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Coco Chanel: A Biography
Chanel. The name means fashion and perfume, emancipation and casual feminine allure. Gabrielle Chanel began as a kept woman making hats for her lover's other mistresses and went on to become fashion's greatest career woman. She never married or had children, but men like Igor Stravinsky and the Duke of Westminster abandoned their families for her. Now Axel Madsen tells Chanel's story. Scheduled to become a TV miniseries starring Jane Seymour. 32 illustrations.
388 pages
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
March 29, 2019
4,25 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover - 🌹🌹🌹
een nieuwe creatie, een kledingstuk of ik. 🍒🍒🍒
Zo, wat een vrouw, ik ben gek op haar kledingstukken ( waar ik nooit in zou passen) maar nog gekker op haar parfum. Mooi dat ik via dit boek wat meer over haar te weten ben gekomen. 🦋🦋🦋
een nieuwe creatie, een kledingstuk of ik. 🍒🍒🍒
Zo, wat een vrouw, ik ben gek op haar kledingstukken ( waar ik nooit in zou passen) maar nog gekker op haar parfum. Mooi dat ik via dit boek wat meer over haar te weten ben gekomen. 🦋🦋🦋
September 14, 2018
I have always been fascinated with the life of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (and not just because we share a first name!), and I have read just about every book about her I could get my hands on. Axel Madsen’s biography is probably my favourite book detailing the life of this fashion icon/revolutionary, entrepreneur, sponsor of the arts and generally enigmatic woman.
Madsen does an excellent job giving the reader a lot of historical, cultural and political context to frame the story of this very unique woman’s life: the first half of the 20th century saw the world change very significantly, and Chanel had a crucial role to play in the definition of modern women’s fashion, as well as being a trailblazer as a business woman. But it is undeniable that the story of Chanel’s life often reads like fiction: it is a Hollywood-worthy rags-to-riches story with plenty of tragedy, romance, political intrigue and famous artists! But this woman’s story does not have a very happy ending…
Chanel, in my view, can be best described as a survivor: a lonely woman who had known bitter poverty, cruel parental abandonment and deep heartbreak decided to live her life in a way that would protect her against such things ever happening again. This means that the woman described in the pages of Madsen’s book was driven, strong and resourceful, but also deeply neurotic, given to embellish the past out of pride (and shame), and ruthless when she had to protect what she saw as rightfully hers. Obviously, she is not always likable, but I found this biography quite compassionate: knowing what she went through to get where she was, it is difficult to judge her as a bad person.
Her love of comfort, liberty and physical exercise – which is reflected in the clothing she created – was truly a revolution, as women’s fashion of the Belle Époque dictated they be trapped in corsets, yards of heavy skirts and huge, overly ornamental hats. She hated those restrictive attires, which did not suit her boyish figure and kept her from riding, walking and working comfortably – so she scraped it all away and made clothes women could actually move in, that highlighted them – so that the attention would not be drawn to the clothes, but on the person wearing them. Her ideas and style are still present in women’s clothing today: every time you see a black dress, tweed worn with silk or satin, long string of pearls or chunky-linked chains, you are looking at her legacy!
I understand why some elements of her life are often romanticized by novelists: how dramatic to think that after Boy Capel’s death she vowed to bring the whole world into mourning with her and designed what would become the little black dress, or that her affair with Stravinsky and patronage of the Ballets Russes was a result of the near riot caused by the first showing of “The Rite of Spring”! This is all very cinematic, for sure, but Madsen’s book also focuses on her work, the building of her business empire, her friendships with people like Jean Cocteau and Winston Churchill. As juicy as her love life might have been, I find those aspects of her story much more interesting!
Some aspects of her life remain shrouded with ambiguity, but as Madsen says from the very beginning, Chanel lied a lot (mostly to hide her humble origins and to conceal her age): she made herself an unreliable narrator, so information gathered from friends, family and business relations may be accurate, but up to a point. Her involvement with the Baron von Dincklage might have been the simple comfort of romance at an age when most women give up on even expecting it, or it might have been something more nefarious. The bottom line is that we’ll probably never really know for sure…
The sour aspect of this biography is the often repeated pattern of loneliness: despite numerous romantic entanglements, Chanel never got married and never had children. Partly out of stubborn independence and dedication to her work, but also out of bad luck; many people she was very close to passed away, and two of her most significant relationships were with men who couldn’t marry her because of social conventions. Could she have “had it all” had she lived today? I’d like to think so, but who can say?
