A landmark publication that highlights the principles and evolution of the timeless Chanel style, the careful crafting of her public image, and the many facets of her lasting legacy

Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel is an icon of fashion, and can lay claim to having invented the look of the 20th century. 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 the little black dress; trousers for women; costume jewelry; the exquisitely comfortable suit that became her trademark. Early in the Roaring Twenties, Chanel made the first ever couture perfume – No. 5 – presenting it in the famous little square-cut flagon that, inspired by Picasso and Cubism, became the arch symbol of the Art Deco style. No. 5 remains the most popular scent ever created.

This volume, published to accompany a landmark exhibition in Paris, traces the birth and evolution of Chanel’s timeless style. Specially commissioned photographs by Julien T. Hamon showcase the clothing, while essays by fashion historians illuminate a period, an event or a theme. Rare archival documents, including portraits of Gabrielle Chanel herself, round out the book.

Contents List:

Foreword by Miren Arzalluz • The Many Chanels by Olivier Saillard • The Early Days of the ‘Artist of the Rue Gambon’ by Sophie Grossiord • Freedom and Elegance on the Basque Coast by Miren Arzalluz • Sem and Chanel: Building an Identity by Laurent Cotta • The Dragonfly and the Bull by Claude Arnaud • Fashioning Flowers by Amy de la Haye • A Holistic Vision of Beauty by Julie Deydier • Chanel: The New Woman as Dandy by Caroline Evans • ‘Bijoux des Diamants’: The Glittering Triumph of Gabrielle Chanel by Marie-Laure Gutton • The Chanel Suit: The Shape of Freedom by Véronique Belloir • Chanel Accessories: The Building Blocks of Style by Marie-Laure Gutton • Chanel: The American Way by Alexandra Palmer • Gabrielle Chanel and Her Doubles by Sylvie Lécallier • Chanel and the Cinema: The Rules of the Game by Marion Langlois and Régis Robert • Chanel’s Interiors by Laurent Cotta • A Chronology of Gabrielle Chanel • List of Exhibited Works

About the Author:

Miren Arzalluz is the Director of the Palais Galliera, Paris.

As one of the most successful fashion houses in existence, Chanel owes much to the templates first laid down by its founder - Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel (1883-1971).

Some of her most celebrated designs, such as the two-piece suit, the little black dress and the quilted handbag, remain in vogue to this day. Chanel designed first and foremost for herself: by creating clothes fit for an independent and active lifestyle, she anticipated the needs and wants of the modern woman.

This beautiful book showcases a stunning array of Chanel's most notable designs from her 60 years in fashion, largely drawn from the collections of the Chanel Patrimoine, Paris and the V&A. It examines the cut, construction, embellishment and provenance of the ensembles, as well as the design themes and motifs Chanel returned to throughout her career. Newly commissioned photographs of the selected pieces, together with archival images, capture the design evolution of this fashion icon.

About the Authors:

Oriole Cullen is Senior Curator Exhibitions at the V&A. Connie Karol Burks is Exhibition Project Curator at the V&A.