DELPHINE'S DREAM

While studying in Milan, a young fashion and travel blogger called Delphine has her jewellery and luxury bag collection stolen in a burglary at her apartment 😢.

After initial despair, she begins to build up a new collection. To this end, she goes on a window-shopping tour in Milan that ends with her buying two designer bags 🤗.

During the tour, the blogger provides insights into the product lines, features and histories of the respective fashion houses.

Together with her colleagues, Delphine goes on a field-trip to Paris that allows the reader to gain insight into many of the details of the Fashion Houses of Louis Vuitton, Hermès und Chanel. In her free time, she goes looking for another bag (Chanel 😉) and gifts for her mother.

During a ride with a friend of hers, she falls off her horse and loses consciousness 😱.

When Delphine regains consciousness, she finds herself in the year 1906 on the grounds of the Chateau Royallieu that belong to Étienne Balsan, a friend and patron of Coco Chanel, who herself is there when Delphine falls🤔. Together they make their way to the Chateau where the blogger meets her mother who turns out to be a journalist for Harper’s Bazaar. After having a medical examination, her life at the Chateau begins.
Over time, she gets to know the company around Coco Chanel: horse breeders, jockeys, actresses, journalists, opera singers, wealthy bon-vivants and … Gaston-Louis Vuitton 😌. The latter comes along after a jewellery theft takes place to prevent further such robberies with the help of the LV security lock.
Delphine learns to play polo and is witness to interesting conversations that touch on gossip over scandals, beauty and love as well as topics such as art, philosophy, photography, women’s rights, astrology, horses and fashion.

This part ends with a conversation between Coco Chanel and Vuitton in which the two give free rein to their creative thoughts on future products.

After a further jump in time to the year 1909, Delphine finds out that Gaston-Louis Vuitton is now married. Coco has, in the meantime, established herself as a milliner and is encouraged in her work by the great love of her life, Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel. She tells Delphine of the circumstances that led up to their relationship 😍.
Interesting conversations afford insights into religion, justice, politics, astronomy and art. Delphine also meets the Hermès family for the first time. This acquaintanceship soon develops into a friendship, particularly with one of the daughters, Jacqueline, who was then only 6 years old 🙂.
The time is spent in playing polo, visiting the theatre in Paris, going on donkey rides and having fun picnics where croquet is played, all of which is accompanied by much laughter and philosophising. This chapter also reveals the secret of the jewel theft 🧐.
The highlight is a meeting between Coco Chanel, Émile-Maurice Hermès and Gaston-Louis Vuitton in which the three discuss quality, craftsmanship, visions for the future and the history of the respective families and products.
After reviewing their time spent together at Royallieu, Delphine takes part in a last game of polo with Coco, which ends with her falling from her horse.