The parents who named one daughter after a designer house.. what kind of materialistic leanings are they projecting?!! And the kid in the Harvard sweater... talk about pressure. Do you think she has to attend ballet, piano and Anglo-French Literature Critical Analysis classes every day? Can't kids have a normal childhood anymore.
--posted by CH @ Monday, February 17 2003, 8:08 am EST
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, also known as Coco Chanel, is a great role model for women. The fashion house which she began in the early 20th century helped to liberate women's fashions from the restrictive styles popular at the time. Relaxed and casual clothes replaced corsets and long dresses with petticoats.
College is a wonderful environment for immersing onself in education and learning about other cultures and people. Why not let your child know about some of the best institutions in the world and give them the dream that one day, they too might be able to attend? Better to shoot for the stars and hit the moon than encourage listlessness and lethargy.--posted by Adam @ Monday, February 17 2003, 13:53 pm EST
I think both of these comments are off. First, the Harvard kid could very well be wearing the sweater because her parents or siblings attended harvard. Very reasonable to wear it if that's the case.
Second, Chanel as a role model? Maybe in feminist studies. But in the real world, she was a chain smoker, cabaret lady who married a millionare whom financed her haute couture business. She could care less for the common women of this world, who could never afford her designs anyway.
I very much doubt this name was given because of her being a role model. It was probably given because, as the namesake's web site says, Chanel is "one of the most prestigious luxury brands in the world." That's what everyone knows about Chanel. People don't really know anything about her life. And I think that giving this kid a first name that is really a last name with such connotation can hardly be positive for this child. A responsible parent would have figured out that the name carries certain baggage with it that is not what you would like a kid to have to go through. They could have called her Gabrielle, right?
--posted by RC @ Tuesday, February 18 2003, 5:22 am EST
Well, it just so happens that I was at the event and was able to speak to both Jennifer and Chanel. Here are some facts:
#1 Jennifer's family recently visited Harvard. That's where they got the sweather.
#2 I personally think Chanel is a beautiful name. Contrary to my previous post, I doubt that her parents were thinking of Coco Chanel's history when they gave her that name. They probably thought it was a nice name and left it at that.
And, that's going to be the end of this conversation. If you want to continue this thread, you can do so at your leisure offline.
--posted by Adam @ Tuesday, February 18 2003, 12:36 pm EST