5?Įven though Gabrielle Chanel was the original name that Madam Chanel born with , however, Chanel No. 5 ? What would the marketing specialist in the house of Chanel try to accomplish and not cause confusion for all the brand lovers of Chanel No. 5 or is Gabrielle Chanel the sub-line perfume of Chanel No. 5 perfume commercial that used to cover one wall in one of the local malls was being replaced by a new colossal wall ad of Gabrielle Chanel Perfume. The same week I was stunned to find out the gigantic Chanel No. Take ‘ Google,’for example, the company probably wouldn’t have reached the same level of worldwide recognition and success if the company didn’t drop the name of ‘ BackRub,‘ which was its original name (1). But I wonder how would one of the American predominant fast-food chains that founded in 1950 sell dounts decide to drop the ‘Donuts’ as its new business name? Certainly, I don’t know any better. Somehow, I see St Laurent as Chanel's true heir.Recently one of my young friends mentioned to me that the ‘Dunkin Donut’would have its name changed to ‘Dunkin’ as if I cared. In the context of the book, I could see that Lagerfeld's work tries to perpetuate the aura of Chanel's work, but not necessarily her beliefs in terms of fashion, elegance and of course women (femininity and feminism). The illustrations are plentiful, well documented and particularly appealing to the eye as, with some rare exceptions, they are photographs and watercolors all at once. A very impartial portrait of Chanel is painted: her talent, her incredible success story but also her failures and her personal flaws. The text is minimal, yet well thought out. We are also given an opportunity to compare Chanel's and Lagerfeld's work, which is very interesting. The il A wonderful addition/pendant to the Chanel biography I read, this is a Met publication that skillfully covers the whole span of the 'maison Chanel' output: frocks, suits, jewelry, purses, shoes and of course perfume. It is in Lagerfeld's masterful and often irreverent interpretations of Chanel's work, as well as his mixing of influences from high and low culture, that the historic importance of Chanel and the resonance of her image as the independent, elegant modern woman are both defined and reasserted for the contemporary world.Ī wonderful addition/pendant to the Chanel biography I read, this is a Met publication that skillfully covers the whole span of the 'maison Chanel' output: frocks, suits, jewelry, purses, shoes and of course perfume. Period examples are juxtaposed with the work of Karl Lagerfeld, who, beginning in 1983, just over ten years after Chanel's death, reinvented and revolutionized the House's identity. Chanel examines the history of the House of Chanel both thematically and chronologically, introducing ideas and elements of biography as they were expressed in her collections. While Chanel mythologized her glamorous life through relentless self-invention, the bare facts of her biography are no less worthy than her legend: born of a poor family in the provinces and raised in a convent, she was an entertainer and the mistress of men of impeccable social standing, and she began her career not as a dressmaker but as a milliner.Ĭhanel's enduring influence is necessarily based on the long shadow cast over fashion by her maison couture. While Chanel mythologized her glamorous life through relentless self-invention, the bare facts of her biography are no less worthy than her legend: born of a poor family in the provinces and raised in a convent, she was an entertainer and the mistress of This splendid book examines the legacy of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, one of the twentieth century's great icons of style. This splendid book examines the legacy of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, one of the twentieth century's great icons of style.

Chanel success story set of 4