13A- Reading Reflection No. 1

I read Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life by Lisa Chaney.

• What surprised you the most?
• What surprised me the most about Gabrielle's (Coco's) life was that she pioneered several aspects of timeless style and fashion. Coco was "the first woman to make suntan fashionable" (Chaney 103). Prior to this breakthrough, having a tan implied that you worked outside and were in a lower social class, but on a picnic with Arthur (her original lover), Coco would glamorize having a tan. Also, Coco invented the little black dress, more commonly known as the LBD. The author refers to the LBD as, "Perhaps the most legendary of Gabrielle's designs" (Chaney 233). To this day, the LBD is a staple in every women's closet.
• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
• Though there is much to admire about Coco Chanel, what I admire most is her ability to stick to her roots, while changing the standards of fashion and beauty. For the time, Coco's designs were different, and almost masculine. She had an unconventional lifestyle (being a live-in mistress), and her abnormality shined through her clothing and designs. Moreover, Coco changed the fashion norms when she "attached a rabbit, the most plebeian of furs, to many of her outfits" (Chaney 108). Attaching such an undesired fur to a garment allowed Coco to pay respects to her poor upbringing, and she also displayed how humble she was.  Coco never tried to be someone she was not, a trait that is most admirable. 
• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
• What I admired least about Coco was how many affairs she had. Though she grew up in a time where mistresses and affairs were very normalized, I could barley keep track of which man she was which, and why they stoped seeing each other. At first, she left Etienne for his friend, Arthur, who was a war hero and Coco's true love. Then, Coco went more for artistic men, then I began to loose track of which man she was with. I feel as if I would admire her that much more if she was not as promiscuous, though I recognize the time period she was in.
• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
• Yes, from a very early age, Coco was faced with hardship. She grew up with an almost nonexistent father and eventually found her siblings and herself to be orphans. This upbringing alone presents several barriers for Coco. Not coming from status or money, Coco faced adversity. Also, there were several times where Coco tried to take up other arts, such as singing and dancing. Coco failed and her dance teacher, Elise, said, "She just wasn't right for the stage" (Chaney 84). This failure drove Coco to put more of herself into her designs. 
• What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
• Perhaps Coco's most obvious competencies was her confidence. Though her confidence could sometimes come off as prideful, this trait was large in-part responsible for her success. One instance where Coco's confidence and strength stands out is when the author describes Coco as her lover's (Arthur's) equal: "Her outstanding natural intelligence was clearly a match for Arthur's. Gabrielle was the only woman he had ever met who appeared to be his equal" (Chaney 116/117).  This is important, because in the early 1900's, it was unheard of for a woman (especially a mistress) to be considered equal or even threatening to men.
• Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
• One part of the reading that confused me was that I did not understand why Coco did not take credit for any of the costumes she created. Often, Coco would create costumes for plays of the time, but it was rumored that she never came to the performances, nor hardly referring to her association with these works. I would think that putting her name on these costumes would only get her more exposure, which leads to the confusion. Perhaps she was not pleased with the work she put out, or maybe she did not want people to see that side of her designs. 
• If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
• The first question I would ask Coco would be, "If you were gaining such success with your fashion empire, why did you continuously try to take up other art forms (dancing/singing)?" I would ask her this because this fact confuses me. I would like to know her intentions with wanting to divide her energy between fashion and preforming arts. I also would ask her, "Was it worth loosing Arthur to make yourself more independent and free?" I would ask her this because even through her success, Coco still longed for her original love, Arthur.
• What do you think was the entrepreneur's opinion of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
• The author made it very clear from the beginning of the book that hard work was Coco's life; in fact, her work has consumed her life (Chaney 3). That being said, I think Coco's opinion of hard work is that it is vital in pursuing your dreams. I believe that Coco used work as her escape, because in her mind, she never was going to be independent unless she worked hard to break through to a new social class. I agree with her opinion of hard work, as I believe I am a very hard worker. Like Coco, I do not get discouraged by obstacles, instead I adapt to overcome them.