Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life

Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life by Chaney, Lisa. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780670023097.

The controversial story of Chanel, the twentieth centurys foremost fashion icon. Revolutionizing womens dress, Gabrielle "Coco Chanel was the twentieth centurys most influential designer. Her extraordinary and unconventional journey-from abject poverty to a new kind of glamour- helped forge the idea of modern woman. Unearthing an astonishing life, this remarkable biography shows how, more than any previous designer, Chanel became synonymous with a rebellious and progressive style. Her numerous liaisons, whose poignant and tragic details have eluded all previous biographers, were the very stuff of legend. Witty and mesmerizing, she became muse, patron, or mistress to the centurys most celebrated artists, including Picasso, Dalí, and Stravinsky. Drawing on newly discovered love letters and other records, Chaneys controversial book reveals the truth about Chanels drug habit and lesbian affairs. And the question about Chanels German lover during World War II (was he a spy for the Nazis?) is definitively answered. While uniquely highlighting the designers far-reaching influence on the modern arts, Chaneys fascinating biography paints a deeper and darker picture of Coco Chanel than any so far. Movingly, it explores the origins, the creative power, and the secret suffering of this exceptional and often misread woman.