Gabrielle Coco Chanel is an icon of fashion, and can lay claim to having invented thelook of the 20th century. At the height of the Belle Époque, she stripped women of theircorsets and feathers, bobbed their hair, put them in bathing suits and sent them out toget tanned in the sun. She introduced the little black dress; trousers for women; costumejewelry; the exquisitely comfortable suit that became her trademark. Early in the RoaringTwenties, Chanel made the first ever couture perfume No. 5 presenting it in thefamous little square-cut flagon that, inspired by Picasso and Cubism, became the archsymbol of the Art Deco style. No. 5 remains the most popular scent ever created.

This volume, published to accompany a landmark exhibition in Paris, traces thebirth and evolution of Chanels timeless style. Specially commissioned photographs byJulien T. Hamon showcase the clothing, while essays by fashion historians illuminate aperiod, an event or a theme. Rare archival documents, including portraits of GabrielleChanel herself, round out the book.