Fashion Book Review: Coco Chanel - The Legend and the Life, by Justine Picardie

Coco Chanel was, like her fashion house's logo, a mass of contradictions. Just as the interlocking but equally opposing letter 'C's could have more than one meaning, their creator often had more than one state of mind, recollection or opinion, depending on who she was addressing and why. 

 [Image via Wikimedia Commons - credited to Time/Getty].

The designer photographed in 1920.

She demanded simplicity, yet was often surrounded by ceremony and grandeur, living at the Ritz when the mood took her, or building a haven on the French Riviera, heading to Hollywood and regularly partying on her lover the Duke of Westminster's yacht - so far, so glamorous. But her humble beginnings were more like a fairy story, as the young Chanel (known then as Gabrielle rather than Coco) dealt with her mother's death and her father's reluctance to be a parent. She was placed in an orphanage, along with her sister, though later she would describe this period of her childhood as being raised by strict aunts, rather than the nuns who actually ran the orphanage and taught her to sew. 

It's clear very early on into the book that Chanel was like the classic unreliable narrator in literature, forever changing her story and her circumstances; she would regularly lie about her age and her origins, tailoring a fantastical beginning of her own that could induce jealousy or sympathy at the drop of a hat. Fortunately Justine Picardie replaces the unreliable narrator's tales with as many of the facts as she can muster, interviewing many people who were close to the great woman and her world. 

 [Image via Instyle.com].

Vintage earrings featuring the instantly recognisable logo.

Picardie's detective work and her fluid descriptions bring this biography to life, despite all of the twists and turns and the regular stumbling blocks of Chanel's little white lies that the writer encountered whilst trying to unravel the reality behind all those myths. One of the most bizarre anecdotes involves the designer's favourite childhood haunt - the cemetery at Auvergne. 'If Chanel's own account is to be believed, by the age of six she was spending as much time as possible in a graveyard... she became attached to two unnamed tombstones, decorating them with wildflowers' (p.16). Imagery like this stays with the reader and helps to peel back the layers in her personality. 

The graveyard ties in nicely with the love of wearing black that she brought to the public, taking it out of the state of mourning and into the everyday, 'wearing black as a symbol of strength and freedom' (p.85). Conversely, she also pushed white clothing as a trend, to suggest 'candid innocence' in the wake of the Great Depression (p.179), and her all-white collection of spring 1933 went down a storm. Chanel even wore white to one of her friend's funerals, though she never wore white as a bride, staying unmarried throughout her life, despite numerous all-consuming love affairs up until her 50s. She emerged from every broken relationship a stronger and more resilient person, often staying close to her ex-boyfriends (much to the chagrin of their future wives). 

[Image via Gawker.com]

Still glamorous in later life and getting the wear out of those pearls.

Of course, not every moment was a bed of roses, and Picardie does shed light on the most scandalous boyfriend of all - a high-ranking Nazi, albeit one who could have potentially been a double agent. Unlike many of her couturier contemporaries in the city, Chanel closed her atelier during the war, and the only German she was seen to spend time with was her lover, Baron von Dincklage, but still the rumours about her being a Nazi collaborator persisted. This was obviously a tricky area for Picardie to research, but it does feel like the weakest section of the book, given the strength of those rumours, which persist today. I would have loved to see more investigation and depth in this part of the  biography, as there are still so many unanswered questions about the designer during this period. 

Essentially, this biography provides a huge amount of insight into the complicated life of Coco Chanel, from her humble beginnings as Gabrielle, to her stellar reputation and her line of properties along the Rue Cambon in Paris. It explores the dizzying heights, but also the pitfalls that she encountered, such as the poorly received comeback collection of 1954 (the ever-strong Chanel 'faced the critics with her lips and nails in brave warpaint... the reviews were savage enough to have felled a woman less sure of herself', p.269-270). This is not a lightweight coffee table book, least of all because of its slim line photo sections at the expense of more text; it's a solid and engrossing profile of the great designer, written with Picardie's own insider knowledge and contacts in the fashion industry to hand. If you're keen to learn more about this fashion icon, The Legend and the Life is a great place to start your education.

