When Elsa finally resurfaces in episode six, Chanel has exiled herself in Switzerland following the end of the occupation, fearful her relationship with the Nazis could lead to her persecution. Elsa, meanwhile, ends up overdosing on morphine in Chanel’s hotel room, as the show flashes back to their shared youth in Moulins, France, where they performed in nightclubs together.
In real life, however, Vera was Chanel’s companion in Operation Modellhut, while Misia grappled with drug addiction.
Who was Vera Bate Lombardi?
Born Vera Nina Arkwright in London in 1883, Vera could be considered royal-adjacent, given her mother’s second marriage to George William Adolphus FitzGeorge (the great-grandson of King George III of the United Kingdom). Vera’s first marriage was to an American, Frederick Blantford Bate, in 1916, after which she wed Alberto Lombardi, a member of the Italian Fascist Party.
Vera was an active sportswoman and equestrian who ran in aristocratic circles, becoming a valuable associate of Chanel’s. At the time, the designer was keen on showing her couture to deep-pocketed Englishwomen, and not only was Vera an embodiment of the modern “Chanel woman,” but she also had impressive contacts. She’d go on to work with Chanel as a publicist before doing a stint with couturier Edward Molyneux.
