For over a century, the name of Chanel has been inextricably linked to elegance, modernity and fashion innovation. It was Chanel who single-handedly made striped jerseys and loose trousers chic, costume jewellery desirable, the little black dress the height of sophistication, and tweed suits a staple of every stylish woman's wardrobe.

In this revised and updated book, dress historian Amy de la Haye celebrates Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel as the couturiere who changed the way stylish women everywhere dress, then and now. She examines the creative output of this most famous of fashion houses, from its infancy in the 1920s through Karl Lagerfeld's incredibly successful tenure, and to the present day as it continues to prosper under Virginie Viard.