By the end of World War I, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel had revolutionised women's dress. But dress was the most visible aspect of more profound changes she helped to bring about. During the course of her extraordinary journey, from abject poverty to a new kind of glamour, she would help forge the idea of the modern woman. Unearthing an astonishing life, this remarkable biography shows how the most influential designer of her century became synonymous with a rebellious and progressive style.
Her numerous liaisons, whose most poignant details have eluded previous biographers, were the stuff of legend. Witty, strange, mesmerizing, Chanel became muse, patron, or mistress to some of the century's most celebrated artists, including Stravinsky, Picasso, and Dali.