Chanel: A Fashionable History

A lavish, full-color celebration of the history of the esteemed fashion couturier Chanel and the brand that lives on in her name.

Jean Leymarie's classic volume belongs on the shelf of every Chanel fan.

Beginning with a brief history of fashion, Leymarie takes the reader through Chanel's early days, when she mingled with Jean Cocteau, Igor Stravinsky, and Luchino Visconti, through the development of her brand by Karl Lagerfeld after her death.

This updated edition of the classic book has been beautifully redesigned by Philippe Apeloig, A special essay on Lagerfeld's contribution to the Chanel legacy, written by journalist Marc Lembron, brings this new edition up to date.

When Jean Leymarie's monograph on Coco Chanel was originally published in 1989, he was known primarily as a curator and modern art historian, both in his native France and abroad. Bringing his expertise to bear on one of the most famous (and often controversial) couturiers of all time, Leymarie legitimized fashion as fine art.

This lush gift-ready volume is packed with evocative color photographs.