Dreaming of Chanel

GREAT DAY AT SIRROMET WINERY!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 22:23:00 +0000

Article and photos from the Redland Times Bayside Bulletin

Darnell day was dazzling fun

BY HAYLEY GOODACRE

24 Mar, 2011 12:00 AM

A MIX of fine wine, food and stunning vintage couture was on the menu when Sirromet Wines at Mount Cotton hosted a sell-out lunch with Charlotte Smith on March 18. Charlotte is owner of the Darnell Collection of vintage model gowns.She inherited the collection from her American godmother Doris Darnell in 2004. Her books Dreaming of Chanel and Dreaming of Dior (HarperCollins) are based on the collection.
"It's all vintage and it's all from my collection of about 5500 pieces," Charlotte said. "I've got thousands of designer dresses, and all the names like Chanel and Dior, Gucci, Zandra Rhodes, and Balenciaga.

"We've got Chanel coming out on the runway today, as well as Christobel Balenciaga and Emmanuel Ungaro."
The wine was flowing as models showed off some pieces from the collection throughout the two course lunch, while Charlotte shared the stories behind the garments.
The event supported Variety Queensland's Flood Appeal to provide equipment and services for sick, disadvantaged, and special needs children affected by recent floods in Queensland, as well as Hannah's Chance Foundation.

Richard Fidler and I after My Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:34:00 +0000

DARNELL COLLECTION AND DREAMING OF CHANEL TO APPEAR AT CRANLANA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:26:00 +0000

VARIETY QUEENSLAND'S FLOOD APPEAL BENEFIT TO FEATURE THE DARNELL COLLECTION AT THE SIRROMET WINERY, MT. COTTON, 18 MARCH

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:44:00 +0000

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO JOIN US, PLEASE

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!

THANK YOU.

AN AFTERNOON AT SIRROMET WINERY

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:00:00 +0000

sorry, this event has sold out!

Due to the huge success of our Dreaming of Dior lunch in 2010, Variety Qld proudly presents author Charlotte Smith and her new book Dreaming of Chanel – exclusively at Sirromet Winery. Please enquire about coaches leaving Brisbane CBD and the Gold Coast to get you there on the day…..

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO JOIN US, PLEASE HELP WITH YOUR SUPPORT--

HANNAH'S CHANCE FOUNDATION

VARIETY QUEENSLAND

FROM CALL COLLECT!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:08:00 +0000

ROARING 20'S IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte Smith) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Tourism NSW has a great poster and schedule of events for the exciting 'The Roaring 20s and all That Jazz' festival held in various gorgeous locations around the beautiful Blue Mountains. Hope to see you on the 13th for "Fashion Meets Fiction" - 9 stunning vintage outfits from the Darnell Collection await the catwalk!

SORRY, THIS EVEN HAS SOLD OUT!

www.visitbluemountains.com.au/roaring20s

"FASHION MEETS FICTION; MYSTERY, MURDER AND STYLE" AT THE CARRINGTON WITH THE DARNELL COLLECTION

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte Smith) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:31:00 +0000

When Fashion Meets Fiction: Romance, Mystery and Style

Extravagant dresses, racy accessories and intrigue suitable for a heroine in an Agatha Christie murder mystery will feature in this

one-off event of storytelling, conversation and fashion from the renowned Darnell Collection at the historic Carrington Hotel.

Garments from the 20s, 30s and 40s will be modelled on the catwalk.

Sunday February 13th

2pm – 3:30pm

Carrington Hotel grand diningroom, KatoombA

Charlotte Smith, owner and curator of The Darnell Collection, the largest private collection of vintage couture garments and accessories in Australia, will continue her series of fashion lectures at the Carrington. Charlotte will discuss fashion during the time Agatha Christie wrote many of her most famous mysteries. Guest will be entertained with conversation about Christie's life, her inspiration and her famous detectives. A display of rare and valuable dresses from the 20s will compliment a fashion parade of vintage dresses and accessories from the 20s through to the 40s. Following the catwalk parade a Q&A will take place.

SORRY, THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT!

FROM THE HERITAGE NEWSLETTER OF THE BLUE MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 21:45:00 +0000

TO READ THE ENTIRE NEWSLETTER CLICK HERE!

