Coco Chanel, founder of the eponymous fashion house whose designs have stood the test of time, is undoubtedly France’s most famous mademoiselle. However, one other woman has had just as much cultural influence, yet far less recognition: Madame Clicquot.
Born in 1777 and widowed at 27 years old with a 3-year-old daughter, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot managed to persuade her father-in-law to allow her to take the reins of his and her late husband’s wine business in an era when women weren’t permitted to vote.
She