If you are curious about the life of this extraordinary woman, this might not be the flashiest biography available, but I found it to be the most comprehensive and well researched. Highly recommended!
Madsen does an excellent job giving the reader a lot of historical, cultural and political context to frame the story of this very unique woman’s life: the first half of the 20th century saw the world change very significantly, and Chanel had a crucial role to play in the definition of modern women’s fashion, as well as being a trailblazer as a business woman. But it is undeniable that the story of Chanel’s life often reads like fiction: it is a Hollywood-worthy rags-to-riches story with plenty of tragedy, romance, political intrigue and famous artists! But this woman’s story does not have a very happy ending…
Chanel, in my view, can be best described as a survivor: a lonely woman who had known bitter poverty, cruel parental abandonment and deep heartbreak decided to live her life in a way that would protect her against such things ever happening again. This means that the woman described in the pages of Madsen’s book was driven, strong and resourceful, but also deeply neurotic, given to embellish the past out of pride (and shame), and ruthless when she had to protect what she saw as rightfully hers. Obviously, she is not always likable, but I found this biography quite compassionate: knowing what she went through to get where she was, it is difficult to judge her as a bad person.
Her love of comfort, liberty and physical exercise – which is reflected in the clothing she created – was truly a revolution, as women’s fashion of the Belle Époque dictated they be trapped in corsets, yards of heavy skirts and huge, overly ornamental hats. She hated those restrictive attires, which did not suit her boyish figure and kept her from riding, walking and working comfortably – so she scraped it all away and made clothes women could actually move in, that highlighted them – so that the attention would not be drawn to the clothes, but on the person wearing them. Her ideas and style are still present in women’s clothing today: every time you see a black dress, tweed worn with silk or satin, long string of pearls or chunky-linked chains, you are looking at her legacy!
I understand why some elements of her life are often romanticized by novelists: how dramatic to think that after Boy Capel’s death she vowed to bring the whole world into mourning with her and designed what would become the little black dress, or that her affair with Stravinsky and patronage of the Ballets Russes was a result of the near riot caused by the first showing of “The Rite of Spring”! This is all very cinematic, for sure, but Madsen’s book also focuses on her work, the building of her business empire, her friendships with people like Jean Cocteau and Winston Churchill. As juicy as her love life might have been, I find those aspects of her story much more interesting!
Some aspects of her life remain shrouded with ambiguity, but as Madsen says from the very beginning, Chanel lied a lot (mostly to hide her humble origins and to conceal her age): she made herself an unreliable narrator, so information gathered from friends, family and business relations may be accurate, but up to a point. Her involvement with the Baron von Dincklage might have been the simple comfort of romance at an age when most women give up on even expecting it, or it might have been something more nefarious. The bottom line is that we’ll probably never really know for sure…
The sour aspect of this biography is the often repeated pattern of loneliness: despite numerous romantic entanglements, Chanel never got married and never had children. Partly out of stubborn independence and dedication to her work, but also out of bad luck; many people she was very close to passed away, and two of her most significant relationships were with men who couldn’t marry her because of social conventions. Could she have “had it all” had she lived today? I’d like to think so, but who can say?
If you are curious about the life of this extraordinary woman, this might not be the flashiest biography available, but I found it to be the most comprehensive and well researched. Highly recommended!
June 17, 2010
I love, love, love fashion and wasn’t disappointed with the details in this book. The book included much more political history than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. I also enjoyed reading about the melding of art, music, literature, theater, and fashion in 1920’s and 1930’s France; what a bright lively place the author takes you to! Suddenly though, the Second World War comes to France and the book grinds to a rather slow pace. I had a hard time getting through the second half of the book. It wasn’t just that due to the war France wasn’t full of ‘joie de vivre’, but I felt myself becoming a little disenchanted with Coco.
