Dekkers

 Do you believe in friendship at first sight? I certainly do. To me, friendship is a very passionate thing; souls being touched, hearts forging an eternal bond. My BFF’s are everything to me! That’s why I LOVE the story of Misia Sert and Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel. When they met each other, during a dinner party in 1917, that was it. “I love your coat,” pianist and patroness of the arts Misia (link to first blog) told Coco. The fashion icon immediately took off her red velvet fur-trimmed coat and put it on Misia as a gift.

Misia didn’t accept, but the next morning she visited Coco at her boutique at Rue Cambon. They found out they had a lot in common: a lethal wit, a love of gossip, and youths spent in a monestary. They became BFF’s. When Coco’s lover Arthur Capel died in a car accident, Misia took her to Venice, where she introduced Coco to Sergey Diaghilev and a life of beauty and art. Through Misia, Coco met the greatest artists of the time; from Picasso to the poet Stéphane Mallarmé, resulting in many unforgettable artistic liaisons. Misia would later claim that she had suggested that Coco try perfumes. We all know what happened next: the creation of Chanel No. 5.

I believe true friends embrace each other’s darker side. “I was attracted by her genius, sarcasm and maniacal destructiveness,” Misia would say about Coco. They would go on crazy road trips together, like Thelma and Louise avant la lettre, causing scandal everywhere they went. Were they lovers? Probably. It would have fit the passionate and playful nature of their friendship. They were certainly loyal. In 1950, Chanel buried the blind and impoverished 78-year-old Misia, former ‘Queen of Paris’. She laid out her friend’s body on a bed of flowers, a work of art till the very end. Best Friends Forever…

Inspired by the passion and play of female friendships, I designed a delightfully naughty lingerie set: MISIA loves COCO. Click if you dare!

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Maison Marlies blog

The marlies|dekkers brand offers a wide variety of lingerie that can be worn by anyone and caters to every woman’s individual needs. Within our Maison Marlies blog you can read all about the life behind and surrounding the company. Whether you are eager to know where Marlies gets her inspiration for designing new lingerie collections, her lifestyle, healthy cooking ideas, or simply to share her taste in amazing art - you will find it in the blog. Our fearless creative director manages to find time to write about her business trips and even her shopping sprees and vacations for the times she can let her hair down for a while. And even while she is on holiday she will not leave you hanging.

Giving style advice

When you are feeling lost in finding the right fit or determine your bra size, Maison Marlies offers a set of guidelines so that you can continue shaking your bon bons without them falling out. You'll get style tips on how to wear and style your bras, and bikinis. You would not want a wardrobe malfunction which can actually be prevented when you are wearing high quality luxury lingerie. And when your breasts are kept in place in marlies|dekkers bras or bikinis, you can fully celebrate your femininity in all its glory and full potential. The blog offers advise on how to mix and match womens lingerie to boost, inspire your own fashion sense and keeps you updated on the latest fashion trends.

Marlies and friends

Her celebrity friends are also very pleased with that perfect fit a marlies|dekkers bra can offer you. These women proudly show off their marlies|dekkers lingerie sets in photoshoots for magazines, on stage when they're performing, during a cameo on tv or on the big screen in movies. Maison Marlies dedicates a special section of the blog to all gender equality related news so you are always updated about the latest developments around this special mission that embodies Marlies’ vision for the future.