BY DESIGN WITH ALAN SAUNDERS - ABC NATIONAL RADIO AUSTRALIA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 10:37:00 +0000

Dreaming of Chanel is another trip round the wardrobe of Charlotte Smith, and what a wardrobe! It encompasses the huge collection of vintage clothes -- some as old as two hundred years -- that she inherited from her godmother and which is still growing: having started at 3,500 pieces, it has now, thanks to many donations, reached 6,000.

Charlotte's first book was called Dreaming of Dior. Now that she's dreaming of Chanel, we talk to her about how she sees the difference between these two major figures in the history of design.

We also discuss the uncertain future of the collection. It needs a home in which the items can be properly conserved and properly displayed not just to the public but to designers who can benefit from studying them.

Click here to listen to Alan and Charlotte discuss Dreaming of Chanel and the future of the Darnell Collection.

Humphries Newsagent in Manly stocks Dreaming of Chanel

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte Smith) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 08:21:00 +0000

My favourite newsagent in the whole of Sydney. They have supported both books and generously put my book on the cover of their summer reading magazine - as did lots of other independent book stores around Australia. Thank you! And my book is displayed next to Kelly Doust's great book "My Life in Frocks".

Dreaming of Chanel spotted in David Jones, Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte Smith) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:09:00 +0000

SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM THE PUBLISHER!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:56:00 +0000

My cup of tea: VINTAGE DREAMING AT THE BLACK CAT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 21:22:00 +0000

My cup of tea: Vintage dreaming: "Last night I went with three girlfriends and my two daughters to a book signing at The Black Cat book shop in Paddington, Brisbane. They had..."

CHARLOTTE TELLS THE DARNELL STORY!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

JOIN CHARLOTTE AT THE QUT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:47:00 +0000

Charlotte will discuss her new book, Dreaming of Chanel, at the QUT on Friday, December 10 · 11:00am - 12:00pm

2 George Street (QUT Gardens Point campus)

Brisbane, Australia

In Dreaming of Chanel, Charlotte Smith offers an unforgettable glimpse inside the magic wardrobe every woman would love to own.

Charlotte's godmother, Doris Darnell, made made her custodian of more than three thousand garments dating from 1790 to 1995.

Drawing from the book of stories that accompanied the collection, Charlotte charts the lives of the women who owned the garments and reveals that this wasn't merely a collection of beautiful things she had inherited, it was a precious collection of women's lives.

Join us to be one of the lucky few to have your copy of Dreaming of Chanel signed by the author Charlotte Smith. You can also view a selection of Chanel garments from her Collection which will be on display.

RSVP to artmuseum@qut.edu.au or 07 3138 5370

CHARLOTTE ON THE MORNING SHOW - CHANNEL 7 - AUSTRALIA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:01:00 +0000

LADY MELBOURNE INTERVIEWS CHARLOTTE!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:37:00 +0000

Happy Friday! Dreaming of Chanel Interview!

www.ladymelbourne.com.au

26 November 2010 - 10:00 AM

appy Friday!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Charlotte Smith, author of Dreaming of Chanel and custodian of the Darnell collection. Her previous work inDreaming of Dior has been a raging success in showing Australian and international readers just how special the collection really is.

In my little chat with her she shared some insights into her life living with one of the worlds most pre-eminant vintage fashion collections.

Why do you think out of all the family members Doris chose you as ‘custodian’?

 Initially I had no idea why she chose me. She was close to Chesley Larson whose dresses are featured in Dreaming of Dior. I would have thought that of all the family members it would be her who would get it. Dorris was still very much alive when I inherited it, and her passion was in keeping this collection together. Her family was slightly worried about the responsibility of keeping it together, as there are literally thousands of pieces and was almost relieved that I wanted to keep it on.

It’s connected the family and I now keep in contact with Dorris’s grandchildren. They are so thrilled that it has become an international collection.

There are moments when I’m under so much pressure to keep it going, but its so far down the road now that its looks after itself.

What has been the most surprising thing for you personally since inheriting the collection?

I’d say that when I first inherited the collection I didn’t know what to do with it. I battled against peer and family pressure to sell it. I followed my heart though because knew that I had something special.

What I’ve learnt over the last 7 years is that when you are really passionate about something and you want it to happen, it will. That’s been the most surprising thing. I can now stand up in front on a crowd of 400 people and deliver a speech, where I used to be quite shy.

