The iconic French fashion designer Coco Chanel, who revolutionized women's clothing with her classic suits, little black dresses, and the fragrance Chanel No. 5, has a contentious shadow to her past.
Throughout World War II, when Paris was under German occupation, Chanel herself resided in the opulent Ritz Hotel—where most high-ranking Nazi officials lived.
Chanel as “Westminster”: The Spy Allegations
Declassified French and German intelligence reports subsequently revealed that Chanel had been recruited as a spy by the German military intelligence, the Abwehr, under the codename "Westminster" (a reference to her former British boyfriend, the Duke of Westminster).
According to her supposed role, she tried to apply her influence to facilitate negotiations between Nazi officials and British leaders.
Others claim that the facts all support her being at the very least a collaborator, and possibly an outright spy. Some historians believe that Chanel's motives were opportunistic—retaking her perfume division from Jewish owners and securing her business interests—more than ideological.
Following the war, Chanel was briefly questioned by French officials but never actually charged, allegedly because of her associations with influential men such as Winston Churchill.
She revived her fashion dynasty in the 1950s later on, leaving behind an aura of mystery which continues to bifurcate biographers and historians.
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