The Real Coco Chanel

by Rose Sgueglia

Overview

Coco Chanel lived her own life as a romantic heroine.

Fueled by 19th century literature, she built a life which was partly myth and partly factual.

She was the fashion designer everyone admired. The business woman whose fortune was impossible to track. She was also a performer, lover of many high profile intellectuals and, as believed by many, a Nazi spy.

Her life was, extraordinarily, affected by history (the Nazi movement and World War II), symbolism and literature.

This biography explores her life from her troubled and poor past to the opening of her first hat shop, passions and secrets; the biography also draws parallelisms between myths and facts and how, and if ever, they match at all.

The biography also features chapters on the Chanel Maison and the creation of her iconic trademark as well as her ‘little black dress’ and ‘Chanel No 5’.

Finally, the biography ends with a reflection on how the myth of Coco Chanel is represented today in pop culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526761019
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	07/22/2020
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rose Sgueglia is a writer and marketing consultant based in Cardiff. She is founder and director of Miss Squiggles, a magazine, marketing agency and online shop. As part of her role at Miss Squiggles, she works with clients on their social media, digital marketing and PR strategies.

Rose is, also, a freelance journalist. Her work has been published in different publications including GQ, La Repubblica, and Yahoo. She holds a BA in Journalism, Film and Media and a Post Graduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vi

Preface vii

Chapter 1 Coco Chanel, the Romantic Heroine 1

Chapter 2 Chanel, the Orphan 4

Chapter 3 Coco Chanel 17

Chapter 4 Coco, the Woman 34

Chapter 5 Coco, the Designer 51

Chapter 6 Coco, the Lover 57

Chapter 7 Coco, the Spy 75

Chapter 8 Coco, the Friend 82

Interview: Coco and Gabriella Belli 109

Interview: Coco and Jeffie Pike Durham 113

Chapter 9 Coco, the Only One 113

Chapter 10 Coco, the End 127

Chapter 11 Coco, the Icon, the Rebel, the Myth 139

Interview: Coco and David Lubin 156

Bibliography 164