Chanel Colors

Focusing on Chanel’s emblematic colors—black, beige, white, gold, and red—this elegant publication collects editorial images by such esteemed photographers as Edward Steichen, Irving Penn, Peter Lindbergh, Corinne Day, Tim Walker, and Sølve Sundsbø. Chanel Colors reveals the importance of color to the fashion house over more than a century of its history, mirroring Gabrielle Chanel’s multifaceted life and diverse inspirations.

Black clothing was once associated with shop assistants and funeral attire. Gabrielle Chanel, however, saw it as a chic and modern choice. Promoting it as a versatile option in the early days of the twentieth century, she firmly established it as a key color in her repertoire with the creation of the “little black dress” in 1926, redrawing the perimeters of fashion. Gabrielle Chanel’s relationship with color continued to evolve, with beige, white, gold, and red all becoming key components in her designs—each reflecting facets of her life, vision, and creative influences.

Expertly curated in five chapters of stunning visuals, Chanel Colors thoroughly explores the inspiration behind this choice of palette throughout the history of the House, from Gabrielle Chanel to her successors.