What is Coco Chanel about?
Filled with fresh new research and never-before-seen photos, this updated edition of the definitive fashion biography of Coco Chanel deepens our understanding of the history and legacy of the incredible woman who shaped modern fashion and created an empire of haute couture.
Coco Chanel was an extraordinary inventor, conjuring up the little black dress, bobbed hair, trousers for women, contemporary chic, bestselling perfumes, and the most successful fashion brand of all time. But she also invented herself, fashioning the myth of her own life with the same dexterity as her couture; and what lies beneath her own glossy surface is darker, more mysterious, and far more intriguing.
Uncovering remarkable new details about Gabrielle Chanel’s humble early years, Justine Picardie picks up the legend where it began—in orphanhood and poverty. Throwing new light on her passionate and, at times, dark relationships and providing profound insights into her connections with Cocteau, Diaghilev, Picasso, and Dali, this beautifully constructed portrait gives a fresh and penetrating look at what made this style icon the strong-spirited and powerful presence she became. An authoritative account, based on personal observations and interviews with Chanel’s last surviving friends, employees, and relatives, the book also unravels her coded language and symbols and tracks the influence of her formative years on her legendary style.
Feared and revered by the rest of the fashion industry, Coco Chanel died in 1971 at the age of 87, but her legacy lives on. This special new edition has been extensively revised and updated and offers a uniquely authoritative account of the world’s greatest designer. Adding fresh new insights and discoveries, it comes complete with a compelling array of previously unseen images from the Chanel archives.
This meticulously researched biography reveals:
- From Poverty to Power: Remarkable new details about Gabrielle Chanel’s humble beginnings in orphanhood and poverty, and the formative years that shaped her legendary style.
- The Woman Behind the Brand: A penetrating look at how Chanel invented not only her brand, but herself—and the darker, more mysterious story that lies beneath the glossy surface.
- Artistic Connections: Profound insights into her passionate and, at times, dark relationships with cultural titans like Cocteau, Diaghilev, Picasso, and Dali.
- Decoding the Style: An exploration of Chanel’s coded language and symbols, unraveling how she conjured up the little black dress, trousers for women, and contemporary chic.
- Exclusive New Material: A compelling array of previously unseen images from the Chanel archives, added to this extensively revised and updated edition.