The Dark Side of Coco Chanel

This week, we unravel the myth of Coco Chanel, the woman who revolutionized women’s fashion, built one of the most powerful luxury empires in history, and carefully crafted herself into a feminist icon. But behind the pearls, perfume, and little black dresses was a much darker story.

From poverty and ambition to affairs with powerful men, antisemitism, Nazi collaboration allegations, and the reinvention of her own legacy, we explore how Coco Chanel became both a symbol of female freedom and one of fashion’s most controversial figures.

Was she a visionary? A social climber? A survivor? A villain? Maybe all four.

Grab a cigarette and your tweed blazer, because this one is messy.

Created and produced by Tess Bellomo & Claire Donald

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Sources: Chanel Unbuttoned BBC, Wikipedia

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