Book Description
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883-1971) is a fashion icon unlike any other. She invented modern clothing for women: at the height of the Belle Époque, 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 over decades of friendship with Chanel sheds new light on one of the great stories of the modern age. AUTHOR BIO: Edmonde Charles-Roux began her journalistic career at Elle and ultimately became editor-in-chief of French Vogue. She has published three novels, among them To Forget Palermo (Oublier Palerme), which won the Prix Goncourt in 1966.
Customer Reviews:
Chanel!.......2007-05-28
I paid almost full price for this book and I don't regret it. I found this coffee table book just lovely.
I am not a fashion expert. I'm just a reader interested in interesting people, so I was looking for a book on CHANEL that gave a brief background on her life and photos of Coco and some of her fashions. Well, this book seemed to fit the bill---for me. I was not disappointed.
I have enjoyed this book very much and it sits on my living room table , ----for the book to be browsed by others.
Entertaining book with mostly pictures.......2007-04-08
I was looking for a book showing photos of Chanel's clothing designs and styles. This book focuses more on her life and the celebrities and cultural/social trends of her era (spanning 1910's - 1950's), so if you are looking to see her clothing styles and designs, you will be disappointed as there isn't that much coverage of the actual clothing. However, it is a very absorbing, encyclopedic, pictorial collection of the people of Chanel's time and you can spend many a lazy Sunday afternoon thoroughly exploring les temps perdus. There are many many pictures of Coco Chanel - like Madonna, she looks different every few years, a real chameleon. It retails at $65, so the $37 Amazon price is a good deal. It is a heavy thick book with glossy pages.
Chanel and Her World.......2007-04-06
I was disappointed in the text. I guess from the title I should have expected some world history. The story line is somewhat incoherent and doesn't seem to present her life very well. I had to use the index to find a couple lines of reference to her "Boy", a romance started in the story and then dropped, only to be finished much later and with no real detail. Either Chanel was very closed mouth about a lot of her life or the author didn't know her that well. Also, there are a lot of pictures of rather irrelevant items. I wouldn't purchase it again.
Coco Chanel: The French self-made woman.......2006-06-01
From an orphanage in France to the Ritz hotel in Paris, Coco Chanel created an entire style empire that lives on. A French fasionista version of Eva Peron for the couture world. Coco remains an icon and legend.
A designer of authentic beauty.......2006-05-26
This is a substantial book in both size and pictorial content.
As an ideal complement to the Metropolitan Museum's Chanel exhibit last spring (2005), this book actually exceeds - and outlasts - the exhibit itself.
More than just an intelligent, fascinating woman, Chanel was a fascinating opportunist in the way that she manipulated and transformed the trends of her times (and many men of her times), turning them to her advantage. She was as much a businesswoman and social and cultural politician as a fashion designer, and to see her in this book's big, beautiful photographs, modeling her own creations, is an inspiration to any woman who disbelieves that humble beginnings and a less than conventionally perfect countenance can lead to high achievement.
The best photograph of all - the photograph that tells all - graces the book's cover: one look at that face of intelligence, intensity, self-composure, and elegance, and one knows what the book is all about (philosophically as well as biographically) even before opening it.
The classic Chanel endures as a legend and lesson in the achievement of authentic beauty, i.e., defined by compelling creation rather than passive, taken-for-granted standards of acceptance.
Average customer rating:
- collectors and couturiéres
- Keepsake Book
- Eh
- A huge disappointment to genuine fashionistas
- FABULOUS BOOK
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Chanel (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)
Harold Koda , and
Andrew Bolton
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Chanel and Her World
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Madeleine Vionnet
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Blahnik by Boman: Shoes, Photographs, Conversation
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Chanel: A Woman of her Own
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Tom Ford
ASIN: 0300107137 |
Book Description
This splendid book examines the legacy of Gabrielle “Coco” 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.
Customer Reviews:
collectors and couturiéres.......2007-09-07
I am a couturiére to follow my passion and, of course, I already own a bunch of "Mademoiselle Chanel" books. Let's say that I own a couple of meters of fashion monographies and that I love this one.
If you are interested in feeling the details of the artwork of both, Coco+Karl, you will get a number of details to learn about.
Even though it is supposed to be a catalogue, what it is, it can be in the handbook shelf of a loving seammistress.
On Chanel, at this price, you do not get more than the far feeling of her style.
The forewords cover quite well her meaning and her significancy.
As a gift it is quite showy also thanks for the transparent chemise.
it always depends on what you are looking for.
Keepsake Book.......2007-03-19
This is a beautiful book and one you would love to have in your home. Of course, since I work for the company it is dear to me. I have given this book to three different people and they all have loved it. If you want to give something special to someone-- this is it.
Eh.......2007-03-01
I bought this book after seeing the Chanel exhibit at the Met. The pictures are nice, but I wish they showed more pictures of real people wearing clothes as opposed to the eccentric mannequins they used in the exhibit. A couple of blank pages here and there. I wish there was slightly more history behind the clothes. Still not a bad coffee table book on Chanel
A huge disappointment to genuine fashionistas.......2006-08-05
I couldn't disagree more heartily with those who recommended this book as a "beautiful coffee table book." At this price and with this subject matter this could have been a truly amazing look at the history of the House of Chanel and it's transition from the early years of Coco to the present leadershiop of Karl Lagerfeld. The text is mediocre and the photos are terrible. The general visual quality of the book is absolutely reprehensible.The dresses are all reproduced in a poor quality "Liz Taylor in the White Diamonds commercial" fake fuzzy lens. There is not one really great photo of an actual garment in this entire book. As someone who saw the actual exhibit the book is based on, I feel the Metropolitan really missed on this one. The exhibit itself was magnificent, this poorly concieved book is a complete dud. Save your money for one of the many other books detailing the life and work of Coco Chanel.
FABULOUS BOOK.......2006-03-17
Well worth your money. Beautifully done. Not only is it a lovely coffee table book, it is a book you will look at many times.
Customer Reviews:
Lavish and Visually Stunning .......2006-02-21
I acquired this book for jewelry design reference, it was highly recommended by a designer friend who trained in Paris for Jewelry design. The book contains just over 140 pages, the first 54 dedicated to text accompanied with quick sketches depicting Coco Chanel and her fashions; the remainder is filled with glossy photos of Chanel's jewelry creations, most in full color, a few other period stills in black and white. The photos are large, very sharp and show much of the fine detail of her jewelry, often dedicating one page to a single piece.
The book includes some images of objects of antiquity from which Chanel was clearly inspired, or in some cases copied directly. Chanel's Byzantium crosses are especially intriguing for capturing a look of great antiquity. I found the strong Renaissance and Baroque forms to be equally inspiring.
I would have welcomed an even more expansive book that included more photos however this book covers pieces from the 1930's to the 1960's, and some space has been dedicated to all the various styles.
Book Description
Alex Madsen brings to life Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, the queen of fashion who revolutionized women's styles forever.
Customer Reviews:
Chanel Bio is everything it should be........2006-09-21
I found it strange that some readers gave negative or highly critical reviews of this biography. Someone even commented on the difficulty in reading the French names! It's a little late to change Chanel's nationality and thank God! This biography is successful on a number of levels but primarily two: it recounts the fascinating life, in great detail, of the late Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and it puts her professional contribution to the world in context. On a personal level, her life-story reads as a Dickens novel. Her's is a truly "rags-to-riches" story. Chanel was a woman who created a life and a legend against the odds. She was one of those rare and stunning creatures rising from practically nothing to become a household name. Her family was destitute. Her father abandoned her at an orphanage. Her attempts in music and theatre came to nothing. Her sewing skills were atrocious! Only after a young gentleman named Balsan recognized her talent through her unconventional beauty did her true potential begin to emerge. Chanel knew all of the greatest people of her age: Stravinsky, Cocteau, Dali, Misia Sert, and the Duke of Westminster, among others. Many of these people she knew intimately. How tragic that even after these acquaintances and global successes as a designer, Chanel never really found success in love. Professionally, the impact of her designs are still with us today and influencing generations of new designers and artists. From a perspective of fashion, Chanel almost single-handedly pulled the 19th century world into the modern age by pulling women out of corsets and sliding them into pants. The "little black dress" and classic Chanel suit are not only articles of clothing, they are timeless works of art. Madsen has succeeded in writing a biography that does not fall short as other books on Chanel have in the past. His biography begins BEFORE her birth and continues on AFTER her death. He explores her roots and discusses the ongoing impact of her life, while filling in all the opulent details in between. If you want to know who Chanel was and why she is still so important today, pick up this book. Now if they would only do a feature film treatment!
