Synopses & Reviews
The name Chanel brings immediately to mind the signature scent of No. 5 and the understated but sophisticated glamour of a simple black dress and pearls. But to consider Gabrielle Coco” Chanel (18831971) as simply a fashion designer fails to capture her social and cultural significance. As Linda Simon reveals in this biography, Chanel was an iconoclastic entrepreneur who rebelled against and manipulated gender expectations of her time. With her menswear-inspired designs, her loose jersey sweaters belted jauntily at the waist, and her svelte, unadorned gowns, Chanel changed womens silhouettes, and she became known as a champion of womens freedom. Chanel not only changed the shape of womens clothing, but the narrative of womens lives in the early twentieth century. From her very first hat shop until her death, Chanel sold more than fashionshe sold a myth that became as attractive for many women as her coveted outfits. Simon here teases apart that myth to explore its contradictionsChanel was a self-proclaimed recluse who emerged as one of the most spectacular personalities of her time; she was a brilliant businesswoman who signed away ninety percent of her company; and she was a genius who claimed she was nothing more than an artisan. In this insightful book, Simon examines the world both reflected and shaped by Chanel, setting her life and work within the context of womens history in France and America from the Roaring Twenties to the profound social changes of the 1960s. Drawing upon rich archival sources, Simons lively book is a clear-eyed look at a woman whose influence and legend transcend the world of fashion.
About the Author
Linda Simon is professor emerita of English at Skidmore College in New York. She is the author of Genuine Reality: A Life of William James, Dark Light: Electricity and Anxiety from the Telegraph to the X-Ray, and The Greatest Shows on Earth: A History of the Circus, the last also published by Reaktion books.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. A Small Dark Girl
2. Boaters
3. À la folie
4. Double C
5. Sporting Life
6. Diva
7. History
8. Recluse
9. Roped by Pearls
10. Living Legend
References
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements