Shortlisted for the Galaxy Biography of the Year 2010.

Justine Picardie has spent the last decade puzzling over the truth about Coco Chanel, attempting to peel away the accretions of romance and lies.   Picardie cleverly brings the mysterious Gabrielle Chanel out of hiding, celebrates her great achievements whilst at the same time casts a clear eye over her transgressions. She examines Chanel's enduring afterlife, as well as her remarkable life, uncovering the consequences of what she covered up, unpicking the seams between truth and legend, yet keeping intact the real fabric of her past.

Synopsis

In this full-scale biography we finally discover the history of the incredible woman who created the way we look now. Coco Chanel was an extraordinary inventor - she conjured up the little black dress, bobbed hair, trousers for women, contemporary chic, best-selling perfumes, and the most successful fashion brand of all time - but she also invented herself, fashioning the myth of her own life with the same dexterity as her couture. While Chanel was supreme innovator and vendor of all things elegant and beautiful, what lies beneath her own glossy myth is darker.

About the Author

Justine Picardie writes for Vogue and the Daily Telegraph. Her critically acclaimed non-fiction memoir, If the Spirit Moves You, was a Picador bestseller in 2002. Her first novel, Wish I May, was published by Picador in 2004. She lives in London with her husband and two sons. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation