Preview
  • Coco Chanel

  • The Legend and the Life
  • By: Justine Picardie
  • Narrated by: Karen Cass
  • Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (22 ratings)

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Coco Chanel

By: Justine Picardie
Narrated by: Karen Cass
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Publisher's summary

Filled with fresh new research, this updated edition of the definitive biography of Coco Chanel deepens our understanding of the history and legacy of the incredible woman who shaped modern fashion and created an empire of haute couture.

Coco Chanel was an extraordinary inventor, conjuring up the little black dress, bobbed hair, trousers for women, contemporary chic, bestselling perfumes, and the most successful fashion brand of all time. But she also invented herself, fashioning the myth of her own life with the same dexterity as her couture; and what lies beneath her own glossy surface is darker, more mysterious, and far more intriguing.

Uncovering remarkable new details about Gabrielle Chanel’s humble early years, Justine Picardie picks up the legend Chanel where it began—in orphanhood and poverty. Throwing new light on her passionate and, at times, dark relationships and providing profound insights into her connections with Cocteau, Diaghilev, Picasso, and Dali, this beautifully constructed portrait gives a fresh and penetrating look at what made Coco Chanel the strong-spirited and powerful presence she became. An authoritative account, based on personal observations and interviews with Chanel’s last surviving friends, employees, and relatives, the book also unravels her coded language and symbols and tracks the influence of her formative years on her legendary style.

Feared and revered by the rest of the fashion industry, Coco Chanel died in 1971 at the age of 87, but her legacy lives on. This special new edition has been extensively revised and updated and offers a uniquely authoritative account of the world’s greatest designer.

©2013 Justine Picardie (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers
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What listeners say about Coco Chanel

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Excellent!

I adored it. What a beautiful work of art! Well documented, the story manages to capture unique pieces of history, fashion, parisian aristrocracy and psichology all together. Chapeau!

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enjoyable listen

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .it was enjoyable to listen to.

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Even handed and in depth look at a legend

Excellent and very complete look into the life, psyche and fashion history of Chanel. The author clearly feels a personal commitment to creating a valid look into this fascinating woman - warts and all.

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