Chanel Colours

The first book dedicated to exploring Chanel's key colours through Gabrielle Chanel’s life and creations, bringing together iconic fashion and beauty photography curated by expert Jérôme Gautier. Black clothing was once associated with shop assistants and funeral attire. Gabrielle Chanel, however, saw it as a chic and modern choice. Promoting it as a versatile option in the early days of the 20th century, she firmly established it as a key colour in her repertoire with the creation of the ‘little black dress’ in 1926, redrawing the parameters of fashion. Gabrielle Chanel’s relationship with colour continued to evolve, with beige, white, gold and red all becoming key components in her designs – each reflecting facets of her life, vision and creative influences. Expertly curated in five chapters of stunning visuals, Chanel Colours is the first publication to fully explore the inspiration behind this choice of palette throughout the history of the house. It brims with the work of such esteemed photographers as Peter Lindbergh, Tim Walker, Sølve Sundsbø and Corinne Day, and stands as the first book to publish the collections of Chanel’s new Creative Director, Matthieu Blazy. In bringing these considerations to bear on the collections of Gabrielle Chanel’s successors right up to the present day, Chanel Colours offers insights into the future of Chanel while honouring its past.