Chanel No 5:

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In 1921, a clever French businesswoman and belle of the Parisian social elite created a scent that revolutionized the way women smell. Ninety years later Chanel No 5 is arguably still the world's most iconic perfume.

With a healthy disregard for social etiquette and a retinue of friends and admirers among the city's "racy" women, couturier Coco Chanel traversed the boundaries between lady and mistress.

By the beginning of the twenties Chanel was already a phenomenon in French fashion circles.

She had come to Paris as the mistress of the textile baron Etienne Balsan in 1909 and set up a millinery boutique under Balsan's apartment.

By 1921, she had a series of successful boutiques in Paris, Deauville and Biarritz, she owned a villa in the south of France and drove around in her own blue Rolls Royce.

Now she wanted to create a scent that could describe the new, modern woman she epitomized.

But Chanel's background was troubled and complex, and it was something that seeped into her trademark fragrance.

She was the daughter of a market-stall holder and a laundry woman in rural France, but when her mother died she was sent to a Cistercian convent at Aubazine where she spent her teenage years.

Cleanliness

Coco Chanel Coco Chanel wanted to create a fresh, clean smell

The smell of soap and freshly scrubbed skin was something that stuck with her for years after.

She was fastidiously clean and later when she worked among the mistresses of the rich she complained about the way they smelled, stinking of musk and body odour.

When she decided to commission a perfume for her best clients - a new trend among fashion houses - it was important that it imbue this freshness.

But she had trouble finding a perfumer who could achieve this.

"The grail in perfumeries has always been to create very fresh fragrances that last," says Frederic Malle, perfume editor and professional "nose".

"In those days the only way to create fresh fragrances was to use citrus such as lemon, bergamot and orange. These things are very fresh and very charming but they don't last on the skin."

At the time, chemists had already isolated chemicals called aldehydes which could artificially create these smell.

But they were extraordinarily powerful so perfumers were hesitant to use them.

During the late summer of 1920 Chanel went on holiday on the Cote d'Azur with her lover the Grand Duke Dimtri Pavlovich.

There she learned of a perfumer, a sophisticated and well-read character called Ernest Beaux who had worked for the Russian royal family and lived close by in Grasse, the centre of the perfume industry.

Beaux was a curious and daring craftsman and took up Chanel's challenge.

Result of a mistake?

It took him several months to perfect a new fragrance but eventually he came up with 10 samples and presented them to Chanel.

They were numbered one to five and 20 to 24. She picked number five.

It is rumored that the concoction was actually the result of a laboratory mistake. Beaux's assistant had added a dose of aldehyde in a quantity never used before.

Tilar Mazzeo, author of The Secret of Chanel No 5, told the World Service's Witness programme why the fragrance grabbed Chanel.

"The interesting thing about aldehydes is that one of them smells like soap.

Chanel No. 5 The Chanel No 5 bottle was designed to resemble a whisky decanter

"So she could balance in her own mind, her childhood in a convent and then this luxurious life as a mistress."

Chanel later said, "It was what I was waiting for. A perfume like nothing else. A woman's perfume, with the scent of a woman."

The scent, imbued with jasmine, rose, sandalwood and vanilla, was an instant success, partly due to some of Coco's ingenious marketing tricks.

She invited Beaux and friends to a popular upmarket restaurant on the Riviera to celebrate and decided to spray the perfume around the table.

Each woman that passed stopped and asked what the fragrance was and where it came from.

"For Chanel this was the moment that confirmed for her that it was going to be a revolutionary perfume," says Mazzeo.

"That was the first moment that anybody in the public smelled Chanel No 5 and it literally stopped them in their tracks.

"That moment consumers were smelling something they had never smelled before, it was an intervention in the history of perfume."

Biography Sir Isaac Newton

Early Life of Newton

Sir Isaac Newton was born on Christmas Day, in 1643, to a relatively poor farming family. His father died 3 months before he was born. His mother later remarried, but her second husband did not get on with Isaac; leading to friction between Isaac and his parents. The young Isaac attended school at King’s School, Grantham in Lincolnshire (where his signature is still inscribed in the walls.. Isaac was one of the top students, but before completing his studies his mother withdrew him from school, so Isaac could work as a farmer. It was only through the intervention of the headmaster that Isaac was able to return to finish his studies; he passed his final exams with very good results, and was able to go to Trinity College, Cambridge.