I do these book signing’s for example, 260 people came in Brisbane recently and afterwards they all wanted it signed. Without looking like I was incredibly pleased with myself I had to balance peoples expectations of the luxury and vision versus, well, it’s just little old me doing this!

Have you found that people are more interested in what you yourself are wearing now that you are custodian of the collection?

 Oh yes, very much so! Today I went to a function at my daughter’s school. I didn’t wear anything vintage (I only wear my vintage for special occasions but not every day wear) but even when I dress like that people want to see me in vintage.

I make an effort to buy new designer in keeping with a couture image. How do people put petrol in their car wearing real couture?!

Do you wear the collection?

 Not that much, I like to wear dresses that have no stories. Not only am I worried that I might ruin the dress by spilling a drink over it, the stories are so important to the collection that I don’t want to spoil the intimacy by wearing someone else’s special outfit.

I loved your story that after inheriting the collection you purchased your very own Chanel suit. Do you intend to keep adding to the Darnell collection?

Yes, oh my gosh yes! Yesterday I had 5 boxes delivered from my old land lord’s great aunt’s house that’s been cleaned out.

Instead of people giving me one piece I’m starting to get ‘mini collections.’ With the suit I felt it was very important to have something like that in the collection. I wanted one that was actually designed by Chanel, not after she died in 1971. Grant designed the cover image based on photos I’d shown him before I had even purchased the suit. I was so determined to have it!

This one just by chance was absolutely my size, I’ve only worn it three times but what I’ve found is that as its in the 1960s its got quite a long skirt. I tend to wear the jacket with skinny jeans, or the skirt with a t-shirt.

How do you say no to things?

 I don’t! I never say no to anything. If you say no then you never know what else they might have that they decide, ‘oh well, she won’t want that!’

Eventually I’d like to set up a fashion resource centre for students. The marked garments are wonderful for students to study as they won’t be used but stored in boxes.

Why did you choose to have the books illustrated as opposed to photographed?

 That was really because we wanted to make sure that the stories were as important as the clothes. Photographs incite detail for the reader, where as illustrations are imaginary and the reader could imagine themselves in the clothes.

I’m passionate about social history and I wanted the clothes to be seen in that context.

It was important for me to continue the fantasy and the dream. This collection is a nostalgic journey through fashion.

BOOK SIGNING AND CHAT WITH CHARLOTTE SMITH AT BLACK CAT PADDINGTON IN BRISBANE, 9TH OF DECEMBER

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:59:00 +0000

BlackCat Paddington Stop everything! Charlotte Smith, author of Dreaming of Dior and Dreaming of Chanel, will be at Black Cat on Thur 9th Dec, 6pm,to tell us the delicious story of inheriting many lifetimes of extraordinary vintage dresses. There will be a fashion show by Adornments, champagne, light refreshments and fabulous company! If a night filled with champagne, nibbles, books and fashion sounds enticing, RSVP now to info@blackcatbooks.com.au Cost $15

BOOK LAUNCH AT QUT ART MUSEUM - 10 DECEMBER, 11 AM.

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte Smith) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:37:00 +0000

LISTEN TO MY INTERVIEW WITH MARGARET THROSBY!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte Smith) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:20:00 +0000

Mornings with Margaret Throsby

Monday 15 November 2010

10.05am Charlotte Smith
Curator of the Darnell Collection, Australia's largest private collection of vintage clothing and accessories.

Dreaming of Dior and Dreaming of Chanel are written by Charlotte Smith, illustrated by Grant Cowen and published by HarperCollins.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

WIN A $500 CHANEL COSMETIC GIFT PACK FROM HARPER COLLINS!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:07:00 +0000

Enter the Harper Colling Contest to win a $500 Chanel Cosmetic Gift Pack!

