Reading Reflection No. 1

The book that I chose to read for this assignment was Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life by Lisa Chaney. I was absolutely mesmerized by Gabrielle Chanel while reading this book and was shocked by how little I actually knew about her life. As an economics and french double major, I have always had an interest in the empire that she built but had never truly understood what her life had been like. I was most shocked to find about the sheer effect that she had on modern fashion. She completely revolutionized the style and fashion of the modern woman and nearly every modern designer considers her styles in their work.

Gabrielle Chanel is a person who deserves incredible admiration. She built something out of nothing and did so by connecting herself with the right people and by always working hard. People may say that without investments from others, she would have never been able to build her brand. I do believe that this statement is the truth, but I think that if the people who had invested in her had not, she would have found someone else. She was determined to make a legacy for herself and she did. I think that this is what I admire most about her- her sheer perseverance and drive. She worked for everything she built and was willing to make sacrifices along the way. She was an incredibly hard worker and this inspires me deeply. She believed that hard work was necessary for accomplishing anything meaningful in life and I appreciate this sentiment. I think that Chanel recognized the privilege associated with high birth or status but knew that hard work could accomplish almost as much, which I think is something that I have always kept in my mind.

Gabrielle Chanel also loved deeply and endlessly. If there was anything that I could say that I admire her the least for would be her inability to accept the death of Boy Capel, her lover of many years. After his death, she shut herself off from love and only allowed herself to have physical affairs. Many men continued to develop strong feelings for Chanel, but she was unwilling to let go of Capel. Chaney wrote that "Gabrielle's well-concealed yet underlying state of mourning left her unable, or unwilling to be involved at Stravinsky's level of intensity," (172). She moved through lovers quickly through out her life, and the abortion that she had while in her early affair with Etienne left her unable to have children. She regretted this deeply at the end of her life but moved with such briskness and determination through her youth that she never considered that these would be the consequences that she would face in her future.

Chanel was also brilliant at overcoming conflict and hostility. She had many people who criticized and competed against her, but Chanel almost always maintained her composure and won with what she did best, creating the best styles. For nearly half a century, no one could compete for the respect that Chanel received from within the haut monde and from many artists and artisans. She was an idol for many and responded to aggression in the work place with more effort and even better products. She was incredibly skilled at her craft, but also at building the right connections. She was able to build such an empire because of the people that she assosciated herself with. I think that this may have been her greatest asset in the creation of her empire. She found people to endorse her brand, to wear her clothes and accessories, and to recruit even more to the following of Coco Chanel. She knew what kind of person was in fashion at every moment of her life and used their individual brands to her advantage.

I think that what I found most confusing about Gabrielle Chanel's life was her transitions between lovers, but I think that this is mostly due to her elusiveness regarding the subject. She rarely flaunted her affairs and often tried to keep her personal life, personal. She was constantly in the spotlight but did her best to keep her affairs to herself when necessary. I think that this was also confusing because of her alleged bisexuality but I do not think that this confusion detracts any of the understanding of Chanel was. She clearly was someone who was confident enough with herself to accept these affairs as part of her life, and although they are confusing as an outsider, it is understandable. There is no reason that I or anyone should have to know exactly who she had affairs with at every moment of her life. This should not be expecting of anyone.

If I could ask two questions to Chanel, I would first ask her what her opinion is of the beliefs regarding her life and her brand currently. I would want to know what she thought of how people treated her company after her death and about all of the speculations that people have about her life. I would then ask her a much more personal question- did she know that she would be unable to have children later in life when she chose to have the abortion procedure after she got pregnant with Etienne?

In summary, I think that Gabrielle Chanel is an inspiration for all. She built an empire based on her name, her designs, and her own hard work. She was a brilliant woman who strove to find equality in her life and inspired many with her independence and drive. She wanted to build a legacy that would live on past her death, and she did just that.