Woman in love, artist or entrepreneur? The edifying, mystifying life of Coco Chanel

Abstract

Purpose-This paper aims to show the representation of entrepreneurship in movies (blockbusters) as a source of influence on popular representations. Design/methodology/approach-The author uses semiotics to contrast dominant representations in popular movies about Chanel with the reality of her professional life as can be found in archives about the fashion world and couture workers. Findings-The changes in the account of the entrepreneur's success may disregard important elements such as the importance of collective work and the role of social history on entrepreneurial ventures. Practical implications-Is entrepreneurship really a source of information in the general representations of what it is to be an entrepreneur and what explains the success and failure of entrepreneurial venture when we observe that popular representations are so far away from what research can describe and interpret using primary data? Originality/value-By displaying the discrepancy between entrepreneurship theory and popular representations, especially in the movies, one may be able to grasp some of the reasons why entrepreneurship needs more in-depth analysis of actors' representations in relation to the image of popular entrepreneurs in the public eye.

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