Synopsis
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883-1971) is a fashion icon unlike any other. She invented modern clothing for women: at the height of the Belle poque, 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 fa ade 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, The best-selling, most abundantly illustrated biography available of fashion icon Coco Chanel, written by Edmonde Charles-Roux, her close friend and chosen official biographer. "A model pictorial biography." -- New York Times * "This Chanel biography is as elegantly turned out as its subject." -- Washington Post In this beautiful volume, the glorious life and world of the incomparable Coco Chanel shines again through lively text and a staggering collection of photographs, shedding new light on one of the great stories of the modern age. Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883-1971) is a fashion icon unlike any other, arguably the most influential designer of the 20th century, whose creations remain as popular today as when they were introduced a century ago. She invented modern, chic clothing for women: she freed them from corsets, bobbed their hair, put them in simple bathing suits, and sent them out to get tanned in the sun. She introduced slacks, costume jewelry, the exquisitely comfortable and elegant knit suit, the "little black dress," and the now-ubiquitous quilted handbag. She made the first couture perfumeNo. 5which remains the most popular scent ever created. And she knew and collaborated with the leading creative minds of her day: the likes of Picasso, Diaghilev, Stravinsky, Cocteau, Jean Renoir, and Viscontias she matched their modernist innovations by liberating women from the prison of 19th-century fashion and introducing a whole new concept of style.