Newton at Cambridge

Isaac Newton At Cambridge he was able to pursue his interests in mathematics, science and physics. At the time the prevailing education was based on Aristotle, but Isaac was more interested in modern mathematicians such as Descartes. Isaac Newton had a prodigious capacity to consider mathematical problems, and then focus on them until he had solved the mystery behind them. His one pointed nature led him to, at times, be detached from the world. For example, he had little time for women. An early teenage romance came to nothing, and he remained single throughout his life.

Sir Isaac Newton, has been referred to as one of the greatest genius’ of history. His mathematical and scientific achievements give credence to such a view. Amongst his many accomplishments in the field of science include:

Developing a theory of Calculus. Unfortunately, at the same time as Newton, calculus was being developed by Leibinz. When Leibinz published his results, there was a bitter feud between the two men, with Newton claiming plagiarism. This bitter feud lasted until Leibinz death in 1713, it also extended between British mathematicians and the continent.

Mathematical Achievements of Newton

◾generalized binomial theorem

◾ Newton's identities,

◾ Newton's method,

◾ classified cubic plane curves (polynomials of degree three in two variables),

◾ Substantial contributions to the theory of finite differences,

◾ Use of fractional indices

◾ Used geometry to derive solutions to Diophantine equations.

◾ Used power series with confidence and to revert power series.

◾ Discovered a new formula for pi.

Scientific Achievements of Newton

◾Optics – Newton made great advancements into the study of optics. In particular he developed the spectrum by splitting white light through a prism.

◾Telescope – Made significant improvements to the development of the telescope. However, when his ideas were criticised by Hooke, Newton withdrew from the public debate. He developed an antagonistic and hostile attitude to Hooke, throughout his life.

◾Mechanics and Gravitation. In his famous book Principa Mathematic. Newton explained the three laws of motion that laid the framework for modern physics. This involved explaining planetary movements.

Newton Hit on the Head with an Apple.

The most popular ante dote about Sir Isaac Newton is the story of how the theory of gravitation came to him, after being hit on the head with a falling apple. In reality, Newton and his friends may have exaggerated this story. Nevertheless, it is quite likely that seeing apples fall from trees may have influenced his theories of gravity.

Newton’s Religious Belief's

As well as being a scientist, Newton actually spent more time investigating religious issues. He read the Bible daily, believing it to be the word of God. Nevertheless, he was not satisfied with the Christian interpretations of the Bible. For example, he rejected the philosophy of the Holy Trinity, his beliefs were closer to the Christian beliefs in Arainism (basically there was a difference between Jesus Christ and God)

Newton - Bible Code

Newton was fascinated with the early Church and also the last chapter of the Bible Revelations. He spent many hours poring over the Bible, trying to find the secret Bible Code. He was rumoured to be a Rosicrucian. However, the religious belief’s that Newton held could have caused serious embarrassment at the time. Because of this he kept his views hidden, almost to the point of obsession. This desire for secrecy seemed to be part of his nature. It was only on his death that his papers were opened up. The bishop who first opened Newton’s box, actually found them too shocking for public release, therefore, they were kept closed for many more years.

Newton and Alchemy

Newton was also interested in alchemy. He experimented on many objects, using a lot of Mercury. Very high levels of mercury in his blood stream may have contributed to his early death and irregularities in later life.

Newton was made member of the Royal Society in 1703. He was also given the job of Master of Mint in 1717. He took this job seriously and unofficially was responsible for moving England from the silver standard to the gold standard.

