#13

1) I had no prior inkling on the life and history of Gabrielle “coco” Chanel. I was most surprised by just how complex and mysterious her life was. I had no idea that she endured such an unfortunate childhood. After the death of her mother, she and her two sisters were abandoned by their father. This ultimately resulted in her being orphaned and having a lifelong fear of abandonment. Another thing that surprised me though, is that she often fabricated the story of her childhood to others and the public. She claimed that her father had to leave to America to find his fortune when in reality, he was a “drunken braggart” and never traveled to America. What she overcame from her youth to become the icon is she is remembered as today was certainly the most surprising to me.

What I admired most about her was her devotion to changing the status quo. The fashion pieces she found most comfortable and appealing she made into highly desirable fashion. She ignored what was mainstream at the time and made men’s clothing desirable for women to wear. 

I think what I least admired about Gabrielle was her inability to accept her self for who she truly was and let it be publicly known. As mentioned in the first question, she fabricated stories to her will, exposing only the sides of her she wanted to be seen. One of the major findings of the author was Chanel’s bisexuality and opioid use. This was under wraps because Gabriel did not want this to be public knowledge. While this kind of behavior is understandable, as bold and daring of a woman as she was she didn’t fully accept every part of her. 

Gabrielle Chanel faced adversity throughout her life. She overcame a troublesome childhood of being orphaned and living a life of great poverty. Upon leaving the convent she decided to reinvent herself and opened up a hat and dress shop in Paris. Her biggest failure perhaps occurred in the 1930’s when the depression and emergence of World War II led Chanel to shut down her business and fire all of her workers. With her career in design in shambles, and after being accused of being a Nazi conspirator she spent many years of her life in exile. However, at the age of 70, she decided to return to the fashion world despite extensive ridicule. Her company flourished, she was a huge success, and left behind one of the most well-known legacies.   

2) Some competencies I noticed the entrepreneur exhibited were perseverance and uniqueness. Despite great adversity, she persevered through a difficult childhood, controversial relationships and failed business ventures to become the fashion icon is she remembered as today. Chanel was completely unique during her time. Her fashion sense, her lifestyle, and the way she carried her self-were so unique that she is honored even today for it. 

3) I think the most confusing part of the text was the uncovering of her relationship with the Nazis. Although it mentioned that she was never convicted as Nazi sympathizer, this reputation was associated with her. She went into hiding for many years before making her grand come back. It was unclear how severe her ties were or how she was involved in WW II. 

4) If I were able to ask two questions to Coco Chanel they would be “how and why did you decide to return to the fashion industry at age 70?” 

“Do you regret not getting married or have any children?” 

I would like to ask these questions because I feel as though the answers would be very telling of her character.

5) Chanel’s opinion of hard work is a bit hard to decipher. Many of her business ventures were funded by her luxurious lovers. So I don’t think that would fall under the conventional thought of “hard work.” However, she worked tediously to think of new visions and to create them in her image. I don’t necessarily agree with her methods but I admire her for utilizing her opportunities. I view hard work as earning any title or respect you receive. It is dedication, and tenacity even when you feel like giving up.