I began the last chapter with the historical “coincidence” that saw a convergence between Joyce's youthful egoistic anarchism and the creation of the review called The Egoist. Another coincidence was replayed more recently when a French magazine that had been similarly baptized Egoïste was requested to sell its name to Chanel – so as to launch a new line of after-shaves and perfumes for men called “Egoïste.” While the magazine known as The New Freewoman was renamed The Egoist in 1914 – Dora Marsden's decision to rechristen her own magazine was announced in December 1913 – the name Egoïste was bought from Nicole Wisniak, who had started it as a fancy fashion magazine in 1977. In 1990 Wisniak sold the name to Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel (the sum of the transaction was not disclosed); he then launched the very successful after-shave brand. This has not prevented Egoïste from continuing its publication. It is rather bewildering to witness how the same pattern has been repeated. In each case, a bright young woman starts a magazine and then sells the name or even the contents as well to what can be described as a male multinational (even if Chanel was founded by a woman).

I still remember the first advertising campaign when Chanel launched Egoïste in 1990.