Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto

by Miren Arzalluz (Editor), Veronique Belloir (Editor)

A richly illustrated, in-depth retrospective of the life and work of fashion icon Gabrielle Chanel. A revolutionary fashion icon, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel can lay claim to inventing modern women’s fashion. At the beginning of the twentieth century, she stripped women of their corsets, bobbed their hair, and sent them out into the sun to get a tan. She introduced the little black dress, created women’s trousers, and produced the exquisitely made suits that became her trademark. She designed the first-ever couture perfume―No. 5―whose square-cut, cubist bottle became a symbol of art deco style, and which remains the most popular scent ever created. Her ideas on elegance and what it meant to be a modern woman created an immutable sense of style that still resonates today. Published to accompany a landmark exhibition in Paris, Gabrielle Chanel chronicles the designer’s life from birth through the evolution of her timeless style. Specially commissioned photographs by Julien T. Hamon showcase her designs, while essays from fashion historians complemented by rare archival documents, including pictures of Chanel herself, paint a portrait of the designer in her time. This volume is a must-have for all fashion fans and students. 250 illustrations

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Biography, Art

304 pages, Hardcover

Published November 17, 2020

Reviews

[Tink · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ended up skimming this book. As much as I love fashion, I found it overwhelming with its small type in a huge book, and underwhelming with the way it was written. I loved the pictures but also found that due to the format of the book, they were laid out in this drab manner that made the book seem like a tomb than a celebration of this fashion icon and her work.

[Bill]

More so than is usual with these kinds of books, I skimmed through only. I’d read a recommendation of this but I was not interested in the subject as a person and I did not find the many pictures of dresses and jewelry interesting either. I only record it here as I use Goodreads to keep track of almost every book and graphic novel I look at.

[Sarah Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully presented look at the life and times of Gabrielle Chanel. The content examines the development of her fashion style and her contributions to the fashion industry (other elements of her private life are mentioned, but not covered in detail). This version was issued to complement the NGV International (Melbourne, Australia) Chanel exhibition. One for lovers of fashion.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photos on lush pages make for a stunning book about the fashion icon and her creations.

[Cody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of the photography in this book.

[Rel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate that this woman was a Nazi.

[S]

Great gowns beautiful gowns