Disclaimer: I was kindly provided with a review copy of this book, courtesy of the publishers, Harper. However, the views expressed in this post are my own.

Culture Cloud: 10 Great Books by Women

When a friend of mine recently admitted that he'd never read a book written by a woman, I thought he had a pretty terrible sense of humour; then I realised he wasn't joking. Aside from being prescribed dreary novels in secondary school that he never actually finished, he'd not been introduced to any women writers, which really got me thinking about which ones I'd recommend first. 

Admittedly when thinking about my very favourite books, they're all penned by blokes (not something I'm proud of as a feminist), and I was desperate to contradict this with some solid ideas on who to dig out of the library first. Here are my top suggestions for books written by women:

 [Book cover design by Levante Szabo for the Re-Covered Books challenge].

1. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë

Yep, let's start with the obvious ones. Jane Eyre is one of the best written female protagonists in literary history, who isn't afraid to fight back when her cousin bullies her in the novel's early stages and isn't about to bow down to the backwards-thinking control freak St. John in its later chapters. In between she sleeps in ditches, braves a fire and faces the most prominent instance of  'the madwoman in the attic' from Gothic literature that would soon become a stereotypical plot device for writers across the world. Oh, and she doesn't look like a Disney princess, which is always refreshing.

2. The Color Purple - Alice Walker

With a heartbreaking life story, Walker's narrator Celie has definitely been through the mill (we're talking a good few years' worth of soap opera plots thrown at one character). The book follows her in 1930s America as a downtrodden woman who's trying to emancipate herself and move on from everything she's been through. Male characters are typically violent, cruel or easily led, whereas the females are generally world-weary and streetwise, including the brilliantly named jazz singer Shug Avery.

3. A Spy in the House of Love - Anais Nin

There's nothing like a dysfunctional lead character to keep you on your toes. In the case of Nin's Sabina, we're following a 'fire-bird' who is unpredictable, needy and not afraid to get what she wants.  In modern day terms she'd be diagnosed as having sex addiction and sent to regular meetings, but instead we see her in bars and desperately dialing a mysterious figure known as the lie detector.

4. The Best of Everything - Rona Jaffe


A frank and amazingly poignant look at life at the bottom of the career ladder for four women in 1950s New York, without the buoyancy of Sex and the City's altercations with men (try something more along the implied lines of 'pervy boss, cheating bastard and lying idiot' rather than any of the hilarious monikers coined by Carrie et al). The main protagonist wants more than a life in the typing pool followed by marriage to a complete pillock, and she's going to fight for it.

5. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Anne Brontë

If you like your female role models with serious guts then this is the book for you. Married to a drunken and abusive husband, at a time when women had no rights, our heroine ups sticks with her young son and makes a new life for them under a different name. Using a plot device of a story within a story (much like her sister Emily's Wuthering Heights) there's a lot to be revealed once you get beneath the surface of this novel.

6. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

Although the subsequent film adaptation by Peter Jackson didn't quite live up to the hype, The Lovely Bones is a cult story for good reason. With a unique viewpoint, we're invited into the world of Susie Salmon who has been murdered aged 13 and is watching over her community (including the killer) as the fallout of her death continues to affect everyone she left behind. You don't have to be a softie to cry at this. 

 [Book cover from the Virago Modern Classics series].

7. Wise Children - Angela Carter 

A family saga but with a huge dose of comedy and just about the strangest group of relatives you've ever met, this is one book to devour. Featuring an acting dynasty, bastardised kids and some hilarious anecdotes, it's hard to put down and also likely to make your grandparents look incredibly dull in comparison. You might also not be able to think of St. Paul's Cathedral in the same way again, thanks to Carter's sharp way with words.  

8. Regeneration - Pat Barker

The first book of the Regeneration trilogy but worth a read in its own right, Barker delves into the lives of World War One soldiers suffering from shell-shock and what is essentially Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Using a mixture of imagined and real occurrences at the Craiglockhart Hospital in Edinburgh, with a particular emphasis on nerves and neurological treatments, it's a fascinating look at a pivotal time in history, with the war poet Siegfried Sassoon being an important character and yet another blur in the lines of fact and fiction.

