About the Book
An American woman becomes entangled in the intense rivalry between iconic fashion designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli in this captivating novel from the acclaimed author of The Beautiful American.
Paris, 1938. Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli are fighting for recognition as the most successful and influential fashion designer in France, and their rivalry is already legendary. They oppose each other at every turn, in both their politics and their designs: Chanel’s are classic, elegant, and practical; Schiaparelli’s bold, experimental, and surreal.
When Lily Sutter, a recently widowed young American teacher, visits her brother, Charlie, in Paris, he insists on buying her a couture dress—a Chanel. Lily, however, prefers a Schiaparelli. Charlie’s beautiful and socially prominent girlfriend soon begins wearing Schiaparelli’s designs as well, and much of Paris follows in her footsteps.
Schiaparelli offers budding artist Lily a job at her store, and Lily finds herself increasingly involved with Schiaparelli and Chanel’s personal war. Their fierce competition reaches new and dangerous heights as the Nazis and the looming threat of World War II bear down on Paris.
My Review
What a fascinating story. While I am familiar with Coco Chanel, prior to reading The Last Collection I didn’t know much about Elsa Schiaparelli or their infamous rivalry. This story not only gave us a look at the two fashion designers and their legacies, but also taught me a lot of that time in history. I quickly became engrossed in the story, and even when I turned the final page, I was looking up Elsa on the internet for more details on her life. We do have more than Coco and Elsa in the story, following an American teacher, Lily, as she visits her brother in Paris. Her storyline is also interesting – her back story of becoming a widow, her love for her brother and the messy situation he is in, but the real star of the show for this novel was the feud between the fashion greats, and both of their involvements in the war. A story that will make you think, make you feel, and I really enjoyed this one.
4.5 stars
