Chanel biography book

I have always been fascinated with the life of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (and not just because we share a first name!), and I have read just about every book about her I could get my hands on.

Axel Madsen’s biography is probably my favourite book detailing the life of this fashion icon/revolutionary, entrepreneur, sponsor of the arts and generally enigmatic woman.

Madsen does an excellent job giving the reader a lot of historical, cultural and political context to frame the story of this very unique woman’s life: the first half of the 20th century saw the world change very significantly, and Chanel had a crucial role to play in the definition of modern women’s fashion, as well as being a trailblazer as a business woman.

But it is undeniable that the story of Chanel’s life often reads like fiction: it is a Hollywood-worthy rags-to-riches story with plenty of tragedy, romance, political intrigue and famous artists! But this woman’s story do