Coco Chanel

I came across this fascinating set of pictures of Coco Chanel on 1stdibs shot by Mark Shaw for LIFE Magazine in 1957. They are being sold at Svenska Mobler in San Francisco - I visited them on a recent trip to CA and  they didn't have any of these pictures on display, but they did have some other wonderful photography which you can browse here. These are some of the most intimate shots of Coco Chanel I have seen and she recognized it as well saying that "Shaw had crept as close to her as anyone is likely to get with their LEICA on".   Mark Shaw used an unobtrusive 35 mm camera and eliminated all other photographic equipment resulting in these very informal and intimate black and white images.

Here are some of my favorites:


Coco Chanel in the living room of her Paris apartment


Concocting jewelery in her Paris atelier


Coco Chanel and legendary actress Jeanne Moreau

 
Outside of her flagship Paris boutique.


Sharing champagne with her be-smocked mannequins following the showing of her new fall and winter collection in 1957.