Fantastically French

Featured People

See all Fantastically French (19)

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  Coco Chanel

  

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  • Fantastically French
  • Groundbreaking Women
  • Famous Leos

  Coco Chanel

  Fashion Designer / 1883 - 1971

  According to renowned French designer Coco Chanel's biography, Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life, many of her designs fall into the category "entente cordiale"—the title of a 1904 political agreement between France and Britain, but, in Chanel's reference, "French chic adapted to English tastes and traditions." She also successfully freed women from restrictive corsets, creating more pragmatic, fashionable silhouettes. Chanel is known for revolutionizing the female shape and producing timeless designs, including the classic quilted-leather chain bag and "little black dress." and not a second goes by that she doesn't realize her impact on the fashion industry. "[My customers] are priveleged characters who are incorporated into our legend," she said in 1935. "For them this is a far greater pleasure than ordering another suit. Legend is the consecration of fame."

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  Brigitte Bardot

  

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  • Beatty's Babes
  • The Ed Sullivan Show Guests
  • Fantastically French

  Brigitte Bardot

  Animal Rights Activist, Film Actress, Pin-up / 1934 -

  Known for her piled-high blonde curls, perfect pout and brilliantly gratuitous eyeliner application, Brigitte Bardot first graced a magazine cover at the tender age of 15, and later became the archetypal "sex kitten" of the 1950s. Hailing from Paris, Bardot's modeling career soon blossomed into an acting profession, with films like The Night Heaven Fell, The Truth and Viva Maria! Bardot's signature look and pose—an apathetic yet flirtacious stare—have been mimicked for decades. 

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  Jacques Cousteau

  

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  • Fantastically French
  • Famous Geminis
  • Famous Photographers

  Jacques Cousteau

  Photographer, Explorer, Filmmaker, Inventor, Military Leader, Scientist / 1910 - 1997

  French ocean explorer and navy officer Jacques Cousteau co-invented the Aqua-Lung, or scuba equipment. For decades, he traveled the world in research vessels. He also invented a process for using television underwater, and hosted an internationally successful TV documentary series, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau (1968–76).

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  Gustave Eiffel

  

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  • Fantastically French
  • Famous Sagittarians
  • Famous Engineers

  Gustave Eiffel

  Engineer / 1832 - 1923

  More revealing of French sensibilities than of the man himself, Gustave Eiffel's eponymous erection caused a public outcry of indignation, leading to the creation of the Committee of Three Hundred, who protested the "ridiculous tower ... stretching like a blot of ink the hateful shadow of the hateful column of bolted sheet metal." French indignation eventually gave way to haughty indifference.

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  Edith Piaf

  

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  • Oscar-Winning Portrayals
  • The Ed Sullivan Show Guests
  • Fantastically French

  Edith Piaf

  Singer / 1915 - 1963

  Known as "The Little Sparrow," songstress Edith Piaf became a French icon during World War II, and remains a symbol of French passion and tenacity. Born in Belleville, Paris, to an Italian cafe singer and street acrobat, Piaf was destined for the spotlight. After working as a street performer for several years, she began recording her music in the mid-1930s. Piaf is remembered today for her signature ballad, "La Vie en Rose."

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  Charles de Gaulle

  

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  • Fantastically French
  • Famous Sagittarians
  • Famous Military Leaders

  Charles de Gaulle

  Military Leader, World Leader / 1890 - 1970

  Known for his Gallic nose, tall stature and signature kepi, Charles de Gaulle fiercely resented any impediment to the expansion of France's greatness or influence, and lived and governed during a period in which France's independence and overseas territories where greatly diminished. C'est ironique.

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See all Fantastically French (19)