This week's Tastemaker Tuesday features Chanel, founder of Coco on Fifth, a home decor, style, beauty, food, and travel blog based in New York City.

Bonjour friends! My name is Chanel and I live in NYC. I grew up in Chicago and after high school began my college journey in upstate NY with hopes to end in New York City and work at a magazine. My career has been mainly in marketing working for different media companies, from digital to tv, and this with my interested in all things lifestyle has led me to start my blog Coco on Fifth.

I’ve been very lucky to have been surrounded by diversity at a young age. I am Latina, both of my parents are from Puerto Rico, and I grew up in Chicago. I’ve lived in many big cities and would visit Puerto Rico growing up which allowed me to spend time with family and connect with my roots. We also would plan trips as a family and I’ve carried this tradition as an adult. I think these experiences and where I’ve grown up have allowed me to bring a diverse perspective to life that I hope to share with my audience.

Chanel wears a popular Mestiza piece, the Stephanie Bow Dress in Yellow Chinoiserie.

I’ve wanted to start a blog since 2006 but was always afraid of doing it. Finally, I built the confidence to start and not focus on failure. I hope to help women live elegantly across lifestyle topics such as fashion and home décor. I want to show them that you can do this in an affordable way; I am a strong believer you can attain elegance without spending a lot of money on every single item you own.

I’ve really missed going to restaurants. My husband and I would often have weekend date nights in the city and loved trying new dining experiences since this city is filled with so many different types of restaurants. I hope soon we can go back to Le Coucou, the last restaurant we did indoor dining before lockdown. 

I don’t mean to sound cliché but I have to say Grace Kelly and Coco Chanel. My wedding dress was inspired by hers, so classic and timeless. I was named after Coco Chanel because my mom is a fashion designer and was always talking about how much Chanel inspired her artistically and influenced her designs, so I grew up having an appreciation for her style at a very young age.  

My wedding dress followed by my engagement ring.  My mom designed my dress, it was a little stressful but so special to go with her to the fashion district here in NYC, choose the fabric and the different types of lace, being part of the process created an unforgettable experience. My husband designed my engagement ring and worked many hours to get it right so that’s also very special to me.

I think it’s important to know your worth and believe in yourself. I know this is hard at times but if you can come back to this and stay true to yourself you can achieve what you set your mind to. Things I’ve been doing to empower myself have been working on my patience, creating “me time”, learning something new (currently taking classes at Pratt Institute in Interior Design), and networking. I wrote a blog post about this.

Because we need each other to have a more prosperous world. I think we have come a long way in equality and opportunity but there is so much more that needs to be done and I hope that my blog can help inspire, even if it’s in the smallest form. 

I love what the brand represents, providing women with beautiful and feminine pieces at a price that’s affordable. It goes back to what I believe in, we do not need to spend a fortune to feel good and look good, and Mestiza is doing a wonderful job in achieving this. 

I am obsessed with bows so when I saw the Stephanie Dress I knew we would be great friends. It truly fits like a glove and makes me feel like I am attending the opening night of the ballet, so glam and feminine. If you want to have your haute-couture moment I highly recommend this dress.