Coco Chanel (1883 1971) is one of the twentieth century s most captivating personalities and a defining figure in fashion history. Yet whoever attempts to understand Chanel s life is confronted by countless myths, half-truths and rumours. In this book Justine Picardie discovers the woman behind the legend, and tells Chanel s story with a flair and clarity of which Coco herself would approve. Chanel  Her Life explores every facet of Chanel s universe: her fascinating private life as well as the famous icons of her fashion empire  the tweed jacket, the little black dress, N° 5 perfume, the pearls, the camellia& The result is a comprehensive biography that reveals Chanel s style to be the outcome of rigorous elegance, resolute self-belief and a determinedly unconventional stance. Picardie was granted access to Chanel s archives and is the first author to have examined previously undiscovered private archives in the United Kingdom and France; and this unique knowledge underpins Chanel  Her Life. The book, designed and with drawings by Karl Lagerfeld, is the definitive biography of the tantalisingly elusive Coco Chanel.