Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel (August 1883 to January 1971) is a revered figure in the world of fashion. She was the founder of the Chanel brand and the designer behind a sporty, casual chic style for women’s clothing. Indeed, Chanel was the only fashion designer included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Unfortunately, she was also an antisemite and Nazi collaborator who spied for the Third Reich despite its occupation of her native France.
Quotes: “As journalist Hal Vaughn writes in Sleeping With the Enemy, Chanel was “often given to anti-Semitic outbursts.” The French editor-in-chief of Marie Claire observed after a conversation with Chanel, ‘Chanel’s anti-Semitism was not only verbal; but passionate, demoded, and often embarrassing.’ ” ||| “Ultimately, Chanel never endured any ramifications for her wartime dealings with the Nazis. She made a celebrated return to the fashion world in 1954, aided by the very same [Jewish] Wertheimer family she had fought for so many years, and lived out her years as a celebrity, before her death at the Hôtel Ritz in 1971.”
Sources: Wikipedia, heyalmay.com, Biography.com
Learn more about Coco Chanel on Wikipedia. ►
Read “Coco Chanel’s Secret Life as a Nazi Agent.” ►
Watch “Coco Chanel’s Secret Life As a Nazi Agent” [5:42]. ►
Watch “Chanel: The Biggest Fashion Brand That Supported Fascism” [8:38]. ►
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