Gabrielle Chanel

A stunning survey of Gabrielle Chanel’s most notable designs from her 60 years in fashion, edited by V&A curators Oriole Cullen and Connie Karol Burks

As one of the most successful fashion houses in existence, Chanel owes much to the templates first laid down by its founder, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883–1971). Some of her most celebrated designs, such as the two-piece suit, the little black dress, and the quilted handbag, remain in vogue to this day.

Chanel designed first and foremost for herself; by creating clothes fit for an independent and active lifestyle, she anticipated the needs and wants of the modern woman.

This beautiful book showcases a stunning array of Chanel’s most notable designs from her 60 years in fashion, largely drawn from the collections of the Patrimoine de CHANEL, Paris, and the V&A. It examines the cut, construction, embellishment, and provenance of the ensembles, as well as the design themes and motifs Chanel returned to throughout her career.

Newly commissioned photographs of the selected pieces by renowned fashion photographer Nicholas Alan Cope are accompanied by archival images, which together capture Chanel’s unique fashion world.