Coco Chanel was a legendary fashion designer, but also a visionary and far-sighted entrepreneur who built an empire from a low social class. She was the daughter of a peddler, orphaned of her mother and had been entrusted with her sisters to an institute of nuns. Who better than her could therefore bestow good advice to a female audience eager to achieve success in life? A book reveals the secrets of her unstoppable rise: "Acting and thinking like Coco Chanel", by Aurélie Godefroy, 176 illustrated pages, 14 euros, in bookstores from November 4th in the first translation from French (Odoya Edizioni).
Gabrielle Chanel, aka Coco, had a really difficult start, but her example is synonymous with strength of character and determination. Abandoned by her father after the death of her mother and witness to the death of more than one lover (Boy Capel will mark a before and after in her existence), the great designer is truly an example to follow. Not everyone can start from an orphanage and reach the heights of success by creating and imposing one's own style, but this book does not limit itself to telling the most important moments in his life: it offers real motivational tips to take a cue from attitude and Coco's choices.
A teacher of courage and a hard worker, she described herself as "a bee born under the sign of the lion". A really nice mix of totem animals to inspire empowerment and self-confidence. Her models created a new type of femininity that dared to use trousers and suits (today we call them suits), made use of versatile fabrics such as jersey and very comfortable pockets. When Dior wanted to lock women back into a corset, Gabrielle herself took to the field again presenting a new collection that reaffirmed that women's freedom and style could go hand in hand (on the catwalk and in life). He was 71 years old.
Capable of putting herself in a good light and weaving the right liaisons, Coco Chanel was an ante litteram influencer. The book is able to suggest how to take a cue from this attitude. The author believes that "valuing ourselves is really important: speaking up, feeling at ease and developing our own style in which we feel free and confident are not secondary things at all". And then friendship, instinct, resilience, quick joke, good reading and a bit of sport complete our training to get to act and think like this immortal icon.
Aurélie Godefroy is a French journalist, television host and author of many books on personal development and spirituality, including Les plus belles sagesses du monde pour vaincre son stress (L 'etudiant Pratique, 2019).
