Reviews for Chanel And Her World Friends, Fashion, and Fame

The average rating for Chanel And Her World Friends, Fashion, and Fame based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-01-26 00:00:00 Renato Soares I know nothing about fashion and have never had much interest in it, but my mind has opened on the topic lately, not just because of Prince’s death. I had dinner a few years ago with a visiting author, Sandra Cisneros, who noted that Japanese men are more fashion conscious, in general, than American men. After that, I noticed her attention to clothes and cloth in Caramelo and that was interesting. So perhaps that was a seed. I have not read a biography in quite a long time, and the author of this one, Edmonde Charles-Roux, passed away in January. Reading about her (editor-in-chief of the French edition of Vogue, novelist, rights activists) and my slightly increased interest in fashion made me consider giving this a chance. Coco Chanel’s times overlapped others I’ve read about, such as Hemingway’s and Picasso’s, so I thought her story might offer me a new perspective on a time period I had some familiarity with. That happens, somewhat, but the read was unsatisfying. The book consists of mini-texts, longer than captions but not necessarily more substantial, and lots of photographs. I welcomed the photographs and even the brief sections, but the writing was odd. The voice was strange, maybe due to the translation, maybe due to the book’s age. Perhaps the author wrote for someone with prior knowledge, not only of Chanel’s story and times but of the author’s times and her era’s consensus evaluation of Chanel. I often had trouble determining the author’s attitude, whether it was fawning or critical or both or what! One reviewer mentioned having this text without the photographs. That must have been horrible. Without the photos to examine and enjoy, I would not have finished it. The writing was vague, impressionistic, and/or obscure. The order and subject matter of the mini-texts was sometimes disjointed and confusing. They are slotted into chapters that almost add clarity, but also left me scratching my head at times. I have some idea what Chanel accomplished. I can rattle off things, like throwing off the shackles of the 19th Century style, sports clothing and perfume, but I need more details and context. If I was a student of fashion, I don’t think this book would suffice. A student of business and entrepreneurship will not really learn much about how Coco Chanel built her empire, though it was interesting to see that her early years, given the times, relied on the largess of upperclass men and that success due to World War 1 gave her her independence. There are some other events I’m curious about, like the strikes of the late 1930s and Coco Chanel’s actions during World War 11. Her Nazi lover cost her. It’s fascinating, though, that a woman, a fashion designer, who was 18 in 1900, was at the top of her game and success during the 1960s. I'll have to find out more elsewhere.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-07-12 00:00:00 Robert Partridge I enjoyed this book but it was filled with unnecessary information. I felt like reading it throughout the end was so boring and long. Chanel had a interesting but sad life. She strived for success in a fashion world and while she gained it, did she lose happiness along the way? Absent from family life she looked for happiness amongst men, which she was only to find for brief fluttering moments. An admirable lady for her shire determination to make something of herself. The world identifies haute couture with her name, numerous men loved her and socialites admired her, yet she was to die alone. Making a final comeback in fashion and dedicating the last remains of her life to her work, left her solitary and low in spirits. A remarkable life that went throughout all classes of society, was a life unforgettable. Chanel lives on through her fashion label and her presence is greatly seen within the label.