This lavishly illustrated book, newly expanded and updated, examines the creative output of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel (1883-1971) over the course of her long career and documents the creation and meteoric rise of the Chanel fashion empire and the products that bear its exclusive label – haute couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, jewellery and perfumes.

A final chapter looks at the House after Chanel: the vision of creative director Karl Lagerfeld who from 1983 until his death in 2019 ensured that the brand retained its position at the forefront of fashion’s vanguard; and the reinterpreting of Chanel fashion signatures by his successor, Virginie Viard, today.