Coco Chanel continues to beguile more than two decades after her death; her life and work are a source of enduring fascination. Chanel expert Isabelle Fiemeyer unveils the mysteries that have surrounded the private and public figure by piecing together new research with accounts from Chanel s intimate friends and relatives, artists, writers, photographers, directors, actors, and those who worked with her inside the House of Chanel.She describes Chanel s carefully crafted persona and then gradually unveils each layer of mystery that surrounded the great fashion designer to reveal the woman behind the intrigue. While Chanel was sometimes reviled and vilified, this account offers fresh revelations about her life. The handsome volume includes photographs and previously unpublished material, including new documents from the wartime period.