Newton was an extraordinary polymath; the universe simply fascinated him. He sought to discover the hidden and outer mysteries of life. With his sharp intellect and powers of concentration, he was able to contribute to tremendous developments in many areas of science. He was a unique individual. John Maynard Keynes, a twentieth century genius, said of Newton:

“I do not think that any one who has pored over the contents of that box which he packed up when he finally left Cambridge in 1696 and which, though partly dispersed, have come down to us, can see him like that. Newton was not the first of the age of reason. He was the last of the magicians, the last of the Babylonians and Sumerians, the last great mind which looked out on the visible and intellectual world with the same eyes as those who began to build our intellectual inheritance rather less than 10,000 years ago. Isaac Newton, a posthumous child born with no father on Christmas Day, 1642, was the last wonderchild to whom the Magi could do sincere and appropriate homage.” [1]

Louis Pasteur Biography

Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895) Short Bio

Louis Pasteur worked tirelessly to develop antidotes and cures to many dangerous illnesses such as anthrax and rabies. He also successfully invented a way to pasteurise milk and make it safe from Tuberculoses.

Louis Pasteur was born in Dole, Eastern France. He was a conscientious and hard working student, if not exceptional. One of his professors called him 'mediocre'. He received a doctorate in 1847 and after obtaining posts at Strasbourg, Lille and Paris he spent much time researching aspects of Chemistry. One key discovery related to research on tartrate acid showing the crystals contained a mirror image of right-handed and left handed isomers.

Louis Pasteur His most important discoveries were in the field of germ study. He showed that germs required certain microorganisms to develop; using this knowledge he found that the fermentation of yeast could be delayed. Louis Pasteur then turned to practical ways of killing bacteria in liquids such as milk. His process of pasteurisation successfully killed bacteria in milk without destroying milk protein. This was a radical discovery and made drinking milk safe. The process of pasteurisation was named after him and it saved many lives.

Louis Pasteur was a great believer in hard work, never content to rest on his laurels he continued to work very hard in his laboratory to develop more cures. He said in advice to other scientists

"An individual who gets used to hard work can thereafter never live without it. Work is the foundation of everything in this world."

Louis Pasteur next created a cure for anthrax - a disease that mainly affects cattle. He found that by giving cattle a weakened form of the illness they were able to develop immunity to the illness.

This success encouraged him to develop a cure for rabies - a very common disease at the time. Using similar principles he developed a weakened strain of the disease. Testing on animals affected with rabies was successful, however he was reluctant to test on humans for fear it might not work. At one point he considered testing on himself by subjecting himself to rabies and then trying his cure. However, before he could implement his scheme a young boy was brought to him who had been bitten 14 times by a rabid dog. His parents agreed to try the uncertain new technique. His treatment was a success and news of the treatment soon spread. Over 350 people came to Louis Pasteur for treatment. Louis and his team of scientists worked around the clock to save the people who had contracted rabies.

There was only one failure a ten year old girl Louis Pelletier. Louis knew the dies ease was too advanced when she came, but, he tried nevertheless. The girl died in his arms, with tears in his eyes, the great scientist said to her parents.

"I did so wish I could have saved your little one."

It was testament to the big heart of the famous scientist he took so much interest in his patients.

in 1888, friends and supporters funded an institute for the treatment of rabies. Louis Pasteur successfully campaigned for better research facilities for scientists. His pleas of more funding were heard by Napoleon III. Louis Pasteur argued that

"Physicists and chemists without laboratories are like soldiers without arms on the battlefield.

Louis died in 1895 aged 73. On his last day he remarked

"I should like to be younger, so as to devote myself with new ardor to the study of new diseases"

Louis Pasteur had great faith in the good nature of humans. He worked tirelessly to deliver real benefits for the treatment of infectious diseases. More than any other person, Louis Pasteur helped to increase the life expectancy of man in the late nineteenth and early twentieth Century.

Achievements of Louis Pasteur

◾Process of Pasteurisation making milk safe to drink

◾Cure for rabies

◾Cure for anthrax

◾His principles were used by later scientists such as Frankland, Valley Radot, Emile Duclaux, Descours and Holmes in developing vaccines for dies eases such as typhus, diphtheria, cholera, yellow fever and different strains of plague

1. J.K. Rowling

harry potter, j.k. rowlingJ.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novels was waitressing and on public assistance when she was writing the first installment of what would become one of the best selling series in history. The book was rejected by a dozen publishers. The only reason it got published at all was because the CEO's eight year old daughter begged him to publish it.

“Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential.” - J.K. Rowling

Now, if that isn't a great Zen line, I don't know what is!

2. Michael Jordan

michael jordan, nike, basketballIt might come as a shock, but the man who became what many would call the best basketball player of all time didn't make his high school basketball team.