9. Prozac Nation - Elizabeth Wurtzel

I'm not usually one for autobiographical reading, but Wurtzel has a lot to say for herself and she's an important mouthpiece for discussing the much-stigmatised topic of mental illness. Suffering depression and trying to create some semblance of a normal life around it as she goes to university and tries to carry on, Wurtzel's memoir is a powerful commentary on a condition that is often brushed under the carpet. She's now a successful writer and occasionally pops up in my copies of Elle Magazine.

10. The Book of Human Skin - Michelle Lovric

I've written a lot about this book and keep trying to pass it onto other readers. It's a very unorthodox but compelling story featuring a psychopathic nun, a simple but loveable servant and one of the most evil characters you'll ever meet. If the title puts you off then you're missing out (and the actual storyline isn't too gruesome, so there's no need to panic).

Other contenders that didn't make my Top 10 but deserve a mention:

• Bonjour, Tristesse by Francois Sagan - written when the author was 18, this is a coming-of-age novel that looks at the difficult relationship between a young girl and one of her father's girlfriends, who poses a threat as she doesn't seem to have the transience of his other partners.
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - another twist on 'the madwoman in the attic', but this time with her husband's ex-wife always at the back of the mind of our narrator, who has some very big shoes to fill. Housekeeper Mrs. Danvers is a potential candidate for most loyal staff member of the century, with her devotion to the first Mrs. de Winter.
• Brick Lane by Monica Ali - now something of a modern classic, Ali's book caused controversy for its portrayal of Anglo-Bangladeshi life in Tower Hamlets. There's a lot to be taken from the story of Nazneen, who has an arranged marriage and moves to the Brick Lane area with her new husband, knowing scant English.
• Blonde Roots by Bernadine Evaristo - a bold re-imagining of slavery with white citizens as the mistreated, looking at role reversals. By turning things upside down she is able to make the perpetrating race experience being victims, whilst also making us aware that many of the events taking place are not necessarily about race but they are about the corruption of power and of people.

Do you have any to add to the list? Let me know.

Fashion Raindrops: The Virgin Suicides

 On the Stairs.

"We felt the imprisonment of being a girl, the way it made your mind active and dreamy, and how you ended up knowing which colors went together. We knew that the girls were our twins, that we all existed in space like animals with identical skins, and that they knew everything about us though we
couldn't fathom them at all." (Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides). 

Every summer I find myself turning to The Virgin Suicides, one of my favourite books, and also the film adaptation by Sofia Coppola. It creates this beautiful hazy American vintage atmosphere, the kind of thing that designers would kill to evoke for a Spring/Summer collection, where people run barefoot and everything's a bit more innocent. I certainly feel like this year is full of yet another evocation of whiter-than-white dresses with lace, of floral headbands and knee-high socks, worn Lolita-style. It always makes me turn back to that book, for a more authentic and beautifully worded slant on sun-drenched afternoons and a little bit of heartache.

The other week I came across this amazing vintage dress at Brighton's Vintage Nation, featuring a gorgeous floral 1970s print and bell sleeves. I was hooked. £25 and a little restoration with some Vanish and I had myself a look that was almost worthy of the Lisbon sisters in the novel. 

So much of the text is about the local boys' perceptions of the girls and their appearance or behaviour, through the briefest of glimpses or through anecdotal evidence from their school-friends who have managed to get inside the sisters' world. When they try to liberate themselves at the school prom, with their sack-like dresses as imposed by the domineering Mrs. Lisbon, we see how they can go beyond the superficial, with conservative clothes unable to provide a barrier to their freedom.

 

Glowing White.

 “It didn't matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls, but only that we had loved them, and that they hadn't heard us calling, still do not hear us, up here in the tree house with our thinning hair and soft bellies, calling them out of those rooms where they went to be alone," (Jeffrey Eugenides).

If you get the chance to read The Virgin Suicides, then do. It's one of my favourite summer reads and it stays with you long after the last page is turned. Whether you're a fashion lover or you just like a good book, I can thoroughly recommend it.

[All photographs my own. Please ask before reproducing].

LFW A/W2012: Bora Aksu and the Vivian Girls

 [Image: still from the London Fashion Week Live site].

