What readers think of The Last Collection, plus links to write your own review.

The Last Collection is the first book I have read by Jeanne Mackin. I especially liked the intersection of three different stories; Lilly, Charlie, and Ania, the competition between Chanel and Schiaparelli and the danger and intrigue of Paris in 1938. The character development of Lilly, Charlie and Ania is very well done and allows the reader some insight into the thinking and feelings of each of them. Having never known about the rivalry between the two designers, the book gives one a peek into the apparently cut throat atmosphere of the world of couture as well as the differing political views of the time. Making Lilly an painter and her use of color to describe situations and emotions adds much enjoyment to this novel. While this was my first book by Ms. Mackin, it will not be my last. Very enjoyable and entertaining.

If you are a lover of Paris, of fashion, of color, of intrigue and history, then The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin opens these worlds to you. Set in the days before and during WWII, this work of historical fiction weaves the feline like rivalry between Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli into the lives of Lily and her brother Charlie. Mackin is her best at bringing that Paris to a colorful and detailed reality and clearly has a well studied understanding of both designers and the differences in their art and philosophies. A good pick for any book club looking to see how even in the worst of times, art and fashion reflect who we are.

I enjoyed The Last Collection, a novel weaving together high fashion and politics with a love story thrown in for good measure. While it seemed contrived in a few spots, overall the book had an interesting and very readable take on the rivalry between high fashion designers in the WWII era. I found the fashion and political details more intriguing than the love story but it all came together as a cohesive read. Would be excellent for book club discussion......or a field trip to Paris!

The Last Collection was a fascinating read about two fashion industry icons in pre-WWII Paris. The Nazis were coming and Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel were expressing their feelings about that through high fashion and their often often dangerous rivalry. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of their collections and the reasoning behind the creation of them. This book would interest readers interested in women's roles during WWII and the history of high fashion.

This was an easy read, and I learned a lot about the fashion scene in Paris in the era of the war. Schiaparelli and Chanel came across as interesting and complicated women. Unfortunately, Lily, the main character wasn't quite as appealing.

She seemed superficial and for the most part not that interesting. It was hard for me to believe she would have come to be so closely involved with both of these fashion icons in such a short period of time.

The book really was more an historical fiction story about the war and the fashion industry was only a side note.

That said, I enjoyed the book, and anyone interested in that era in Paris would like the book.

Loved The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin—The story is told through the perspective of a young widow and artist who develops a relationship with Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel. If you love clothes you will love this book. The descriptions of the couture fashions are amazing. Some of the dresses are in museums now. The story is also good (and historically accurate) with the coming occupation of Paris adding tension. Well written and worth reading.

I enjoyed the mix of the historical personalities and events with the life of the main character. Of course, everyone knows about Coco Chanel, but I never knew about the rivalry between her and Elsa Schiaparelli. Somehow the main character did not seem quite as interesting as the times she lived in and the people she met.

At one point the author in discussing a painting mentions that a thin wash of gray can make the background recede more from the foreground. It was as though a thin wash of gray lay between the story and the reader. It felt as though everything was being told through the heavy grief of this guilt ridden widow. Yet, though unable to paint because of it, she sees vibrant color everywhere and mentions it endlessly, as though to show the reader just how many colors she can recite. For all the vibrancy and emotions this should have evoked it all remained bland--the words said there was excitement or foreboding or passion or anger and yet those things were not evoked in the reader. The most arousing moment was the one in which Coco sets the tree afire. It was hard to get through this book. The Women of Paris is much better if you want an idea of Paris before and during German Occupation.