“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan

3. Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison was both hearing impaired and fidgety. He only lasted three months in school where his teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He eventually was home schooled by his mom. In talking about his invention of the light bulb, he said:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that do not work.” - Thomas Edison

4. James Carville

james carville, democratic party, political science, electionWhen I was a kid I was obsessed with political campaigns the way other kids were obsessed with sports. During the 1992 Presidential campaign there was no greater superstar-whacko than Clinton's political operative, James Carville. With his shaved bald

head, snake-like facial features, and his deep Louisiana accent he seemed like a man out of the Twilight Zone!

He's now considered to be one of the greatest political operatives of a generation. But, before he ended up on that fateful campaign in his early 40's he was dead broke, had won only a handful of elections, and had never even been approved for a credit card. On paper, he looked like a complete failure. By not giving up he ended up in the White House.

"No one will ever accuse James Carville of taking himself seriously." - James Carville

5. Ludwig van Beethoven

beethoven, piano, deafnessHis early skills at music and the violin were decidedly less than impressive. His teachers thought him hopeless. It was his father who saw the potential in him and took over his education. Beethoven slowly lost his hearing throughout his life and yet, four of his greatest works were composed when he was completely deaf.

"Beethoven can write music, thank God, because he can't do anything else!" - Ludwig van Beethoven

6. Christopher Reeve

superman, dana reeve, christopher reeveThe man who played Superman becoming a quadriplegic was more than ironic - it was tragic. He never learned to be happy about his situation - who could? But, he did learn to live with it.

“In the morning, I need twenty minutes to cry. To wake up and make that shift, you know, and to just say, 'This really sucks,' to really allow yourself the feeling of loss. It still needs to be acknowledged.” - Christopher Reeve

Then, he'd say, "And now...forward!"

He had to take a moment everyday to acknowledge where he was, what the reality of the situation was. But, he didn't allow that to stop him. He traveled widely doing public speaking on behalf of people with spinal injuries, tirelessly raised money for his own and other foundations, and even became a movie director. He took what he had and tried to help others in the best way he could.

7. Oprah Winfrey

oprah winfrey, o network, oprah, color purpleHer childhood was frightful and filled with horrible abuse and abject poverty. But, like most successful people, Oprah doesn't dwell on stuff like that.

"I don’t think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good." - Oprah Winfrey

BONUS:

Oh, what the heck, I'll give you a few more! You can never have enough inspirational stories to keep you going.

Vincent Van Gogh

The man was a manic depressive. He could barely function half the time. He never saw success in his lifetime, but his work is often regarded as the greatest painting ever done by any human on earth. Because of this, his name has become a war cry for artists around the world who have been repeatedly rejected and sidelined.

"Even the knowledge of my own fallibility cannot keep me from making mistakes. Only when I fall do I get up again." - Vincent van Gogh

Oscar Wilde

Wilde, the British play-write and satirist was gay during a time when being gay could get you prison time. And it did. Unlike our examples above, Wilde started out privileged, with successful parents. He ended up being quite famous in his own life, but he died an early death as a direct result of his

imprisonment. What is instructive is that he was willing to lose everything - and did - rather than pretend to be someone that he wasn't. He also never lost his wit.

"Life is too important a thing ever to talk seriously about." - Oscar Wilde

I'll close with another quote by Michael Jordan.

"Some want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." - Michael Jordan

Now go make something happen.

What Can Thomas Edison Teach Us About Success (through Failure)

Failure happens. It happens all the time, to everyone, and sometimes can have a bad effect on us depending on the way we react to it. Failure, like many other things, is something we have got used to through the years. To some it has become a lifestyle, an ingrained habit we just can’t break ourselves of if we don’t have the right mindset.

The greatest example, when it comes down to failure, is the American inventor Thomas Edison. He failed more than 10,000 times (I am still amazed at that number!) before he created the light bulb. That makes him a true example of perseverance. What helped him was understanding a few things – defining success and failure, realizing the inevitable connection between them, never giving up, working hard, believing in himself and his ideas. Of course in many situations things looked so hopeless and pointless that any other in his place would have given up on his work. But not him. Many people told him that he is wasting his time, his faith and confidence were sometimes on the verge of being gone, but he succeeded. Many times.

