cuckoo for coco June 4, 2007 5:55 pm >> It seems like everyone has Coco Chanel on the brain as of late. You've got French actress Marina Hands playing Coco in the movie adaptation of the book Coco & Igor. You've got French actress Audrey Tautou playing Coco before she became famous in another biopic.
And you've got the recently released children's book, Different Like Coco, which I picked up over the weekend after reading a review of it in The New York Times. I was actually quite curious to see how someone would break down Gabrielle Chanel's life for the book's recommended age range of 5 to 9 years. When I think of illustrated kids books, I don't really think of biographical content, after all.
I opened the book and the endpapers are filled with Chanel quotes, my favorite being: "Luxury must be comfortable; otherwise it is not luxury." -- because it is simply so true. The pages are beautifully illustrated with watercolor drawings, and the reader learns everything from how Chanel came to have a shop on Rue Cambon to how she became the creator of Parisian couture. The book gives details about Chanel's life, but keeps it light and doesn't get dragged down. A perfect gift for the aspiring little fashionette, or if you're like me, the book is great to satiate the child within.
Marc O'Polo
GHD