Living with Coco Chanel The homes and landscapes that shaped the designer by Caroline Young

I love to read about Chanel,although she was a collaborator, and this book is no exception. It describes Chanel's life and how the places where she lived and her lovers influenced her fashion designs in intricate detail, with interesting quotes and anecdotes. The main influence on Chanel was the stark convent high in the hills where she was sent as a teenager, with its mosaic floors and simple patterns. She loved black, white and beige, the colours of the convent, and often designed black and white dresses, influenced by the nun's habits.

However, some of her lovers were aristocratic Englishmen, who also inspired her designs. For example, the Duke of Westminster took her to Scotland where she learned how to incorporate tweed and boucle material into her designs. Boy Capel took her sailing and she designed clothes influenced by the world of sailing. She used to go hunting, and she also played golf and tennis with her aristocratic friends and soon realized that modern working women wanted fashionable, but comfortable clothes so that they could move easily.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in Chanel.

I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.