Closet Confidential: 5 Miamians and Their Fashion Obsessions
Lauren Sturges-Fernandez, 35, adores Chanel. Her Biscayne Bay bedroom is an homage to the French label, an ode to Coco. “It is a full-on tribute, all in ivory and black.” The headboard of the bed is black lambskin quilted like a Chanel purse. The couch is upholstered in Linton tweed, the tweed Coco used for her trademark suits. And the closet has glass shelves that light up, so Sturges-Fernandez can enjoy her collection of bags, jewelry, and clothing “as the beautiful objects of art that they are.”
Sturges-Fernandez was first bitten by the Chanel bug when she was a mere 10-year-old living in New Jersey. “My father took me to the Chanel boutique at Bloomingdale’s to buy a sautoir for my mother.” The cost ($375) represented a lot of saved allowance money, and a little help from home. She finds much to love about the label. “Chanel was a super-high-end name that was universally known, even in the mid ’80s when luxury was not as accessible to the middle class. Chanel had a presence; it had a makeup line and the perfumes. And my mother held Chanel in high esteem. To this day, it’s a collection passion my mom and I share. We swap pieces.”