Full Terms and Conditions

1. Instructions on how to enter forms part of conditions of entry.
2. TO ENTER: log onto www.facebook.com/dreamingofchanel and follow the links to enter online.
3. Tell us in 25 words or less what designer piece you dream of owning and why.
4. Email your answer to promotions@harpercollins.com.au 4. Opening date for entries is 3rd November 2010 and closing date is 30th November 2010
5. All entries will be read and the most original and interesting response will win. There will be one winner. This is a game of skill and chance plays no part in determining the winner. The winner will be decided on the 3rd December 2010 and will be contacted within seven days by telephone and email and will be posted on the publisher’s web site at www.harpercollins.com.au
6. The prize consists of a $500 Chanel cosmetic gift pack. The prize is non-transferable and HarperCollins reserves the right to provide an alternative prize of equal value in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
7. Entry is open to Australian residents only. Employees of HarperCollins and their families are not permitted to enter.
8. Privacy statement: we will only use and store your personal information for the purposes disclosed to you, including sharing it with any other organisation that helps us provide goods or services to you. If you provide us with your e mail address we will provide you with marketing material informing you of goods or services that may be of interest to you. Please tell us on your entry if you do not want us to send you marketing materials.

WIN A COPY OF DREAMING OF CHANEL FROM CHIC INTELLIGENCE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:56:00 +0000

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Welcome to CHIC Intelligence

Welcome to Chic Intelligence packed full with styling tips, giveaways, and advice on what to wear this season.

And, get the chance to win one of five copies of the gorgeous new book, Dreaming of Chanel, by Charlotte Smith, just tell us your viewpoint on what experiences and articles you would like CHIC to offer going forward.

It is unbelievable that it is only 30 days till Christmas! If you are stuck for unique Christmas ideas, don’t forget that CHIC has gorgeous gift vouchers.

Your CHIC team

Understanding You Better – Dreaming of Chanel Book Giveaway

Go into the draw to win one of five copies of Dreaming of Chanel, by Charlotte Smith, by telling us what experiences you would like CHIC to offer going forward. Simply click here to complete the survey.

Check-out the gorgeous Dreaming of Chanel book just launched…

Inheriting a priceless vintage collection sounds like every woman’s dream come true. But when Charlotte Smith discovered that her American godmother, Doris Darnell, had made her custodian of more than three thousand pieces dating from 1790 to 1995, including originals by Chanel and Dior, she was more than a little daunted. From the moment Charlotte uncovered her first treasure, an exquisite 1920s evening dress, she was enchanted. But when she found her godmother’s book of stories, the true value of her inheritance hit home. This wasn't a mere collection of beautiful things, it was a precious collection of women’s lives. Tiny glimpses of our joys and disappointments, our entrances and exits, triumphant and tragic. In DREAMING OF DIOR, Charlotte shared some of her treasures and the stories of the women who wore them for the first time. Now, in DREAMING OF CHANEL with special appearances by Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes, Pucci, Akira and many more, Charlotte offers another unforgettable glimpse inside the magic wardrobe every woman would love to own.

Check out their facebook page

The Blue Mountains Gazette's review of my book launch at the Carrington Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte Smith) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:03:00 +0000

This really made me laugh and brought back memories of a great evening.

On page 2 of The Gazette:

"Puppy takes to catwalk"
Eight absolutely stunning vintage dresses that are part of the priceless Darnell Collection inherited by Blackheath's Charlotte Smith provided a thrilling, razzle dazzle treat for guests attending the book launch for Dreaming of Chanel on November 11.

Held inside the Art Deco grand ballroom of the Carrington Hotel, the launch also featured an 'in conversation' session between Charlotte Smith, who wrote the book, and Blackheath author Tara Moss, who recently penned The Blood Countess, which appropriately also has a fashion theme.

Sydney, the "cute little white dog"

The rare and exquisite vintage dresses wowed the audience and there was plenty of good humour shared by the two special guests too. At one stage arguably the most stunning dress, a rusty pink 1960s piece by Chanel, drew gasps from the crowd when a cute little white dog accompanying the model left its own little 'fashion statement' on the catwalk carpet.

"That wouldn't have minded the woman who wore this particular dress in the 60s", Charlotte said. "I'm sure she would have hired someone especially to walk alongside her to pick up any accessories left behind by the dog."

Of course, this was said as I was quickly scooping up the "statement" with my notes for the evening dressed in sequins and beads and tottering in Dolce & Gabana stilettos. I had to think quickly with the saying ringing in my ears - 'never work with children or animals'!

"THE PARTY DRESS" BY CHARLOTTE SMITH IN DECEMBER'S MADISON MAGAZINE - AUSTRALIA

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte Smith) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:18:00 +0000

Last chance to buy the December issue of Madison Magazine to read a story I wrote on "The Party Dress". Lots of Grant's beautiful illustrations are featured in the article.