13A - Reading Reflection - Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel

1.) What surprised me the most was Chanel's ties with the Nazis, and the fact that she was accepted by the American fashion industry even after that. What I admired most was that everything she designed was classic, and she cared about style, not trends or fads. I also admired that she drew inspiration in her designs from her rough childhood (from being an orphan in the convent). What I least admired was her willingness to become an informant for the Nazis during the French occupation. Some might say it was her willingness to survive, but others made better choices in the same situation (fleeing, fighting back, double crossing the Nazis, helping Jews escape France, etc). It seems like she actually sympathized with the Nazis and their ideals. Coco Chanel did encounter adversity, and it seems that the roughest patch in her career was a Paris fashion show that was supposed to be her reintroduction into the fashion industry after WW2- it bombed. French critics rejected her designs as outdated, but she ultimately found success in American consumers instead, so she took advantage of her popularity in America.

2.) She expressed competency in sewing (which she learned how to do in the convent), and creating a product that became timeless. To create a style that lasts decades after she started, and even decades after her death is truly a legendary accomplishment. She also showed competency in creating a product that was functional, aesthetically pleasing, and comfortable for her audience, which is a hard intersection to create. She helped rid women of corsets, which probably actually helped with their health (corsets squeeze women's vital organs and shorten their life expectancy).

3.) One part that was confusing to me was the whole Nazi-occupied France era, and its aftermath. I can't understand how she was able to ever show her face in public again after the scandal of having been in with the Nazis and basically betraying France. I guess scandal didn't quite catch fire back then like it does now- maybe ethical consumerism is a more recent development with the internet.

4.) My two questions would probably be why she colluded with Nazis (for survival, or because she actually agreed with them), and if she was ever actually in love with the men she was with throughout her life. I would ask the first question because I would want insight as to her intentions, and I would ask the second question because she never married, but it seemed like she was particularly attached to her first lover (the man who she opened her hat shop with and who inspired her revolutionary jersey suits for women).

5.) I think her opinion of hard work was that it was the key to success. She never stopped designing and pursuing her career in fashion for her whole life- you could say she was married to her career rather than any of her lovers. I don't necessarily agree with this outlook. I don't think working to death will make a person happy. While she achieved legendary status within fashion and is considered a feminist icon, I'm not sure if she was ever truly happy, or if she died happy. It seems to me like she put her work before her happiness, or perhaps pursued work so much because she thought it would bring her happiness. Either way, it seems like she was actually pretty bitter and unhappy.