Chanel and Her World: Friends, Fashion, and Fame

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883–1971) 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 life of the incomparable Coco Chanel shines again through hundreds of illustrations and the lively prose of Edmonde Charles-Roux, her official biographer and close friend. Chanel knew and collaborated with the likes of Picasso, Diaghilev, Stravinsky, Cocteau, Jean Renoir, and Visconti—even as she matched their modernist innovations by liberating women from the prison of 19th-century fashion and introducing a whole new concept of elegance. The staggering collection of photographs amassed by the author over decades of friendship with Chanel sheds new light on one of the great stories of the modern age.

 “A model pictorial biography.” ~ New York Times
 
“This Chanel biography is as elegantly turned out as its subject.” ~ The Washington Post
 
“This lavish photo tome brings depth to Chanel’s sleek façade while revealing the fascinating woman behind it.” ~ W
 
“Edmonde Charles-Roux (is) one of (Chanel’s) best biographers.” ~ The New Yorker
 
“There have been many books about Chanel, but this is the great classic.” ~ Art of the Times
 
“This beautiful volume contains hundreds of photographs and lively prose by its author, Edmonde Charles-Roux.” ~ American Salon
 
“Provides insight into the development of her sense of style and underscores the timelessness of her vision.” ~ Veranda

"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