In an interview with Fashion Monitor before his show, Bora Aksu explained that one of his major influences for this collection was Henry Darger, an outsider artist and janitor whose work was only discovered after his death. Darger's images and text formed a huge book, The Story of the Vivian Girls, which was childlike, fantastical and expressive. Aksu gave us clothing that was definitely aimed at women rather than children, but there was clearly an air of dreams and surreal visions in his offering for Autumn/Winter 2012-13. Models sported lace headpieces, wispy backcombed hair and grey lipstick, which formed a backdrop to lace and chiffon in a palette of mink grey, pale pink, raspberry and orange.

 [Image: as above].

There were elements of schoolgirl with a focus on high Peter Pan collars, tied bows and floral dresses, with a push towards Little Red Riding Hood and peasant chic in the introduction of neat hoods. For me, the choice of music, which was definitely rooted in Eastern European or Russian folk culture, emphasised Aksu's use of traditional shapes, with particular attention paid to the waist - floral embroidery resembled elaborately decorated Ukrainian belts.

[Collage from video stills and Henry Darger's book, The Vivian Girls].

Here I've mixed stills and Henry Darger paintings, so you can see links between the two. Aksu has not chosen to copy clothing from the book, but he has taken elements of the Vivian Girls' outfits (such as collared dresses, exaggerated shoulders, nipped in waists and sharp injections of orange, as well as garments that look like watercolours) and brought them to a new audience. He said: "The way these girls are illustrated is so pure. I tried to capture this in my collection, to bring out the innocence in fabrics like the cottons and flower print."

I also think that this show has cemented Bora Aksu's commercial appeal. The clothing he's offered this season adds a dose of femininity to winter that can often be lost in the constant desire by clothing manufacturers to bring us bulky layers and heavy knits. Aksu's designs will ensure that you stay girly and ethereal, even under your scarf and gloves.

Fashion Raindrops - Fashion Quotes from Novels - #1

'I was determined that, for once, for just once in my life, when I went to those readings, I would be wearing the 'right' thing... To my chagrin, I found all my clothes stubbornly resisting this desired neutrality, splitting themselves resolutely up into three categories: Tyrolean Peasant, Bar Girl, and Dreaded Librarian.'

Sally Jay Gorce in Elaine Dundy's The Dud Avocado, 1958.

Fashion Thoughts - Judging a Book by its Cover

[All images my own]. 

I've always been a voracious reader, but it's a bit embarrassing that I haven't managed to get through many books since I've left the title of student behind, yet I've continued to buy them. I also haven't stopped looking for all of the analytical points that my undergraduate degree hard-wired me to spot, from pathos and hamartia to the deliberate decisions behind naming characters. What I have started doing, aside from being more picky with my reading choices and not sticking with a book if it's not working out (a bit like with blokes - sometimes you just have to do the "It's not you, it's me" speech), is letting myself be drawn to the novel's artwork more than ever. Yes, I am willingly choosing a book by its cover. With this in mind, I thought I'd share the books that have caught my eye when I've been out and about on my shopping adventures, and how they have their own trends. 

High Heel Homicide, anyone? The whole pin-up look seen above is so ridiculously current, it's unreal; everyone from Prada to the film My Week With Marilyn to the singer Lana Del Rey has been channelling this glossy, uber-feminine 1950s image, with doe eyes, big bouffant hair and lashings of lipstick.

The book above was part of a display at the cash desk of the cafe at Beyond Retro in Dalston, which I visited in December. It's become a bit of a family haunt, as my cousin discovered it and now my auntie and uncle love it too. Anyway, these paperbacks are the perfect slice of retro fiction, with sensationalist names and buzzing graphic images (check out the use of CAPS LOCK on this one, just in case the title itself didn't grab you on the strength of words alone). They tap into the pop culture love of futurism and sci-fi, with the dual gut instincts of fear and excitement associated with the unknown. Similarly, fashion that looks to the future is always arresting because it has the same shock value.