Chanel book review.......2005-09-23
I agree with the other 2 reviewers. This book is very difficult to follow and the author jumps from character to character and topic to topic too frequently. The pictures are nice, but I feel the author could have done a better job at creating more excitement and interest for the reader.
Not Captivating!.......2005-01-03
I did not enjoy this book and wished I did my own research on a better author to portray Coco Chanel. It was lengthy in boring details and never developed a true feeling for the subject matter. Coco lead an extremely captivating life - so I find it difficult to believe that someone could write such a book lacking in depth!
tough read.......2002-03-02
I'm still reading but wanted to mention that if you have never taken a French class, it is very hard to pronounce most of the names in the book.
Although very insightful finding it a hard read.
Fascinating book, full of details and historically correct........1999-06-28
This book was extremely interesting to read. Considering Chanel's habbit of often lying about her past, many biographers had given up on trying to tell her story. That's probably why the book lacks reasoning behind certain facts of her life, although the author did the best he could to provide his own viewpoint about some of the unenswered questions. The book is wonderful and it leaves the reader with plenty of room to use his/her own imagination to reveal some of the mysteries behind Chanel's great genious.
Average customer rating:
- Be aware of what you're buying
- fashion in color
- Beautiful color photos throughout
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Chanel: Key Collections
Melissa Richards
Manufacturer: Welcome Rain
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Binding: Hardcover
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Chanel (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)
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Chanel and Her World
ASIN: 1566491916 |
Book Description
Melissa Richards focuses her eye on the clothes themselves that have made Chanel the most innovative and influential of all fashion designers.
Customer Reviews:
Be aware of what you're buying.......2005-04-16
This appears to be a vanity press publication about the House of Chanel, and not, as I had hoped, a book devoted to Coco Chanel's fashions. Of approximately 160 pages about fashion, only 110 pages concern Coco Chanel's designs.
The good news is that the book contains many photos of Coco Chanel's clothes that I had never seen before (and how gorgeous they look, too, after all these years). The bad news is that the rest of the book is about Karl Lagerfeld, the current head designer for Chanel. Since I dislike Lagerfeld's clothes, this was a disappointment.
Given the high price of this book, be aware of what you're buying.
fashion in color.......2004-06-18
Very beautiful and informative book for Chanel fans and people who wants to know about great fashion house foundation. Reading this book I felt like during my fashion design practise at PPUPPY couture house - charming, excited and in love with fashion.
Beautiful color photos throughout.......2001-02-27
Gabrielle Chanel's contributions to modern fashion are many: while much has been written on her colorful, controversial life; Chanel Key Collections focuses on her fashion styles which contributed to her fame. From her early creations to her participation trends, this reveals the extent of her career and has been researched and produced with the help of Chanel in Paris. Beautiful color photos throughout.
Average customer rating:
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Chanel
Jean Leymarie
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
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ASIN: 0847808742
Release Date: 1989-05-15 |
Average customer rating:
- and then, there was Chanel...
- Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel
- Sorry, no review
- As the NY TIMES said, "fascinating and visually stunning."
- a beautiful book, beautifully written
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Chanel: Her style and her life
Janet Wallach
Manufacturer: Nan A. Talese
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Chanel: The Couturiere at Work
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Chanel: A Woman of her Own
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Lanvin
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Chanel (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)
ASIN: 0385488726
Release Date: 1998-10-20 |
Amazon.com
Coco Chanel: her name is synonymous with luxury and elegance. But little Gabrielle Chanel was raised in an orphanage and schooled in a convent--having lost her mother and been virtually abandoned by her father. She picked up the nickname Coco when she was a young cabaret singer--"Ko Ko Rik Ko" ("Cock-a-doodle-do") being the only song she could sing. Those early years of deprivation fueled her lifelong pursuits of strong, doting men and, more famously, high fashion. After she spent years making her own clothes, hats were the first Chanel designs to earn her some recognition and a little bit of money. Bankrolled by a wealthy boyfriend--her first of many--and worn by famous opera singers, the hats--which liberated women from the complicated and extravagantly festooned headgear of the early 1900s--were the first of Chanel's many successful fashion innovations. She borrowed heavily from men's closets, belting their jackets and sweaters and pairing them with skirts to make comfortable suits for working women. She pioneered pants as eveningwear for women and invented clothing that could be worn during the day and into the night. A crisp white collar, perhaps a reference to her convent days, was a common element in her designs. She decorated her unstructured Jersey knits with pearl necklaces and faux jewels and furs so that, despite their comfort, her clothes were always luxurious. As her design empire and fame grew, so did Coco Chanel's social circle. Igor Stravinsky, the duke of Westminster, Salvador Dali, and Jean Cocteau numbered among her most intimate friends, while Princess Grace and countless Hollywood stars and European royalty were devoted to her clothes.
