Chanel and Her World (2005)

The legacy of Chanel in the fashion world is well known to anyone who follows clothing design even on the most superficial level. Coco's personal life was intertwined with her professional one. She was surrounded by a long list of talented writers, painters, dancers, and photographers. Her lovers were handsome, athletic, and well-connected. And so the story goes during the couturiere's rise to fame.

Edmonde Charles-Roux's Chanel and Her World is a quick read in spite of its 400 pages. The text is presented like a series of blog entries: a photo, headline, and a few informational paragraphs with a lot of white space and loose progression forward. The book, originally written in French, is a direct translation and the sentence structure is a little difficult to follow in some places. And like most art books, this one would benefit greatly from a good editor. But negatives aside, Chanel and Her World is a keeper and in honor of Coco's ever-present cigarette, I smoked one last night. Happy New Year!

Click on the link to find out more about this book.