This image is just a flavour of the books available at a second-hand shop in Brighton. It's one of those places that carries on regardless of the big internet sites like eBay, with a constant stream of stock and people interested in browsing. Amongst all of this was a great selection of vintage Penguins with those reliable minimalist colour-coded covers in orange (fiction), blue (biography) and green (crime) - they're a bit like the equivalent of wardrobe staples, but in the world of publishing.

Judging a Book by its Cover: If Books Were Fashion...

• The Publishing House - Penguin would be a great institutional brand with a key product, like Burberry, Missoni or Aquascutum.
• The Series - Jackie Collins' Lucky Santangelo novels would be Versace or Just Cavalli. Sky high bitch heels, cocktail dresses with thigh-high splits and lots of bling.
• The Iconic Novel - The Virgin Suicides would be Rodarte, dripping with teenage angst, hidden emotions and ethereal looks.

Has your favourite or most recent read made its impact on your wardrobe? Have you spotted any books that have fantastic cover art? Let me know.

The Thorn Birds: a cult series with serious fashion credentials

[Images taken as stills by me, from Youtube footage of The Thorn Birds].

If you can excuse the worrying moral implications of a drama that involves a man falling in love with a woman he first met when she was a young child and he was the local priest, there’s a lot to enjoy in The Thorn Birds. This 1980s serialised adaptation contains dodgy fake Australian accents, rebellious teens and one of the most unlikely style icons I’ve ever seen: that of an evil but wealthy old crone, Mary Carson. Despite her machinations, she has an excellent sense of style and really brings the 1920s to life, making her instantly watchable. Here you can see her in an Art Deco-inspired piece with intricate beading and vertical lines to give the illusion of height and stature.

As you can see in this screenshot, Mary Carson can change from well-mannered lady to bitter old woman at the drop of a hat. She loves to wear lace, which seems fitting for her personality as it is a fabric that can be both delicate and suggestive, depending on how it is worn.

No-nonsense Mary works the newer fashion for sensible day clothes as she realises time has moved on since the innocent days of hosting balls and courting. This is an outfit more suited to the location of the story, an Australian farming community, but it also catches my eye as being similar to Ralph Lauren's recent SS/11 designs which heavily featured white, camel and brown.

Yet here goes Mary, swinging back into eveningwear again, but this time in her favourite midnight blue and with a distinct nod to the 1920s. She never needs to wear screamingly loud colours or ostentatious clothing, because her personality does all the talking (and shuts everyone else up). Mary Carson, you may be a dragon, but I want your wardrobe.

If there's an old tv series that's made you covet the costumes, share your thoughts below.

All About Eve: the gradual Eve-olution of a character through fashion (excuse pun)

We see Eve Harrington (played by Anne Baxter) near the end of the film 'All About Eve' as a sophisticated woman with a power wardrobe of mainly black clothes. But how did she get here?

Eve turns on those around her, making life difficult for the woman who plucked her out of obscurity and offered her friendship, Karen Richards (played by Celeste Holm). Eve is wearing a feminine outfit with scallop detailing and a sheer panel, showing off her figure but keeping her demure to preseve her public image of the talented and graceful ingenue.

Eve takes a hand-me-down suit from her idol, Margo Channing (the brilliant Bette Davis), which is an early and poignant indication of her desire to capitalise on their closeness and seep into her life like a slow-acting poison. The creepy smile is further proof of her cunning.

When we first meet Eve she is a naive young girl in a mackintosh and very ugly rain hat. She looks slightly like a bad detective. The pale colourscheme also means that she blends into the background and can seem like a wallflower, when actually she's dying to take centre stage.

[Images my own, taken as stills from the film].

I was enthralled by this story of toxic friendship and power struggles. I decided to tell the fashion story backwards because we first meet Eve as she is collecting an acting award, the Sarah Siddons, for her work. We then flash back to how she reached that stage in her career, beginning life as a super-fan and slight stalker of Margo Channing. The film's final scene is absolutely genius, showing Eve how her actions will leave karma knocking at the door and she is just as replaceable as Margo.

'Murder, She Wrote' re-imagined by Stephen Webster

The neon lighting of the launch party for Webster's new collection. [Image via Stephen Webster].

The original 'Murder, She Wrote' heroine, Angela Lansbury, who was somehow overlooked as a model for this venture. [Image via IMDB].