The fruits of his labor were 1093 patents, including the bulb, the photograph, the motion picture camera, the printing telegraph apparatus, typewriting machines, telephones and many other things we can’t live without today.

If it wasn’t for him and other great people in the history – leaders, scientists, businessmen, inventors and so on – we wouldn’t have electricity, running water, cars, TV, computers and all the other things that make our life comfortable and easy. Imagine what the world would be like if every one of them just gave up on his ideas to try something new, to change the world and help people. Just imagine…

Failure must be understood perfectly in order for us to be successful and follow our dreams.

So let’s analyze Thomas Edison’s way of thinking by taking a look at his words.

1. ” I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

He accepts failure. He finds its positive side and realizes that it is something as normal as success. And thus we need to learn how to fail before we learn how to succeed.

2. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

Giving up is what stopped many people from becoming more, from achieving greatness and changing the world. Giving up is the state in which our mind shows the white flag, in which it’s easier for us not to move on, not to try one more time and to just listen to the naysayers.

But we can all overcome that point. We can keep believing because everything around us is an example of what happens if someone keeps pushing and believing. The answer is to just try one more time. Do it without thinking too much, without analyzing the situation, without listening to the others and without fearing the chance of failing again.

3. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

Remember that no matter what you have achieved so far, no matter how experienced or educated you are and no matter where you come from and where you’re going, you can get what you want by working hard. Hard work combined with concentration and focus will always have results. So perspire and success will come.

4. “There’s a way to do it better – find it.”

As human being we can change our body and mind however we want. It’s not easy – it never is, but once we’ve done it right, nothing will be able to stand in our way.

Whatever we do, there is always the chance of doing it better. We are born to thrive, improve and evolve and that is why we have to try again and again if we really want something.

5.” When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial after trial until it comes.”

You need to know whether your idea is worth it or not. And if it is – never give up on it until you succeed. Create it in your mind first, reach success there before you actually do it. And then, after making efforts, after dedicating time and energy, you will start seeing results. You will see your idea in reality and the moment you see someone using what you’ve invented and how it helps people live better – you will know that all the beads of sweat were worth it.

6. “We don’t know a millionth of one percent about anything.”

Realize and accept how much you don’t know and how more you have to learn. Every time you try you can fail because of the lack of knowledge how to do it right. But that can be changed. You can learn new things every day and do your best to become professional in your field. Then you will know exactly what to do and how to do it and this time failure won’t be an option.

7. “It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.”

Focus! Only a concentrated man can work adequately. Only a concentrated mind can think of a thousand ways to do one thing and each one of them can be brilliant.

You may be able to work for days without resting but you are wasting your time if you don’t stay focused. And sometimes only 60 minutes of concentration a day can bring the best results.

Have these statements in mind next time you try to do something. Remember that failure is a state of mind, just like success, and that makes it something that is in our control. Without failure, we can’t succeed. They are connected in a way we can understand only if we accept the first in order to reach the second one.

So here is a summary of the important lessons Thomas Edison wants every generation to learn:

Accept failure;

Never give up;

Work hard;

Find a better way to do it;

Try until you succeed;

Learn and improve so that you don’t fail next time;

Stay focused.

What else can you suggest? How do you handle failure?

Early life[edit]

Salvatore Ferragamo

He was born in 1898 in Bonito, near Avellino, the eleventh of 14 children. After making his first pair of shoes at age nine, for his sisters to wear at their confirmation, young Salvatore decided that he had found his calling.

Career

After studying shoemaking in Naples for a year, Ferragamo opened a small store based in his parent's home. In 1914, he emigrated to Boston, where one of his brothers worked in a cowboy boot factory. After a brief stint at the factory, Ferragamo convinced his brothers to move to California, first Santa Barbara then Hollywood. It was here that Ferragamo found success, initially opening a shop for repair and made-to-measure shoes, which soon became prized items among celebrities of the day, leading to a long period of designing footwear for the cinema. However, his thriving reputation as 'Shoemaker to the Stars' only partially satisfied him. He could not fathom why his shoes pleased the eye yet hurt the foot, so he proceeded to study anatomy at the University of Southern California.

