The Dark Side of Coco Chanel

Right Answers Mostly

Claire Donald & Tess Bellomo

Society & Culture, History, Tv & Film

4.6 • 764 Ratings

🗓️ 25 May 2026

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, we unravel the myth of Coco Chanel, the woman who revolutionized women’s fashion, built one of the most powerful luxury empires in history, and carefully crafted herself into a feminist icon. But behind the pearls, perfume, and little black dresses was a much darker story. From poverty and ambition to affairs with powerful men, antisemitism, Nazi collaboration allegations, and the reinvention of her own legacy, we explore how Coco Chanel became both a symbol of female freedom and one of fashion’s most controversial figures. Was she a visionary? A social climber? A survivor? A villain? Maybe all four. Grab a cigarette and your tweed blazer, because this one is messy. Created and produced by Tess Bellomo & Claire Donald If you want the full episode, and to get THREE bonus episodes a month, go here. Follow us on socials, buy merch, and stay updated here! Sources: Chanel Unbuttoned BBC, Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The internet is coaching our kids.
0:04.0	When boys hear that on repeat, it shapes how they see themselves.
0:08.0	We can't leave it to those voices.
0:10.0	We have to be louder.
0:12.0	Together with EEE, we need to coach them, guide them, back them.
0:15.0	Building our boys up every chance we get.
0:18.0	Be yourself. Back your mates.
0:20.0	Confidence comes from a win.
0:21.2	Yes!
0:21.7	As proud partner of the England team's EEE has support and guidance to help build all our boys up
0:26.9	on and off the pitch. Search EEE Yes Boys. Welcome back to Write Answers Mostly, a podcast on what you didn't learn in history class, but you really wanted to.
1:01.2	My name is Tespelomo.
1:02.4	And my name is Claire Donald.
1:03.9	And we are back with our last, the final episode of Fashion Month.
1:09.0	I feel like Fashion Month really made an impact. I think it did too. I think we had a good variety. I think like Fashion Month, like, really made an impact.
1:11.8	I think it did, too. I think we had a good variety. I think so, too. And also, we walked into the studio today, and our tech guy, Jack, was like, you guys really look fashionable today. I can tell it's Fashion Month. We're like, thank you so much. Because, you know, sometimes you just don't know if anyone notices., if you're watching us on YouTube or seeing clips on TikTok or Instagram, we are very
1:29.7	Coco Chanel today.
1:31.5	We are trying our best to be Coco Chanel.
1:33.8	But I guess you guys, everyone must be thinking, oh, you're doing Coco Chanel.
1:39.0	And I think the questions that come up immediately, people are like, well, was Coco Chanel a feminist hero or a Nazi spy?
1:46.3	Or lay both? Or lay both. Okay. Okay. And I guess, Claire, what do you think of Chanel? What do you know about her before we get
1:52.8	started? I don't want to say too much because I did learn a few things on Dior. I mean, when I think of
	...

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