A stunning example of the new range - a double-ringed bloody dagger, wielded by perfectly manicured hands. [Image via King Jewellers].

The first promotional glimpse, with model Daisy Lowe. Photographed by Mat Collishaw. [Image via Professional Jeweller].

A vastly repeated daytime crime serial is perhaps not the obvious inspirational choice for new jewellery lines, so it may come as a surprise that the highly successful Stephen Webster has named his latest collection 'Murder, She Wrote'. Taking the elements of intrigue and 'a cup of tea in the countryside', but in a 'tongue-in-cheek' way, as the jewellery designer explained, this is definitely something to be excited about. You might even consider a life on the wrong side of the law to get your hands on these pieces, as seen in the third and fourth images above. There is a sexiness to the collection that moves it away from the doldrums of television which the Angela Lansbury-led program may evoke. This is particularly clear in the choice of brand ambassador - Daisy Lowe, the British model of the moment who has a vintage silhouette but a very modern life in the public eye. She is the perfect choice for this campaign, featured gazing into the middle ground of a dark scene from a railway carriage (note the beautifully reflected train station roof in the top of the frame). Photographed by Mat Collishaw, who is a very talented artist and also the ex-partner of Tracey Emin, there is an extra injection of Britishness here, as well as the obvious but tastefully portrayed undertones of love, revenge and seduction.

In the jewellery itself, I think there is a clear link between the almost emblematic designs and the iconography of films such as Snow White. In the next year we are due to enjoy two more mature re-workings of that classic story, exploring the character of the woodcutter who was ordered to murder Snow White, under the direction of the wicked Queen. Without wishing to suggest that Webster was inspired by Disney, I think that the old fairytale behind the film may have been an influence. We also see poison and fruit cropping up in his other pieces, so for me there is at least a subconscious thematic link that he has produced for his customers. I look forward to seeing the adverts in the press and learning more about the background of this sumptuous collection, from the blood-soaked dagger to the bold and arresting title. It's criminally good.

Miss Marple Remake: Ideas for the wardrobe department?

[Image credits: Guardian Newspapers Online].

One of the most surprising news stories in the last few days has been the announcement that the English super-sleuth Miss Marple is to become the star of a Hollywood film, where she will be played by Jennifer Garner. The casting of Garner is somewhat removed from previous incarnations of Miss Marple, two of which are seen above, as portrayed by Joan Hickson and Geraldine McEwan. Part of the appeal for many fans of the books and television series is that a lady whose life should be confined to cream teas and early nights is consistently able to outwit murderers and policemen with her amateur detective skills. It works on the principle that nobody expects Marple to have the mental faculties or opportunity to be able to solve a case, but she does so with annoying regularity, much to the chagrin of the criminal minds featured. But what happens when you replace this 'wolf in sheep's clothing' with an actress who is clearly not going to look inconspicuous in comfy shoes and a twinset? It does seem like a very bizarre twist on a tried and tested formula which has managed to captivate a large audience without any problems.

So, how will the wardrobe department manage to dress Jennifer Garner for this flashy new adaptation, without alienating her male fans? I have a few Hollywood-esque ideas below.

• A tweed bikini. Perfect for doing some sunbathing in the garden between crime scene visits.
• Marple's sensible brimmed hat to be replaced with a Von Dutch trucker cap when she needs to go into the ghetto without standing out like a sore thumb.
  
• Her teacup should become a permanent accessory rather than a mere drinking vessel, a la Lady Gaga. A diva tantrum will occur if the cup is lost or broken.
  
• The sensible cream blouse should be replaced by a sheer pussy-bow number, accompanied by a visible lace bra.
  
• Miss Marple will discover a penchant for designer handbags, particularly by Chloe, because her new life lesson is never to underestimate the potential of the it-bag.
• Her new sidekick being Snooki from the Jersey Shore, she will realise the appeal of fake tan and a micro-mini skirt for a heavy night on the tiles in celebration of solving a mystery.
• A sensible heavy blazer will be replaced by a black jacket (sleeves rolled up) with matching city shorts, for that chic look. Her fashion muse will be Alexa Chung.