Little is known about the encounter that led to them, but the first painting was signed off on in 1967 while Californian painter Marion Pike was in Paris for a few months; Chanel was 84 years old. Marion Pike delicately set her nascent friendship with the Dame aux Camélias into a portrait that opens the quintet. 5: a number near and dear to Chanel’s heart. From 1967 to 1971, these imposing colored paintings were produced, giving five faces to one who normally claimed to only like black and white. Pieces from the Haute-couture collections designed by Coco will also be on display at the exhibit.
No doubt meant to give access to her eternal fringe, her laughingly mischievous eyes, this period unique to art… without beginning and without end, the portraits presented in this exhibit seem to invite one into and identify the relationship, the bonds, the encounter between two women: a painter and a Chanel who allowed the intimacy of her person to be revealed. Made possible by a loan from Marion Pike’s daughter, the project is also a way to honor an individual who did portraits of personalities like Ronald Reagan, Pope John-Paul II, and Lee Kwan Yew. Until November 16, the the London College of Fashion will also boast never-before-seen photographs of the two women, and as an added bonus, will also be exhibiting a number of Chanel garments and suits that the artist wore in her daily life.
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