There’s no denying that Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel was a formidable talent and great visionary. She liberated women from the corset and revolutionized women’s fashion in such a way that we still feel the effects today. This is the first biography that I have read of Coco Chanel, so perhaps the book is skewing my view, but under the exciting people, places, and glamorous events I was disturbed to find Coco was not exactly what I imagined. She just seemed neurotic, somewhat of a pathological liar, and at times helpless. She did have a very traumatic youth, but at some point I wanted her to stand up and take control of her life without depending on the support of wealthy playboys, or perking up by treating other people harshly. But perhaps that’s the point; just because we have an idea about someone and their legacy, doesn’t mean that they weren’t a real person with real feelings and flaws…
There’s no denying that Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel was a formidable talent and great visionary. She liberated women from the corset and revolutionized women’s fashion in such a way that we still feel the effects today. This is the first biography that I have read of Coco Chanel, so perhaps the book is skewing my view, but under the exciting people, places, and glamorous events I was disturbed to find Coco was not exactly what I imagined. She just seemed neurotic, somewhat of a pathological liar, and at times helpless. She did have a very traumatic youth, but at some point I wanted her to stand up and take control of her life without depending on the support of wealthy playboys, or perking up by treating other people harshly. But perhaps that’s the point; just because we have an idea about someone and their legacy, doesn’t mean that they weren’t a real person with real feelings and flaws…
February 1, 2009
If you like biographies and you're at all interested in fashion, you will adore this book! Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel changed the way women dress forever with her simple, modern approach to clothing. Things we take for granted today like the little black dress, sling back shoes, the quilted bag, a suit, and a long strand of pearls, all exist simply because Chanel was wholly original and willing to take risks. She had no money, but she always had influence because she believed in herself completely. The fact that she came from absolutely nothing and created a huge life for herself (the one she always believed she deserved in the first place) is truly inspirational. The fact that the "Chanel" style still has tremendous influence on the way we wear and think about clothing, is simply fabulous! Tres Chic!!
June 11, 2019
An incredible book about an amazing visionary who changed the way women dressed.
April 17, 2021
Kronologisesti etenevä, perinteinen elämäkerta. Paljon ajankuvaa ja muotipiirien kuvausta. Chanelin persoonasta välittyy kiinnostava, voimakas kuva.
April 15, 2012
This book was greater than I expected. "Coco Chanel: A Biography" gave me an insight into many things other than fashion, including politics and women in France. Coco Chanel changed women not only in the way they dress, but also in their mentality.
Coco learned to dress make from the nuns at the orphanage and began working at a dressmakers. She started her first shop form the money from Etienne Balsan and the rest is history. Coco had many lovers through her life but I was surprised when she closed her shops throughout the war. I assumed, because she was so hardworking, she would stay open but she didn't. She led an interesting life and after her death, her legacy continued through work ethic and in the fashion industry like a suntan which was shoned, the Chanel suit and the little black dress. Its amazing to think that these things which are evident in ordinary life, were started by the amazing woman, Coco Chanel.
It was an amazing biography and I learnt so much about her life and her mentality towards women. The fact that she never got married is interesting too. She was absorbed into her work that she didn't want to get married even though she had many lovers. I would love to read more about her, some that focus more on her work.
Coco learned to dress make from the nuns at the orphanage and began working at a dressmakers. She started her first shop form the money from Etienne Balsan and the rest is history. Coco had many lovers through her life but I was surprised when she closed her shops throughout the war. I assumed, because she was so hardworking, she would stay open but she didn't. She led an interesting life and after her death, her legacy continued through work ethic and in the fashion industry like a suntan which was shoned, the Chanel suit and the little black dress. Its amazing to think that these things which are evident in ordinary life, were started by the amazing woman, Coco Chanel.
It was an amazing biography and I learnt so much about her life and her mentality towards women. The fact that she never got married is interesting too. She was absorbed into her work that she didn't want to get married even though she had many lovers. I would love to read more about her, some that focus more on her work.
October 3, 2012
This is one of the best books about the details of Coco's life. It is complete, and chronicles Coco's entire life. I was pleasantly surprised by the political history that was included. As much as i love Coco's contribution to fashion i really was not pleased to learn of her anti-semitic behaviour and ideology. Her ruthless drive for perfection, wealth, power, and love made for an interesting read.
April 25, 2017
I am not a fashion conscientious person. I have little knowledge of the histoy of fashion. While reading The Secret Lives of Colours (fantastic read!!!) I came across two names that intrigued me: Coco Chanel and Elsie de Wolfe. I had of course heard of Chanel but not de Wolfe. I looked for both of their memoirs and biographies but could only find a few of Chanels. I don't think I picked the best biographer.
At times I was completely lost as to who I was reading about. Due to the large number of French, German and Russian names, many of whom shared first or last names, and titles that were used instead of given names only part of the time, was very confusing! I read on anyway. The author also has a very bad habit of telling a part of a story only to backtrack a few years in the next paragraph to then jump ahead a little while later.