Chanel: Her Style and Her Life combines large black-and-white photos of the designer, her clothes and jewelry, and her lavishly decorated homes with the story of her life. The result is a book that proves how closely Chanel's career and her personal life were intertwined--how her life played out in her style and how her style, ultimately, was the sum of Coco Chanel's life.
Book Description
No single designer has had as tremendous a hold on style in the twentieth century as Coco Chanel. In this sumptuous, profusely illustrated book, Janet Wallach shows readers Chanel style in all its glory--from the fabulous fashions she created to the glamorous life she led.
Like a character in a fairy tale, Coco Chanel rose from being an ordinary seamstress to reigning as the queen of fashion. Chanel was stunningly independent, beautifully feminine, and irresistibly desirable to men; most important, she was never afraid to be herself. A pioneer in an industry dominated by men, she turned her style into the revolutionary chic that set her fashions apart. Borrowing copiously from the wardrobes of her illustrious lovers (among them the Duke of Westminter and Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia), Chanel took trousers, tweeds, riding clothes, cuff links, and even neckties, and cleverly transformed them into elegant women's wear. With an understanding that only a female designer could have, she eased women's formerly confining way of dressing, adapting the freedom of men's clothing without sacrificing sensuality and femininity. Since then, women who seek the look of authority and supreme taste have embraced Chanel.
Fans of her couture will devour all the delectable stories behind such Chanel trademarks as fabulous fake pearls, minimalist hats, comfortable and beautifully structured suits, and legendary perfumes, and will marvel at the 150 astonishing photographs and illustrations. A delightful feast of pictures and words as stylish and elegant as the designer herself, Chanel Style celebrates the woman, the look, and the legend.
Customer Reviews:
and then, there was Chanel..........2000-05-04
I have always been fascinated by whatever's written about her ever since I received a Chanel purse for an 18th birthday present. There have been a number of books written about Chanel, I'm sure but Janet Wallach's will not disappoint any reader. It is simple and elegantly written with beautiful black and white illustrations. Even if one is not a fan of Chanel's style, you will be intrigued by her notorious life as told here. Either for yourself or a friend, a nice book to keep and look through now and again.
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel.......1999-06-22
This book is very good. The text isn't hard to read, and in this book are allot of pictures, only in black and white. There should have been also a few colour pictures. This book is only looking at the period that Coco Chanel designed the collections and not the Karl Lagerfeld era.
Sorry, no review.......1999-02-25
I haven't read the book but I really need a picture of Coco Chanel. Is there any about? I need it for my A Level French Course work!!!! Any Help Thanks xxxxxx
As the NY TIMES said, "fascinating and visually stunning.".......1998-11-16
This is a spectacularly beautiful and insightful view of a woman who was the major force in 20th century fashion. It is elegantly written and sumptuously illustrated and no doubt will become the definitive book on Coco Chanel. I learned a great deal that I did not know before and I had a long career in fashion. This book will delight men as well as women because it contains many revealing stories about Chanel's sexual escapades. Buy it by all means!
a beautiful book, beautifully written.......1998-11-07
Another superb book from Janet Wallach. Engaging, provocative and insightful. Wallach brings her estimable research skills and writing talent to bear on a fascinating and controversial women who continues to demand attention, respect for her determination and accomplishments and fair judgment for the choices she made in her private life as a very public person.
Average customer rating:
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Coco Chanel (Grandes biographies)
Henry Gidel
Manufacturer: Flammarion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 2080676717 |
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