After spending thirteen years in the United States, Ferragamo returned to Italy in 1927, this time settling in Florence. He began to fashion shoes for the wealthiest and most powerful women of the century, from the Maharani of Cooch Behar to Eva Peron to Marilyn Monroe. He opened a workshop in the Via Mannelli, concentrating his efforts in experimenting with design, applying for patents for ornamental and utility models and some related inventions. Although he filed for bankruptcy in 1933 due to bad management and economic pressures, Ferragamo nonetheless expanded his operation during the 1950 to a workforce of around 700 expert artisans that produced 350 pairs of handmade shoes a day.

Founding to World War II

Louis Vuitton (designer)

The Louis Vuitton label was founded by Vuitton in 1854 on Rue Neuve des Capucines in Paris, France. Louis Vuitton had observed that the HJ Cave Osilite trunk could be easily stacked and in 1858, Vuitton introduced his flat-bottom trunks with trianon canvas, making them lightweight and airtight. Before the introduction of Vuitton's trunks, rounded-top trunks were used, generally to promote water run off, and thus could not be stacked. It was Vuitton's gray Trianon canvas flat

trunk that allowed the ability to stack with ease for voyages. Many other luggagemakers imitated LV's style and design.

In 1857, the company participated in the universal exhibition in Paris. To protect against the duplication of his look, Vuitton changed the Trianon design to a beige and brown stripes design in 1876. By 1885, the company opened its first store in London on Oxford Street. Soon thereafter, due to the continuing imitation of his look, in 1888, Vuitton created the Damier Canvas pattern, which bore a logo that reads "marque L. Vuitton déposée", which translates into "L. Vuitton registered trademark". In 1892, Louis Vuitton died, and the company's management passed to his son.

Advert for Louis Vuitton luggage, 1898.

After the death of his father, Georges Vuitton began a campaign to build the company into a worldwide corporation, exhibiting the company's products at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. In 1896, the company launched the signature Monogram Canvas and made the worldwide patents on it. Its graphic symbols, including quatrefoils and flowers (as well as the LV monogram), were based on the trend of using Japanese and Oriental designs in the late Victorian era. The patents later proved to be successful in stopping counterfeiting. In this same year, Georges traveled to the United States, where he toured cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, selling Vuitton products. In 1901, the Louis Vuitton Company introduced the Steamer Bag, a smaller piece of luggage designed to be kept inside Vuitton luggage trunks.

By 1913, the Louis Vuitton Building opened on the Champs-Elysees. It was the largest travel-goods store in the world at the time. Stores also opened in New York, Bombay, Washington, London, Alexandria, and Buenos Aires as World War I began. Afterwards, in 1930, the Keepall bag was introduced. During 1932, LV introduced the Noé bag. This bag was originally made for champagne vintners to transport bottles. Soon thereafter, the Louis Vuitton Speedy bag was introduced (both are still manufactured today). In 1936 Georges Vuitton died, and his son, Gaston-Louis Vuitton, assumed control of the company.

Collaboration

During World War II, Louis Vuitton collaborated with the Nazis during the German occupation of France. The French book Louis Vuitton, A French Saga, authored by French journalist Stephanie Bonvicini and published by Paris-based Editions Fayard[9] tells how members of the Vuitton family actively aided the puppet government led by Marshal Philippe Pétain and increased their wealth from their business affairs with the Germans. The family set up a factory dedicated to producing artifacts glorifying Pétain, including more than 2,500 busts.

Caroline Babulle, a spokeswoman for the publisher, Fayard, said: "They have not contested anything in the book, but they are trying to bury it by pretending it doesn't exist." Responding to the book's release in 2004, a spokesman for LVMH said: "This is ancient history. The book covers a period when it was family-run and long before it became part of LVMH. We are diverse, tolerant and all the things a modern company should be." An LVMH spokesman told the satirical magazine Le Canard Enchainé: "We don't deny the facts, but regrettably the author has exaggerated the Vichy episode. We haven't put any pressure on anyone. If the journalists want to censor themselves, then that suits us fine." That publication was the only French periodical to mention the book, LVMH is the country's biggest advertiser in the press.