As far as giving me an idea of who Coco Chanel was, well that the author did very well. I don't think I would have cared for Chanel. She seemed vapid and unforgiving. One thing I can apprecaite was her dedication to liberating women from corsets and restictive clothing. She wanted women to be the main draw, not 15 yards of cloth draped over petticoats. She revolutionized womens fashion. She made comfort and class the fashion of the day. Clean lines, tailored skirts and jackets, clothes with pockets that enabled women to move with comfort. Fabulous. I have always loved a tailored look and especially any style taken from mens fashion and feminized. I had no idea it was Coco Chanel who first took mens fashion and redesigned it for women. Military jackets and coats for women? Um, hell yes!
At times I was completely lost as to who I was reading about. Due to the large number of French, German and Russian names, many of whom shared first or last names, and titles that were used instead of given names only part of the time, was very confusing! I read on anyway. The author also has a very bad habit of telling a part of a story only to backtrack a few years in the next paragraph to then jump ahead a little while later.
As far as giving me an idea of who Coco Chanel was, well that the author did very well. I don't think I would have cared for Chanel. She seemed vapid and unforgiving. One thing I can apprecaite was her dedication to liberating women from corsets and restictive clothing. She wanted women to be the main draw, not 15 yards of cloth draped over petticoats. She revolutionized womens fashion. She made comfort and class the fashion of the day. Clean lines, tailored skirts and jackets, clothes with pockets that enabled women to move with comfort. Fabulous. I have always loved a tailored look and especially any style taken from mens fashion and feminized. I had no idea it was Coco Chanel who first took mens fashion and redesigned it for women. Military jackets and coats for women? Um, hell yes!
February 20, 2025
"Coco Chanel, who died on a Sunday—the only day, her friends said, that could kill her-was a force and a legend in her time."
The subject of Coco Chanel is a fascinating read. There are a handful of books written about her so I tried to do my homework and find the best one to read. After finishing Madsen's account, I appreciated her thoroughness but often found her sentences to be bulky and over-sophisticated. I did appreciate her neutral account and felt there was little conjecture on her part.
I knew a bit about Gabrielle's destitute beginnings and quite a bit about her rags to couture story. Happily the book explored how the war changed everything for women. This moment of drastic change and the perfect setting for Chanel to streamline the way women dress. Wartime put women in factories, driving ambulances, and even encouraged them to slim down in order to use less fabric.
While there was plenty written about her famous perfume I was disappointed her handbags weren't mentioned at all. There are many design aspects to them that are so fascinating I think they deserved inclusion.
Overall I felt like there was a lot of great information here, despite so many bloated sentences.
The subject of Coco Chanel is a fascinating read. There are a handful of books written about her so I tried to do my homework and find the best one to read. After finishing Madsen's account, I appreciated her thoroughness but often found her sentences to be bulky and over-sophisticated. I did appreciate her neutral account and felt there was little conjecture on her part.
I knew a bit about Gabrielle's destitute beginnings and quite a bit about her rags to couture story. Happily the book explored how the war changed everything for women. This moment of drastic change and the perfect setting for Chanel to streamline the way women dress. Wartime put women in factories, driving ambulances, and even encouraged them to slim down in order to use less fabric.
While there was plenty written about her famous perfume I was disappointed her handbags weren't mentioned at all. There are many design aspects to them that are so fascinating I think they deserved inclusion.
Overall I felt like there was a lot of great information here, despite so many bloated sentences.
October 22, 2010
A fascinating biography of a compelling, enigmatic, gifted and forthright woman who revolutionized fashion the world over.
July 24, 2020
I’ve only been reading this for two weeks?? Seems longer.
I got this for free years ago, still in the wrapping. Chanel was definitely a tour de force and her life was fascinating and boring at the same time. Fascinating because she could maneuver through just about anything, it seems. She had quite a few admirable qualities and confidence in spades. The boring parts, for me, were all the names and places. Granted, this book was published in 1990 so maybe Lady Abdy was a more recognized name (or pick just about any royal title in this book) but I ended up just glossing over most of them. There were a lot of names and I ended up not caring. The war chapters were pretty bad as well because these aristocrats seemed very “ inconvenienced” while, literally, millions of people were dying. So that was hard to get through. Madsen didn’t shy away from anyone’s faults so that was good on him although, he seemed to refer to other Chanel biographies frequently which made me wonder why I was reading this one.
