Coco’s Camellia - The Story Behind Chanel’s Iconic Symbol (2024)

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Coco’s Camellia - The Story Behind Chanel’s Iconic Symbol? ›

Chanel's love affair with the camellia began in 1913 when she first pinned one of the white blooms to her belt. The flower's simplicity, shape, purity, and vitality (it's not afraid to blossom in winter) seduced her. She made the Camellia more than her favorite flower—she made it a symbol.

The idea for the logo was inspired by the orphanage where Chanel grew up. A popular story suggests that the interlocking C logo was inspired by the stained glass windows in an Aubazine chapel which featured interlaced curves and also housed an orphanage where Chanel spent the latter half of her childhood.

The Chanel logo was designed by Coco Chanel in 1925. It's composed of two bold interlaced “C”s that mirror each other. The simple, strong shapes of the letters evoke the authoritative elegance of simplicity based on Coco's philosophy of “less is more.”

Born on August 19, 1883, in Saumur, Coco Chanel was the creator of one of the most valuable fashion brands in the world. Her elegantly casual designs inspired women to abandon complicated and uncomfortable clothes. She freed ladies from the oppression of corsets, helped popularize pants for women and more.

So here is the irony, the clever trick Coco has played on us all. The Chanel logo stands for luxury, but it also stands for two young girls who came from nothing, gazing out the window of a convent orphanage dreaming of a better life.

Coco Chanel began working as a seamstress in her teens, and she opened a small millinery shop in Paris about a decade later, in 1910. In 1912 she established a boutique in Deauville, France. Her practical, elegant designs attracted influential women, and Chanel was soon heading a thriving couture house.

One theory is that Chanel was dubbed 'Coco' after the songs she sang ("Ko Ko Ri Ko" and "Qui qu'a vu Coco dans l'Trocadéro?"), but according to an article published in The Atlantic, Chanel claimed "Coco" was short for "'cocotte,' the French word for 'kept woman. '" Either way, it stuck.

The black colour of the logo represents the elegance and sophistication that Chanel stands for. The simplicity if the logo adds luxury and also adds to Chanel's philosophy of “less is more”. Since it was designed in 1925 it has never changed and has remained the timeless design that you can see today.

THE FLOWER OF CHANEL

The story of CHANEL and the Camellia began in 1913, the day Mademoiselle pinned one of the white blooms to her belt. The flower's simplicity, shape, purity and vitality (it's not afraid to blossom in winter) seduced her. She made the Camellia more than her favorite flower—she made it a symbol.

For Chanel, the number five was especially esteemed as signifying the pure embodiment of a thing, its spirit, its mystic meaning. The paths that led Chanel to the cathedral for daily prayers were laid out in circular patterns repeating the number five.

Why is Coco Chanel still relevant? ›

In an era when male designers dominated the fashion industry, Coco Chanel was a pioneer for women's emancipation and gender equality. With her visionary intuition, she provided women with what they desired—comfortable clothing that was both modern and freeing.

Chanel handbags are highly sought-after, iconic statement pieces, and demand is always higher than supply. Thus, Chanel continues to boost the prices of their most coveted offerings, and consumers will continue to pay. Since the start of the global pandemic, Chanel has boosted bag prices four times.

Chanel is well known for its logo that features two “C's” back-to-back.

The black colour of the logo represents the elegance and sophistication that Chanel stands for. The simplicity if the logo adds luxury and also adds to Chanel's philosophy of “less is more”. Since it was designed in 1925 it has never changed and has remained the timeless design that you can see today.

In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different. Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.

The logo consists of two G letters, which represent the name of the company's founder Guccio Gucci. These letters symbolize veracity, grandeur, authority, sophistication, and heritage today. Despite the Gucci symbol not having a specific meaning, it commands respect in fashion.