EP 22: Paris History Avec a Hemingway (Coco Chanel)

Her love life after Boy was one horrible decision after another. In 1922 she met the Duke of Westminster Hugh Richard Grosenor or Bender. He was a huge anti-semite that gave her jewels and even a home in London. Their relationship lasted ten years. Then there was Paul Irbe, another anti-semite who started an ultra right wing newsletter against Jews and foreigners in France. Coco paid for the publishing of it.  It was the late 1930’s and Hitler was marching through Europe. One day her employees went on strike because of low pay, Chanel was outraged and when the war started a few years later she closed her atelier putting 3000 employees out of work. Many of the other designers in Paris kept their going as long as they could. 

Read even more about her life and photos at https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1