Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life

SLEEK. CHIC. NOTORIOUSLY GUARDED. WELCOME TO THE SECRET WORLD OF COCO CHANEL. Justine Picardie’s definitive biography explores the dark mysteries hidden beneath the shimmering surface of a fabled fashion icon. Unveiling remarkable details about Coco Chanel’s traumatic childhood and her flight into unconventional adulthood, this beautifully constructed portrait reveals her passionate and painful past, her turbulent loves and losses, her quest for fame and fortune, and how she transformed herself into her own most powerful creation. Feared and revered by her contemporaries, Chanel died in 1971, but her legacy lives on as an enduring global brand. Drawing on interviews with her last surviving friends and relatives, and unprecedented archival research, Justine Picardie brings Chanel out of hiding, unpicking the seams between reality and myth, and telling a timeless story that uncovers the true art and heart of fashion. This special new edition has been extensively revised and updated, and offers a uniquely authoritative account of the greatest designer in the world. Adding fresh insights and discoveries, it comes complete with a compelling array of previously unseen images from the Chanel archives. This autobiography, a top pick among popular non-fiction, delves into the culture and history of France and Europe, shedding light on the accessories that defined an era. The narrative, appealing to both young adults and adults, is a testament to Chanel's indomitable spirit and her rise to the top. For fans of Alan Bennett (A Life Like Other People's), Olivia Laing (The Lonely City), Colm Tóibín (The Master), Katherine May (Enchantment), and Nina Stibbe (Went to London, Took the Dog). HarperCollins 2023