„Was the black dress truly a new design? Not exactly. Gabrielle Chanel’s genius lay in her ability to reinvent an existing garment, to reinterpret and restyle it, to transport it to the dizzying heights of desirable fashion with the talent of an unrelenting pioneer. What actually inspired Chanel to create the dress remains somewhat of a mystery. Was it an expression of nostalgia? Did it recall her sad, neglected childhood? Did it remind her of that dark shapeless uniform she wore in the orphanage in Aubazine? Or did the idea