About the Book:
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud,” Coco Chanel said. And so it is that she lives on in our memory, a silhouette as elegant as she is exacting. She knew, and from this knowledge she created the world in her image. In many ways, Mademoiselle was the first modern woman, creating an empire that glows even brighter four decades after her death. For Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883-1971) defined a look that has become synonymous with luxury, a look that liberated the women of her time from the confines of the Belle Epoque.
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Stripping women of their corsets and feathers, bobbing their hair, and putting them in bathing suits so that they could get some sun, Chanel introduced modern living to the Victorian world. From costume jewelry to slacks, the classic suit to couture perfume, Chanel was a visionary. “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants,” she said. “My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.” In this same way Mademoiselle empowered women to see themselves in the world. Chanel knew, “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” And so it is that her star continues to glow, and we enjoy the light she emanates. She reveals to us a side of ourselves that inspires a sense of purpose to be found in the mastery of your craft. It is in this way that Mademoiselle became one of the most important influences in the life of photographer Douglas Kirkland for three weeks in 1962.
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Sent on assignment for Look Magazine, Kirkland was just 27 years of age. Mademoiselle was 79. She was in the winter of her years, enjoying renewed fame as Jackie Kennedy began wearing her clothes in the White House. The American public was intrigued with the woman who had been one of the most celebrated figures until the second World War came. Chanel never fully recovered, but the public interest had not died. Kirkland represented a new generation engaging with Mademoiselle’s artistry.
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The photographs from their time together has been collected in Coco Chanel: Three Weeks/1962 (Glitterati Incorporated), in a trade edition, as well as a limited edition of 100 copies of the book enclosed in a clothbound clamshell slipcase that includes a print signed and numbered by the artist. Both editions are available in English and in French. This collection of never-before-seen photographs is as staggeringly beautiful as it is impassioned, shedding new light on one of the great stories of the modern age. With a compelling foreword by literary giant Judith Thurman, who poignantly contextualizes the relationship between Kirkland and Chanel, this book is every bit as incomparable as Mademoiselle herself.
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About the Author:
Douglas Kirkland is one of the best-known long-term photographers of our time and has worked for Look and Life magazines, where he photographed such icons as Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Marlene Dietrich. He has also worked on the sets of over 150 motion pictures, many of them iconic. His numerous awards include: a Lucie for Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Photography, The Golden Eye of Russia, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from CAPIC in Canada, and the 2010 Cinema Italian Style Award. In February 2011, the American Society of Cinematographers ASC presented him with the prestigious President’s Award. Kirkland’s fine arts photography has been exhibited all over the world. His exhibition of Freeze Frame is now in the permanent collection of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills. His work is also in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian; the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, Australia; the National Portrait Gallery in London; the Eastman House in Rochester; and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. He is also a sought-after lecturer. He is a member of Canon’s Explorers of Light and an associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers.
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Miss Rosen’s Contribution:
Coordinated international publicity campaign including coverage in
British Vogue, The Daily Mail, The Guardian, Marie Claire UK, L’Oeil de la Photographie,
Photo District News, Seven/The Telegraph, and Vogue Latinoamerica, among others.
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PHOTOGRAPHY | FASHION
Hardcover, 8.5 x 9.5 inches, 144 pages, 118 black & white photographs
ISBN: 978-0-9801557-1-6, $50.oo (trade), $350.00 (limited edition)
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Photographs ©Douglas Kirkland
Courtesy of Glitterati Incorporated