This intimate biography of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel reveals the fascinating life and career of the woman whose name evoked style, independence, and allure in her own time and lives on, forever a legend and revolutionary force in the world of fashion. Madsen chronicles Chanel’s life from her beginnings as an orphan, to her first boutique opened in 1910 to the founding of the House of Chanel, where she gave birth to women’s sportswear, the "little black dress," her popular costume jewelry, the Chanel suit, and Chanel No. 5, the classic perfume that transformed the fragrance business. The book provides a revealing look at her many celebrity relationships, from Igor Stravinsky to Winston Churchill, how her fashion empire grew, and how she died an international celebrity, yet utterly alone at the end of her life. Illustrated with black and white photos of Coco Chanel and her celebrated circle of friends, from her days as a young designer to her later years.