Reading Reflection No. 1

I read Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney. Here are my thoughts:

1. What surprised you the most? What about the entrepreneur did you most admire? What about the entrepreneur did you least admire? Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

• I think what surprised me the most was the fact that Chanel had such a troubled upbringing. I really didn't realize before that her story is truly a rags to riches story. I assumed that because the Coco Chanel brand is synonymous with luxury, that she was born into wealth. I was surprised to hear that she was in fact self-made.
• The thing I most admire about Chanel is that she fostered social change. She was a pioneer for the modern woman. Through her designs of women's fashion, she was able to free women from their restrictive corsets and influence a push towards a new society. She created practical clothing that was comfortable for the new working woman. I love that she pushed back on the feminine ideal and paved the way for the modern working woman.
• The thing I least admire about Chanel is that at times she seemed to prioritize her relationships with men over her business. She was exiled for 15 years because she was accused of being in a relationship with a Nazi, and because of this she had to close up shop and flee to Switzerland. I think if she had put Coco Chanel above her relationships, she would not have been put in that position. 
• Gabrielle Chanel encountered a considerable amount of adversity and failure during her life, especially in her early years. Early in her life she endured the loss of her mother and her father's abandonment. At age 11 she was passed into the care of nuns in Moulins, a town whose economy revolved around the military. She later worked as a seamstress altering military uniforms, singing at La Rotonde, and as a mistress to several lieutenants. She was a young woman with modest means, so prostitution was something she had to do to supplement her earnings as a performer and a seamstress. Eventually she called on her lovers to fund her entrepreneurial ventures so that she could open her first boutique in Paris. The book also discusses the struggles Chanel faced later on in her life, including her drug habits, her lesbian affairs, and her German lover during World War II. 

2. What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?

• I noticed that Chanel exhibited fearlessness. She was unafraid to do her own thing and stand out in the fashion world. She created her own unique designs that were unlike anything that had ever been done before, which led to an entire fashion revolution centered around style and comfort. She understood the needs of women before women themselves realized they had a need. Women were so used to conforming to the use of corsets and other inhibiting clothes that it wasn't until Chanel reimagined women's fashion that they realized there were other ways women could dress. Chanel also understood the power of building a strong brand. She built a unique product that gave meaning to the Coco Chanel name in the fashion world. 

3. Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you. 

• One part of the reading that was confusing to me was Chanel's relationship with men. She had many relationships throughout her life and it was difficult at times to keep track of them all. There was Etienne Balsan, Arthur Edward 'Boy' Capel, Baron Hans Gunther von Dincklage, Reverdy, Dalí, Picasso, Visconti, Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor, and more. Her troubled relationship with her father, who abandoned her as a child, certainly had something to do with this. While I don't understand it, I do believe these relationships helped shape her into the woman that she was. 

4. If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? 

• What prompted you to create such radical and different pieces for women's fashion, moving away from the traditional, more constricting designs?
• What advice would you give to your younger self, knowing what you know now?

5. For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

• I think Chanel's opinion of hard work was about trusting herself and not letting others' opinions affect her work. She understood that failure was inevitable,  but she had the confidence and perseverance to not give up despite setbacks. She was also just incredibly passionate about what she was designing and creating. Her hard work was simply a byproduct of her passion and drive to bring her ideas to life.