If you are super into Chanel or fashion designer biographies, give this a whirl. Great pictures are included and I referred to them frequently.
I got this for free years ago, still in the wrapping. Chanel was definitely a tour de force and her life was fascinating and boring at the same time. Fascinating because she could maneuver through just about anything, it seems. She had quite a few admirable qualities and confidence in spades. The boring parts, for me, were all the names and places. Granted, this book was published in 1990 so maybe Lady Abdy was a more recognized name (or pick just about any royal title in this book) but I ended up just glossing over most of them. There were a lot of names and I ended up not caring. The war chapters were pretty bad as well because these aristocrats seemed very “ inconvenienced” while, literally, millions of people were dying. So that was hard to get through. Madsen didn’t shy away from anyone’s faults so that was good on him although, he seemed to refer to other Chanel biographies frequently which made me wonder why I was reading this one.
If you are super into Chanel or fashion designer biographies, give this a whirl. Great pictures are included and I referred to them frequently.
January 31, 2018
This was really quite interesting: I'd already assumed that Ms. Chanel's life was quite an adventure, but comprehensive biographies aren't always such a dependable thrill ride. Madsen obviously did heaps of research, and managed to piece the bits together to highlight the crucial elements, dropping the unessential like dressmaker's pins to the floor (careful where you step).
I've bookmarked a half-dozen pages for my own furthered research: Movies she costumed, crucial style elements, personalities she clothed, and shoulders she rubbed. Here's evidence that she was inspired by those she inspired, and I'd give anything for a community like that! Aside from the wealth (not that I'd scoff it), Chanel was an artist who communed with artists--people who challenged standards, and grew with and from each other. No wonder she left her mark!
I've bookmarked a half-dozen pages for my own furthered research: Movies she costumed, crucial style elements, personalities she clothed, and shoulders she rubbed. Here's evidence that she was inspired by those she inspired, and I'd give anything for a community like that! Aside from the wealth (not that I'd scoff it), Chanel was an artist who communed with artists--people who challenged standards, and grew with and from each other. No wonder she left her mark!
July 23, 2018
I had a hard time deciding between "it was ok" and "I liked it" for this book.
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was an interesting character, of that there is no doubt. But for reasons I can't really put my finger on, Axel Madsen's telling of her story left me cold.
Chanel seemed to spend most of her life reinventing her personal history. Her talent as a designer was never in question but her life before, during and after WW II is something else. Was she a heartless Nazi sympathizer or just a woman with a dysfunctional family background trying to survive as best she could? I think that you would draw your own conclusion after reading this book. Or, like me, you could remain confused and just admire her very evident talent for design.
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was an interesting character, of that there is no doubt. But for reasons I can't really put my finger on, Axel Madsen's telling of her story left me cold.
Chanel seemed to spend most of her life reinventing her personal history. Her talent as a designer was never in question but her life before, during and after WW II is something else. Was she a heartless Nazi sympathizer or just a woman with a dysfunctional family background trying to survive as best she could? I think that you would draw your own conclusion after reading this book. Or, like me, you could remain confused and just admire her very evident talent for design.
March 12, 2023
It was really interesting to see Coco without the glamorisation that evokes her image and legacy. We can see her lights and shadows, just like every human being has to deal with.
The book contains a lot of historical and political data of the times. It was great to place her life during that time, plus she participated in important events of history and after all, fashion is a representation of the times and its society. However one difficult aspect for me was knowing the different personalities that appear in the book, I knew some of them but I got lost a few times and lost interest as well but I kept reading because her life overall was fascinating.
You can see how she managed the brand during very difficult times and in a period of big changes in the fashion industry.
The book contains a lot of historical and political data of the times. It was great to place her life during that time, plus she participated in important events of history and after all, fashion is a representation of the times and its society. However one difficult aspect for me was knowing the different personalities that appear in the book, I knew some of them but I got lost a few times and lost interest as well but I kept reading because her life overall was fascinating.
You can see how she managed the brand during very difficult times and in a period of big changes in the fashion industry.
May 2, 2023
The story of Gabrielle Chanel - a rags to riches story of a girl who grew up in a convent where she developed the skills to sew which lead her to be a fashion icon of the 20th century.
Fiercely independent and ahead of her time. Best bits are her 20s when she's happiest with the love of her life boy Capel & in the early years as her business successes take off, the worst times in old age when most of her dearest friends & her love has died and she throws herself into her work to avoid boredom. Most shocking is during WWII when she's the lover of a half German man & attempts to do her bit to end the war winds her up being questioned being wrongly accused as a spy.
