Garelick, Rhonda K.

Mademoiselle : Coco Chanel and the pulse of history / Rhonda Garelick. - New York : Random House , 2014 - xxii, 576 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Little black dresses. Fake pearls. Jersey knit. Blazers. Ballet flats. Today--and for nearly the last hundred years--we all see some version of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel every time we pass a woman on the street. But few among us realize that Chanel's role in the events of the twentieth century was as pervasive as her influence on fashion, or how deeply she absorbed and then brilliantly reimagined the historical currents around her. Here, with unprecedented detail and ambition--and through fascinating, thoroughly researched portraits of Chanel's lovers and friends--Rhonda Garelick shows us the Chanel who conquered the world . . . a woman who thirsted to create others in her image, who ruthlessly and innovatively borrowed from her famous (and infamous) intimates, who understood the idea of branding and image well ahead of her time, who created "wearable personality." This is Chanel at the nexus of history: a woman of daring, passion, and legendary vision, in a wonderful biography that gives her long-awaited due.

9781400069521


Chanel, Coco (, 1883-1971)


Fashion designers---France----Biography
Fashion design---History---20th century

TT505.C45 / G37 2014

92 CHA