基本介紹
內容簡介
可可·香奈兒的精彩人生與傑出成就早已在無數著作和影像中一一呈現。但她最私密的那一面卻鮮少被人提及：對符號學、玄學及詩歌的熱衷；與摯愛的家人和情人之間的親密互動；尤其是與視如己出的外甥安德烈·帕拉斯之間的深厚感情。嘉柏麗爾·帕拉斯-拉布呂尼陪伴在可可·香奈兒身邊40多年，她是安德烈·帕拉斯的女兒，也是可可·香奈兒唯一在世的近親。出於同筆者的深厚友誼，她同意敞開心門，與讀者分享那些關於可可·香奈兒的私密回憶。
作者簡介
伊莎貝爾·菲梅爾
一位法國的作家、記者，現居巴黎。
作者與可可·香奈兒唯一在世的近親——嘉柏麗爾·帕拉斯-拉布呂尼(可可的外甥安德烈·帕拉斯之女)有著深厚的友誼。
1999年著有香奈兒傳記《香奈兒，神秘之香》，另有著作《馬塞爾·格里奧爾，多貢人》（2011年）。
媒體推薦
以下是媒體對作者的採訪：
1. Coco did not like to talk about her early orphanage days in the Aubazine Monastery, however, throughout her life, many elements of her designs reflect the Aubazine esthetics she picked up in her formative years. Why is that?
Because she reinvented emotions as an artist, even if she claimed not to be an artist. She gave form to her silences, her early emotions, the drama of her childhood. She used them as a material. She was always at one with her creations. Her childhood scars, her friends, the men she loved, the artists, the events of her life, the mysteries, signs and symbols around her, they all influenced her work and her creations.
The old Cistercian Aubazine taught her a certain idea of beauty, purity, sobriety, and inspirered her all her life, but she would rarely admit it. It was too painful and personal.
2. Of all the interviews you’ve done, which story touched you the most? And which interview was that?
It happened of course with Gabrielle Palasse-Labrunie, nicknamed « Tiny »,Coco Chanel’s sole direct descendant who was close to her for over 40 years. Tiny was the daughter of André Palasse, the nephew whom Coco Chanel brought up as her own son.
It happened when Tiny decided to show me, because friendship made it possible, 15 years after we met, what were the most precious possessions for « Auntie Coco », since she called her « Auntie Coco ».
The most important things for Coco Chanel were gifts from Boy Capel, the great love of her life : first, a notebook filled with his notes, extracts from different spiritual books, bibliography, fragments of knowledge that they would share together ; then there were two cherished items of furniture, a Chinese marriage armoire and a Chinese throne base. « Boy gave them to me, I don’t want anyone else to have them » said Coco Chanel when she gave to Tiny, a few years before her death.
At that very moment, when Tiny told me the story and showed me the items, I realized that I really starting to understand « the intimate Chanel ».
3. She had had many relationships and had been loved by many men in her life, why “Boy Capel” remained as the most special one for her?
It was only to those closest to her, principally Tiny, that she would acknowledge that Boy was her only great love. Even though she was loved by other men in her life, she fervently loved Boy all her life.
He was the first one, the only one, who really helped her get over the childhood sufferings, death and abandonment, that’s why he was so special.
Coco Chanel herself told Tiny : « When Boy died, it was as though I had been flung from a cliff top. Either I die, or else I carry on with what we begun together. »
4. On and off, all her life Coco had been “the other woman” for most men she loved. Based on your interviews, how would you say about her attitude towards marriage? In the absence of a family, what was her greatest preoccupation in life?
Regarding marriage, her goal wasn’t to get married, she wanted to be independent. Though, she could have been married to Boy, who was her great love, but he married someone else.
Regarding family, in fact she had a family, the Palasse. She brought up her nephew as her own child, she took care of him like a mother and then a grandmother with André’s daughters. With her work taking up so much of her time, it couldn’t be on a daily basis, André Palasse studied in England.
