7/26/2019 Chanel the Legend and the Life

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Mekenna Malan FCSE 3080

A memento of her life and legacy, JustinePicardies !iogra"hy of Coco Chanel illustratesthe connections !et#een e$ents in her "ersonallife and monumental details in her career%&orn as 'a!rielle Chanel, the nickname (Coco)#as gi$en !y her father, #ho allegedly des"isedthe name 'a!rielle% *er hum!le !eginnings are

fre+uently undocumented, as the stories of herchildhood changed e$ery time she told a ne#"erson% She chose to disregard her "ast andkee" it hidden, se"arated from her #ork andsuccess%A !it of a heart!reaker, this !iogra"hy creates atimeline of Chanels #ork in relation to her many!oyfriends and hus!ands% &eginning #ith Chanelo% -, the sound foundation of her em"ire, (*ername !ecame a !rand, and her face as famousas her logo%)

.ocumenting her industrial fallout andse+uential come!ack, Picardie highlightsChanels eternal in/uence on fashion frommens#ear1ins"ired "ieces to re$olutioni2ingcomfort and couture% he iconic *ouse of Chanelat 34 5ue Cam!on in Paris stands as amonument of her legacy and im"ortance% rulyher in/uence #ill continue to transcend time, as#ell as her "hiloso"hies% She kne# the secret to

(6omen think of e$ery colour, e7ce"t the a!sence of colours% ha$e said that

!lack had e$erything% 6hite too% hey ha$e an a!solute !eauty% t is "erfectharmony% .ress #omen in #hite or !lack at a !all% hey are the only ones yousee%)) Coco Chanel

he Chanel aesthetic of sim"licity, sustaina!ility, and "rofessionalism for #omen caattri!uted to 2eitgeist, or (s"irit of the times)% .uring 66, #omen #ere left aloncare for their families #hile their hus!ands #ent to #ar, and fa!ric resources #scarce% n an attem"t to challenge the social norms of the day, Chanel created clotthat #as ne$er !efore #orn !y #omen, such as "rofessional suits, trousers, and dre#ith shorter hems than e$er !efore seen% hough seen as scandalous at 9rst, her trcaught on, contri!uting to the modern1day feminine fashion #e no# en:oy%

Modern1day illustrations of Chanels in/uence continue to !e seen on the streets andrun#ay #ith uni+ue remakes of the (little !lack dress), and the con$ergence of femand masculine clothing styles% hese manifestations of Chanels legacy #ill only conto gro# in "o"ularity #ith the modern "ush for gender e+uality, es"ecially in#ork"lace% Picardies !iogra"hy !rought to light a Chanel se"arate from her #ork, #simultaneously announcing her genius as a designer and her im"ortance as a sicon%