Fiery, determined, self confident & created a legacy she could never had imagined.
Great read.
Fiercely independent and ahead of her time. Best bits are her 20s when she's happiest with the love of her life boy Capel & in the early years as her business successes take off, the worst times in old age when most of her dearest friends & her love has died and she throws herself into her work to avoid boredom. Most shocking is during WWII when she's the lover of a half German man & attempts to do her bit to end the war winds her up being questioned being wrongly accused as a spy.
Fiery, determined, self confident & created a legacy she could never had imagined.
Great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
January 21, 2021Es una buena biografía, no es muy diferente a lo que se puede encontrar en otros documentos biográficos de la diseñadora, como películas, documentales o la propia página de Wikipedia, pero es muy detallista y desmiente algunas afirmaciones de su CV que se creían ciertas. Además de ser una diseñadora muy influente, Gabrielle Chanel tuvo una vida interesante e inspiradora, por lo que no negaría a nadie que le de una oportunidad como historia casi de aventuras, ascenso social y superación personal.
August 31, 2022
Kirja vaikuttaa kattavalta ja uskottavalta. Ihmettelen vain sitä, miten paljon kirjan sisällöstä kuvasi muuta kuin Chanelin toimintaa muotialalla. Tuntui ajoittain kuin jokainen ranskalainen hienostonimi ja jokaiset kekkerit olisi mainittu, mutta Chanelin työ mainittiin vain sivulauseessa.
En tiedä, mitä pitäisi ajatella siitä, että Wertheimerien yhtiö hyötyi eniten Chanelin työn tuloksista, erityisesti Chanel 5 -hajuveden myynnistä Yhdysvalloissa. Se ei jotenkin tuntunut oikeudenmukaiselta.
En tiedä, mitä pitäisi ajatella siitä, että Wertheimerien yhtiö hyötyi eniten Chanelin työn tuloksista, erityisesti Chanel 5 -hajuveden myynnistä Yhdysvalloissa. Se ei jotenkin tuntunut oikeudenmukaiselta.
January 20, 2019
Het was een interessant boek vooral om dat de schrijver hierbij echt de geschiedenis mee neemt.
Dat maakt het een mooi compleet beeld van de enorme invloed is uitgegaan van Coco Chanel.
Zeker in een tijd dat vrouwen nog zo weinig in beeld waren heeft zij veel gedaan voor de positie en het idee over vrouwen en hun kleding.
Dat maakt het een mooi compleet beeld van de enorme invloed is uitgegaan van Coco Chanel.
Zeker in een tijd dat vrouwen nog zo weinig in beeld waren heeft zij veel gedaan voor de positie en het idee over vrouwen en hun kleding.
September 4, 2020
I’ve read paragraphs of this and small bits. The opening chapter is fantastic and really draws you into her life. I fully intend to read this full on one day. However, right now this makes for a great decor book for display. The spine of the book is black with gold lettering — CHANEL. It’s so classy. Just like her. Plus that name is so iconic to anything fashionable.
April 21, 2020
Amazing life story, and such a business woman! And still the author focuses on her affairs. It was interesting to learn about her German and art world connections. I would have loved to hear more about how she grew her business and run it.
January 16, 2021
Story which was a bit more expanded than one person’s biography. I liked the links to other people’s stories and also events at the time. Despite described difficult character of Gabrielle, one almost loved these imperfections. True self-made legend that started with vision and self-centring.
January 11, 2018
I really love this biography of Coco Chanel. It is quite detailed and greatly depicts the charm and timelessness of Chanel fashion.
April 13, 2018
Very informative story. She was quite a woman!
September 25, 2018
Probably The first book I read on Chanel which made me want to read more.
November 5, 2018
I would have liked to hear more about her designs and how they changed over time. I felt like this book was focused more on the people she knew, rather than to imprint on fashion.
July 8, 2020
An ordinary book about an ...alleged..extraordinary woman.
Some fashion plates would have been nice
Some fashion plates would have been nice
April 7, 2022
I sometimes got confused with the timeline, not sure what year (or decade) I was in because the narrative does some jumping around, but a good read.
July 19, 2022
4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Recensie volgt later.
Recensie volgt later.
January 14, 2024
Fascinating story and I learned so much about women’s fashion that I had not known or even thought about before.
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