Author: Tilar J. Mazzeo
Format: ARC
Published: Harper; Nov. 2010
Pages: 304
Genre: Non-fiction; Beauty and fashion; History
Rating: B
Source: Publisher
Synopsis: In this “biography of a scent,” Mazzeo (The Widow Clicquot, 2008), painstakingly follows the scattered breadcrumb trail left by the illustrious Chanel No. 5 (somewhere in the world, a bottle is sold every 30 seconds). So doing, she takes readers all over France, to the U.S,, Germany, and Imperial Russia, to explain the far-flung origins and unprecedented success of the perfume the author calls a “cultural monument.” In something akin to revealing the man behind the curtain in Oz, Mazzeo carefully uncovers the revered designer Coco Chanel’s complicated relationship with her creation, at once very personal yet belonging to women the world over, and exposes the tenuous (and, during WW II, downright scandalous) business partnership she maintained with her colleagues at Les Parfums Chanel. Readers may find themselves wishing the volume came accompanied by the endlessly described fragrance in its enigmatic art-deco bottle, but this is one case where historical fact eclipses the legend and lore of the object itself—there’s much, much more than meets the nose to discover in these pages.
My Take: I'm a girlie girl, maybe you could already tell that by the theme of my blog and the books I tend towards. Well I love to shop and try the newest makeup and I love perfume! When I learned of this book you better believe I was intrigued. What woman among us hasn't at least gone up to the department store counter to smell Chanel No. 5? How many of us, growing up, thought of Marilyn Monroe purring when I go to bed the only thing I wear is Chanel No. 5 and thinking now that's sexy! I mean, this perfume, to me at least, and I am guessing if this book is to be believed, to millions of other women out there, this perfume equals womanhood.
No one in my family, as far as I know wore Chanel No. 5. I didn't grow up in one of those homes with a mom who had it on her dresser. Nope, my mom had Estee Lauder perfumes on her counter as a child. That doesn't mean I'd never heard of it though! As soon as I was old enough, I marched myself to the department store and had to have a smell and quickly decided that it is for an adult woman, not a teenager! It is a sexy scent to be sure, and that is exactly what Mazzeo explained in the book Chanel wanted. A scent for every woman that was grown up, real scent. Not the prissy rose or lavender scents that high society ladies were used to and not the lusty oriental scents that low class women were used to but the ultimate combination of the two. It appears she achieved it because the scent has survived and thrived when so many others have not!
This book is so much more than just a description and the founding of Chanel No. 5 the scent though. However, reading this you will know more than you ever thought possible a lay person needed to know about the perfume business. You will also learn about the fascinating, and dare I say slightly crazy person Coco Chanel was. Coco had a rough childhood, there is no doubt about that, and she was able to pluck herself up from that in a fabulous way and become the envy of the fashion world in the 1920s. Oh and lest I forget, if you are looking for a peek into the fashion side of the business this really isn't the book for you. However, it wasn't enough, Chanel wanted more and a signature scent was it.
Well she created it and succeeded with it against almost insurmountable odds. The marketing explained in this book for Chanel No. 5 and their other perfumes was chaotic if non-existent. But get this? After putting all of her strength into creating a scent that meant the world to her and wanting it to be a success, after two years, yes just TWO YEARS, she approached a perfume seller and negotiated a contract selling her rights to all but 10% of the profits. Yep. They didn't approach her, she approached them. And then guess what? She was pissed about it forever after and wanted it back? Well what were thinking?!
All I'm saying is, you might think oh, it's non-fiction there's no drama here, well believe me there is drama, and heartache, and wartime intrigue and you are going to want to run out and buy some perfume. In fact I need to stop typing right now so I can go buy some Chanel No. 5!
Cover Lust: I love that they used Andy Warhol's famous pop art painting for the cover. It's perfect!
This looks fascinating - I had a class in college that focused on fashion, which Coco Chanel also influenced quite heavily. This looks like a great addition to the books I collected for that class.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating idea for a book! I'm really glad that you posted this--I'd love to read it, now.
ReplyDeleteI never did like the smell, it was too much for me. Perfume like that tends to give me a headache :(
ReplyDeleteIn my forties I wore this perfume all the time. It was the only perfume I wore. A memory coming up... One evening all the family went swimming, after in the showers, don't of the girls brought their perfume with them, but not me, I never left home without it, therefore, we all sprayed with my Chanel #5, and headed home. My daughter-in-law told me later my son told her never to wear it again, she smelled like his mother, instead of his wife.
ReplyDelete"don't" is suppose to be "none" of the girls,, Senior moment. LOL
ReplyDeleteOh, I really do want to read this. I think Coco Chanel's life is so interesting. I can't wait to get a chance to read this one.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit of a perfume nut, so this story seems right up my alley!
ReplyDeleteI actually wore this perfume for a few years because it made me feel so grown up. This book sounds interesting to me!
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfume that my mother wore - not to mention, it is Chanel, so I'm going to have to read this book at some point... :)
ReplyDeleteThey need to include a sample with the book. I still haven't been able to experience the smell. I think I'd have to go to Santa Barbara to find it. Hmmm...I could go to Chaucer's, too!
ReplyDeleteI read Mazzeo's previous book about the Widow Cliquot and I thought it was a bit dry in places. This one seems to be a little better!
ReplyDelete