The Improbable Return of Coco Chanel: As Witnessed by Her Assistant, Richard Parker Paperback – October 26, 2012

If you are interested in Coco Chanel, the person behind the mythological image, this is a wonderful book. It focuses on her post WWII, late-career revival that was fueled by Americans, including Stanley Marcus of Nieman-Marcus, who related a sliver of this story in his memoir. Parker tells the more complete tale from the inside. It's also a wonderful reminder that teams build greatness; genius may originate individually, but execution depends on a village of people working from that singular vision.

in the 1950's, Richard Parker assisted Coco Chanel during the design period of her New York showroom. He in his 30's and she in her 70's. What an exciting and challenging job for a young graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. This is an absorbing story written in an engaging style with many, many details about Coco and her organization which have heretofore never been published.

What I liked most about Parker's writing is that he delivers his facts simply and honestly without editing.....I have read almost everything written about Coco and most of it is rehashed and tedious...if you are looking for a fresh look into the force of nature that was Chanel, this book is for you...

Wonderful to read, a first hand report of what it was like to work with the great Chanel. Very immediate first person prose keeps you turning the pages.

great

I liked the book however the author did not really know Chanel aside from working on the construction of her store. So it was a little deceiving.

Richard Parker's "The Improbable Return of Coco Chanel" presents a first hand and unique take on Coco Chanel's captivating life. Many other biographies offer over-the-top and what often seem to be distorted views of La Grande Mademoiselle, however, Parker's book shows Coco Chanel in a refreshing and accessible way.The first part encapsulates an important part of both Chanel's and Parker's lives, Coco reclaiming her iconic fashion house and a seemingly formative part of his career. Including a great short history of Chanel's signature use of Coromandel screens and Parker's hard work to install the priceless works of art in the Chanel Perfumes showroom in New York. The second part provides a clear and concise history of key points in her life and also debunks silly myths that have surrounded Chanel's legacy recently.Richard Parker's well-crafted and clear writing style makes this lovely recount of his time with Chanel a great read and provides an interesting glimpse into a part of Coco's life that is not often written about and is extremely important to the house of Chanel today.

I found this book quite fascinating. It's a first-hand account of someone who actually knew and worked with Coco Chanel in New York, talking about his interactions with the great fashion icon and her world in the 1950's. Because of his own experiences with Madame Chanel, the author had a lifelong interest in her. For the next 60 years, he researched and collected further information about her. This book contains information and anecdotes about Chanel that have never been heard before.

Only 120 pages mosty about the assistant who only worked with her for a short period when Chanel returned to the USA in her early 70's. He wasnt close enough to be personal with her. If you are a big Chanel fiend you will learn very little from this book.