After having written books for Dior and Burberry, the English journalist Alexander Fury has seen fit to use his witty and concise style also for Chanel. He had already done it in 2019 with the volume Chanel The Impossible Collection published by Assouline at the luxurious sum of 1,050 euros. A significant sum given that the publication was maxi, i.e. 40 x 47 x 8 cm. And it still weighs 10 kilos today. In any case, with its 232 pages it remains a best-seller.
The last fashion show designed by Karl Lagerfeld on stage at the Grand Palais on 22 January 2019.
However, it seems that there were too many requests for a more popular publication and therefore too many spouses Prosper and Martine Assouline have decided to propose a perfect summary in just 25 x 33 x 4 cm. The 121 pages of Chanel The Legend of an Icon they can be browsed very easily without having to worry about ruining them (the price is 120 euros) and they condense the successes of the maison with a triple value.
Alexander Fury’s latest book Chanel The Legend of an Icon (Assouline editions)
The first is to outline in these pages the stylistic pillars that have so far supported the maison on rue Cambon which has not stopped growing economically since 1909: from tweed suits to the Little Black Dress without forgetting the Russian embroidery, the thefts from the men’s wardrobe or the evening dresses so extraordinary, so minimal that they seem modest. The second is to evaluate certain looks, not only for their beauty but for the context in which they were created. Like when Fury cites Lagerfeld as capable of “reflecting the luxury and frivolity that dominated 1980s fashion before the stock market crash of October 1987, a style of which Lagerfeld was a leader.” A phrase, among many, that unites society with fashion.
Kristen McMenamy in 1992 for the Chanel p.à.p 1992 fashion show
The third reason is also to outline the reason for certain stylistic choices that are sometimes dystonic or too rebellious: this is the case of the 1992 collection in which Kaiser Karl paraded Chanel tank tops and underwear to ideally be close to the young rappers but also to pay homage to Chanel. That he had created a fortune on fabrics considered poor such as jersey, tweed or certain sponges.
Coco and Karl designed by Donald Robertson
Another quality of the book, for now written only in the English version, is reporting curiosities related to Coco. Among the many, the one on her furs. Since she never proposed to her, it was thought that he was already fur free in his time with her. In truth, even in these cases she preferred to snub the establishment of the time, all mink and chinchilla, choosing waste hair derived from food use such as rabbit, shearling or sheep.
A Chanel Haute Couture jacket owned by heiress Daphne Guinness.
When you reach the last page, fortunately, you don’t want to immediately go and buy something from Chanel but rather look, just for the fun of it, at the current creations of the maison to understand if Virginie Viard is following the right stylistic trail . In fact, her looks, so severe and unsettling, do not have the ease of understanding of Karl’s ideas but even when they seem essential they arise from a historical and intellectual approach that the book will help you to trace.
