Who Was Coco Chanel Really? Her Life Story, Unvarnished

This is episode 600 of Join Us in France — a milestone worth celebrating.

Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin dig into the life of Coco Chanel. Born Gabrielle Chanel in rural poverty in the Corrèze, she clawed her way into Paris society and revolutionized the way women dress. She invented the little black dress, launched Chanel No. 5 — still the world's best-selling perfume 104 years later — and freed women from the corset.

She also collaborated with the Nazis. That part is harder to ignore.

Elyse tells the full story, unvarnished. Subscribe to Join Us in France and never miss an episode.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Today on the podcast
• A look back after 600 episodes
• Meet Coco Chanel
• Chanel No 5 Legacy
• Fashion Revolution Tease
• Early Life Poverty
• Mythmaking Origins
• Learning to Sew
• Escape Marriage Constraints
• First Job and Hats
• Moulins and Coco Name
• Balsan and High Society
• Boy Capel Funds Paris Shop
• From Hats to Boutiques
• Building a Fashion Empire
• Love Lost and Independence
• Jersey Revolution
• Roaring Twenties Expansion
• Creating Chanel No 5
• Perfume Profits and Power
• Tweeds Pearls and Black Dress
• Strikes Prejudice and War
• Collaboration and Espionage
• Exile and Return to Paris
• Legacy and Final Reflections
• Copyright

More episodes about French history

#JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #CocoChanel, #ChanelHistory, #FrenchHistory, #FrenchFashionHistory, #FrenchWomenHistory, #ParisFashion, #ChanelNo5, #FashionHistory, #FranceHistory, #VisitFrance, #TravelFrance, #FrenchCulture, #HistoryPodcast, #WomenInHistory, #BiographyPodcast