She professed to have no interest in a familly life because it was part of her plan to construct an official image, but her family was very important for her, as well as her work.
5. In the later stage, her loved ones passed away one by one, she survived them all to have lived a long life. What was the thing(s) she cherished the most? During the 36 years when she couldn’t fall asleep without injections of Sedol, where, would you say could she get comfort and some happiness from?
From the very beginning, Coco Chanel believed in her own good fortune, her lucky star, her destiny. She escaped her condition and fate, she relied on her intuition as her only guide. She had a strong determination to construct herself, her work, her art, her legend. Nothing, noone could kill her. She knew she was doing something important.
6. In your book you said that Coco actually found commercial operations boring. In that case where did her success come from?
Indeed she wasn’t a consummate businesswoman, and found it boring. But she knew how to meet the right people, following her intuition. When she met the brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer, she decided to go into business with them. All together they created Les Parfums Chanel in 1924. Only then, Coco Chanel could dedicate all her time on her design work. She created and they were the businessmen, this partnership resulted to be the secret of their incredible success.
7. With the completion of the book, what do you consider to be the most iconic design of hers?
Spontaneously, I would say the « little black dress ». Coco Chanel created it in 1926, a black dress with a round neckline and long-sleeves, absolutely simple, radically simple. It was a symbol of her vision, simplicity and the mystique of black, revealing the essential. It was a revolution as well as a new attitude.
8. And besides, we didn't find much information about you, so we were wondering if you can also tell us something about yourself and the reason why you want to write books about Chanel?
I’m a French writer and a journalist.I live in Paris.
In Paris, I studied both translation and literature, and I specialized in William Faulkner’s works. Then in the U.S. I studied journalism.
I published two books on Coco Chanel, in 1999 and 2011. Why ? Because, since a child, I’ve always been fascinated both by her personality and the style shecreated. Almost 20 years ago, I met many people who knew Coco Chanel, family, above all the Palasse, friends, lawyers, models, associates, who accepted to share their memories. I wanted to know everything about her, it was an obsession.
Of course, in the meantime, I’ve worked on many other subjects as a writer and a journalist. I published other books, a novel and a biography of French ethnologistand Africanist Marcel Griaule. And I wrote literary critics for 15 years. But Coco Chanel has always been a great passion, and will always be since I’m preparing a new book on her.
圖書目錄
序言 P6
前言 P8
第一章 黑暗 P10
第二章 隱秘的真相 P40
第三章 詩意的人生 P90
第四章 書來信往 P130
第五章 餘音裊裊 P160
注釋 P198
年表 P200
索引 P202
簡明家譜 P204
致謝 P206
序言
可可·香奈兒，我一直稱呼她為“可可姑婆”（Auntie Coco）。從她去世至今，圍繞著她的生平與為人流傳著太多假想與錯誤的詮釋。
我的父親安德烈·帕拉斯是可可·香奈兒的外甥，她對他視如己出並將他撫養成人。作為安德烈·帕拉斯的女兒，從我1926年出生一直到1971年可可·香奈兒離世，我在她身邊生活了四十多年，是她真實生活唯一健在的見證者。可可姑婆還是我的教母，而她的朋友西敏公爵——本尼伯公（Uncle Benny）則是我的教父。
十五年前，我認識了伊莎貝爾·菲梅爾（Isabelle Fiemeyer），當時她正在撰寫Coco Chanel, un parfum de mystère（《可可·香奈兒，神秘之香》）。我們見過多次，很長一段時間我們相互傾談，同時我們之間也建立起了信任與友誼。自然而然地，我建議她構思一部新的作品。
我認為向世人展現真正的可可姑婆是我的責任：她對詩歌與文學的品味、她對精神世界與神秘主義的興趣、她對朋友們的忠誠與無時無刻的支持、她一貫秉持的謹慎低調，以及她對家庭、員工以及所有在她幫助下生活得更為幸福的人們的無私慷慨。
在她逝世四十周年 之際，謹將本書獻給她。
嘉柏麗爾·帕拉斯-拉布呂尼
