Synopses & Reviews
This splendid book examines the legacy of Gabrielle and#147;Cocoand#8221; Chanel, one of the twentieth century's great icons of style. While Chanel mythologized her glamorous life through relentless self-invention, the bare facts of her biography are no less worthy than her legend: born of a poor family in the provinces and raised in a convent, she was an entertainer and the mistress of men of impeccable social standing, and she began her career not as a dressmaker but as a milliner.
Chanel's enduring influence is necessarily based on the long shadow cast over fashion by her maison couture. Chanel examines the history of the House of Chanel both thematically and chronologically, introducing ideas and elements of biography as they were expressed in her collections. Period examples are juxtaposed with the work of Karl Lagerfeld, who, beginning in 1983, just over ten years after Chanel's death, reinvented and revolutionized the House's identity. It is in Lagerfeld's masterful and often irreverent interpretations of Chanel's work, as well as his mixing of influences from high and low culture, that the historic importance of Chanel and the resonance of her image as the independent, elegant modern woman are both defined and reasserted for the contemporary world.
Synopsis
A celebration of one of fashion's most revolutionary women and the singular style of the House of Chanel
Synopsis
When Jean Leymarieand#8217;s monograph on Coco Chanel was originally published in 1989, he was known primarily as a curator and modern art historian, both in his native France and abroad. Bringing his expertise to bear on one of the most famous (and often controversial) couturiers of all time, Leymarie legitimized fashion as fine art.
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Completely redesigned by Philippe Apeloig, Leymarieand#8217;s classic volume is back in print once more. Beginning with a brief history of fashion, Leymarie takes the reader through Chaneland#8217;s early days, when she mingled with Jean Cocteau, Igor Stravinsky, and Luchino Visconti, through the development of her brand after her death by Karl Lagerfeld. A special essay on Lagerfeldand#8217;s contribution to the Chanel legacy, written by journalist Marc Lembron, brings this new edition up to date.
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Synopsis
This splendid book celebrates the legacy of Gabrielle (and#8220;Cocoand#8221;) Chanel, one of the twentieth centuryand#8217;s great icons of fashion. Beautifully illustrated with more than 150 new photographs of costumes, the book examines the history and influence of the Chanel style from its beginnings through its reinvention for todayand#8217;s world under the masterful leadership of Karl Lagerfeld.
About the Author
Jean Leymarie (1919and#8211;2006) was a prominent art historian who devoted his life to bringing contemporary art to national museums. He was chief curator at the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris from 1968 to 1973, director of studies at the Ecole du Louvre, and director of the Villa Medicis French Academy of Art in Rome from 1977 to 1984.