Free Coco Chanel Saved My Life by Danielle F. White Page A

made me laugh. He was right. I should lighten up.
    â€œI have to grab some lunch now. Do you want to have a beer tonight?”
    â€œTonight I have dinner with my favourite colleague. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
    â€œOk. Have a good evening!”
    I went to the café to order my usual cheese and ham toast and sparkling water, then I took a walk.
    Walking relaxed me. Sometimes I took the subway to discover new places, secret parts of Milan that made me feel at home. I found new interesting showrooms, little Chinese markets, eccentric nails spas and pretty boutiques. Wandering around made me feel as if I were still in Venice, although I didn’t hear that special sound of gondolas gliding in the water. I missed that terribly.
    On the way back to the office, I decided I would go shopping later that afternoon. I had lived in Milan for weeks now and hadn’t done any serious shopping yet. Shame on me! It was time to use my credit card.
    When I got out of the subway in via Manzoni it was almost seven. I headed towards Armani and then I took via Montenapoleone, the temple of fashion, and sped up; I really wanted to buy something before the stores closed.
    I’ve always been fascinated by fashion. It’s a world full of creativity, elegance and beauty. It helps us dream. I’ve never been a fashion victim who spends all their salary on designer clothes. I have my own style and look for clothes that fit my personality. Clothes, like women, must be unique. Coco Chanel said that
fashion is made to become unfashionable
. Every season it changes, re-invents itself. Yet there are the timeless pieces: the sheath dress (my beloved uniform – I even bought one in a sale at
Maison Chanel
in London!), tailored suits, black pants, cashmere sweaters and trench coats.
    I passed by the windows of Versace, Prada, Valentino, Etro and Gucci. Then I entered a small outlet that had fantastic bargains. I couldn’t resist. I looked around to see what would be right for me, something understated, but not too classic. I carefully avoided faux animal prints, skirts too short and leather, and began to look at dresses. Predictably, I picked up a beautiful sheath dress by Dolce &Gabbana and decided to try it on. In the fitting room I put it on and realized it was a little too big for me. Was it possible? I asked the salesgirl for advice and, after looking at me for a moment, she went back to bring the same dress in a smaller size. I felt my heart in my throat: was I really fitting into something that small? Slowly I tried it on, I pulled the zipper up and – a miracle! – it worked. And even without holding my breath. I was very excited. I couldn’t believe that love, unrequited love, had done the miracle. I had lost a lot of weight!
    I took the dress off, handed to the girl, almost shouting, “I’ll take it!!”
    Honestly I never thought that this would happen: Rebecca Bruni fitting into that size. It was front page news! I was so happy that I didn’t care about the price. I grabbed my shopping bag and proudly walked out into the warm Milanese evening.
    In front of the Gucci window, while walking fast, I stumbled into someone. His bags and mine fell on the ground. I bent down to pick them up, apologizing for being so clumsy. And – oh my god! – when I looked up I saw those unmistakable blue eyes.
    â€œWill we be able to meet one day without falling down or dropping something?” Etienne laughed, taking back his shopping bags.
    â€œPlease, excuse me. I always have my head in the clouds…”
    I noticed he had done some shopping at Versace and Gucci, and that he wore Armani jeans. I didn’t know errand boys had such big salaries!
    â€œA new dress?” he asked looking at my bag.
    â€œWell, yes. I needed it…” I answered, still excited about my new dress size!
    â€œI adore shopping in Milan, it’s the ideal city for it.” Then he added, “Do you