But as the years pass, success cannot save her from heartbreak. 5 her dramatic friendships, affairs, and rivalries with luminaries of her era increase her wealth and fame. Her little black dress, her signature perfume No. As Coco’s reputation spreads, her couturier business explodes, taking her into rarefied society circles and bohemian salons. Rejecting the frilly, corseted silhouette of the past, her sleek minimalist styles reflect the youthful ease and confidence of the 1920s modern woman.

But it is only when her lover takes her to Paris that Coco discovers her destiny. She immerses herself in his world of money and luxury, discovering a freedom that sparks her creativity. Transforming herself into Coco-a seamstress and sometime torch singer-the petite brunette burns with ambition, an incandescence that draws a wealthy gentleman who will become the love of her life. Here, the nuns nurture Gabrielle’s exceptional sewing skills, a talent that will propel her into a life far removed from the drudgery of her childhood. Support Your Independent Bookseller at IndieBoundĭRAMA, PASSION, TRAGEDY, AND BEAUTY: C.W.’s new novel stunningly imagines the life of Coco Chanel-the iconic fashion designer whose staggering creativity built an empire and made her one of the 20th century’s most influential, and controversial, figures.īorn into rural poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her sisters are sent to a convent orphanage after their mother’s death.

Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner