Chanel and Her World: Friends, Fashion, and Fame
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (18831971) is a fashion icon unlike any other. She invented modern clothing for women: at the height of the Belle Époque, she stripped women of their corsets and feathers, bobbed their hair, put them in bathing suits, and sent them out to get tanned in the sun. She introduced slacks, costume jewelry, and the exquisitely comfortable suit. She made the first couture perfume—No. 5—which remains the most popular scent ever created. In this beautiful volume, the glorious...
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"Fashion is always a reflection of its own time, but we forget this if it is stupid." This is among the quotes of legendary fashion designer Chanel (1883-1971) collected in this biography. A former editor-in- chief of the French edition of Vogue, depicts her transformation from poor orphan Gabrielle to modern trend-setter Coco Chanel. Numerous photos show the diverse influences on her (e.g., Picasso, Russian ballet, black entertainer Josephine Baker), and Chanel's simply elegant style for women that included slacks, bobbed hair, the little black dress, and Chanel no. 5 perfume. (Her often-present cigarette is no longer fashionable.) Edmonde includes Colette's portrait of Chanel at work and notes on Karl Lagerfeld, her professional heir. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
