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Gabrielle Coco Chanel biography
Born: Saumur, France 1883
Died: Paris, France, 1971
Gabrielle Chanel’s mother died while she was still a child. Following the death of her mother, her father abandoned her and her siblings and they were forced to enter an orphanage. She spent six years in a Roman Catholic orphanage where the nuns taught her how to sew. School holidays spent with relatives encouraged her sewing interest helping her to develop her skills.
Aged 18 Chanel left the orphanage to join a circus as a cabaret singer. During her time performing Chanel was given the nickname ‘Coco’. She later commented it was a shortened version of coquette.
The circus provided Chanel with irregular work but, while staying with them, she met Etienne Balsan a French textile heir. She became Balsan’s mistress and left the circus securing a job in a tailoring shop.
Lavishing Chanel with gifts, Balsan invited her to move in with him. Accepting his offer, she enjoyed a luxurious life and started to design hats as a hobby.
In 1909 Chanel met Captain Arthur Edward Capel, a friend of Balsan’s. The two had an affair which resulted in Capel agreeing to finance the opening of her first shop.
Chanel opened her boutique in Paris at 31 Rue Cambon in 1910. A licensed hat maker, it wasn’t until two years later, when one of Chanel’s hats was modelled by actress Gabrielle Dorziat that her career started to move.
In 1913 opened a boutique in Deauville, where she sold luxe casual clothing. Two years later she opened a third boutique called Chanel-Biarritz, selling to wealthy Spanish cliental.
Chanel started to create clothing made of Jersey. Normally a material used for men, the fashion industry was outraged. For women the fabric had previously only been used for underwear.This led to Vogue commenting, ‘this designer made jersey what it is today – we hope she’s satisfied’.
Chanel was introduced to Igor Stravinsky, composer of ‘The Rite of Spring’. She invited him and his family to live with her in 1920. A year later Chanel launched her first fragrance, Chanel No. 5. The first designer scent, it went on to become one of the world’s most famous fragrances.
Vera Bate Lombardi became Chanel’s personal muse in 1925. Lombardi inspired her to create her ‘English Look’ style and introduced her into the world of the European Royals.By 1930 Chanel was so successful that the annual turnover from her boutiques exceeded 120 million francs.
A meeting with Samuel Goldwyn in 1931 saw Goldwyn pay Chanel $1 million to visit Hollywood twice a year designing costumes for MGM stars. Having successfully created her own signature style, Chanel had established the basic modern women’s wardrobe. With her designs already popular, she didn’t feel the need to change the style every year.
When the War broke out in 1939 Chanel closed her shops. Residing at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, she still maintained an apartment above her couture house. During the War she engaged in an affair with Hans Gunter von Dincklage, a German military intelligence office. With the code name Westminster, she became a Nazi intelligence operative.
Chanel moved to Switzerland in 1945 before eventually returning to Paris in 1954. Upon return Chanel re-established her couture house. Her collections didn’t receive the commercial success they had previously. Everyone was excited aboutChristian Dior’s ‘New Look. Chanel’s classic suit with male influences didn’t fit in with the new style. The French public were also disapproving of her past involvement with the Nazis during the war.
Continuing to design her classic collections, Coco Chanel died in 1971 aged 87.After her death Yvonne Dudel, Jean Cazaubon and Phlippe Guibourge took over the house. This was followed by Pierre Wetheimer acquiring the company. His grandson Alain Wetheimer took over in 1974. Trying to restore the label’s prestige, Wetheimer persuadedKarl Lagerfeldto end his contract atChloé and become Chanel’s chief designer in 1983.Lagerfeld’s ability to exploit, amuse and surprise took the label back to its former glory.
Directly adopting a men’s style, Coco Chanel was the Twentieth Centuries most influential designer. Wearing masculine clothes, sporting a cropped hair cut and flaunting a sun-tan when it was considered working class, Chanel never conformed to what people wanted.
Continuingly criticizing her contemporaries she was dismissive ofElsa Schiaparelli,Christian DiorandCristobal Balenciaga.
Revolutionising the use of jersey, Chanel’s classic suits were simply cut, collarless and trimmed with braid. Often accessorised with her signature pieces such as the quilted shoulder bag or strands of pearls, Chanel knew how to make costume jewellery chic.
A faultless elegance and quiet confidence was exuded by Chanel. These timeless elements show through her clothes and will always be associated with her.
Gabrielle Coco Chanel biography
FAQs
Coco Chanel, byname of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, (born August 19, 1883, Saumur, France—died January 10, 1971, Paris), French fashion designer who ruled Parisian haute couture for almost six decades.
What nationality is Gabrielle Chanel? ›
Born in Saumur, in the Loire Valley of France, Chanel survived an impoverished childhood and strict convent education. The difficulties of her early life inspired her to pursue a radically different lifestyle, first on the stage, where she acquired the nickname “Coco,” and then as a milliner.
Who is Coco Chanel summary? ›
Coco Chanel was a French designer and a businesswoman who ruled the Parisian haute couture for about sixty years. She is known for the classic innovations, including the quilted purse, the woman's suit, the “l*ttle black dress,” and costume jewelry. She was nicknamed “Coco” during her years as a singer.
What is one of Coco Chanel's famous quotes? ›
"The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you." "Fashion changes, but style endures." "Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door." "Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress."
How did Coco Chanel impact society? ›
A milliner by training, she moved beyond hats to become a rebel and a trailblazer of the fashion world, creating a new sartorial style that freed women from corsets and lace frills by offering them sailor shirts and wide-leg pants instead.
What was Gabrielle Coco Chanel first perfume? ›
1921 LAUNCH OF CHANEL N°5 PERFUME. Launch of the first CHANEL perfume: N°5. This women's perfume which smells like a woman, revolutionary due to its composition, name and presentation, was born out of Gabrielle Chanel's partnership with perfumer Ernest Beaux.
How did Coco Chanel treat her workers? ›
Chanel treated her own employees like serfs and committed them to a totalitarian regime that conceded nothing to the rights of workers.
What was Coco Chanel's most famous perfume? ›
No fragrance listicle would be complete without a mention of the iconic, timeless, and most sought-out Chanel N°5. Launched in 1921 by Gabrielle Chanel and perfumer Ernest Beaux, the scent set the standard for modern perfumery.
Who was Coco Chanel best friend? ›
Misia Sert, her closest friend, introduced her to this world of constant creativity. Together, their paths crossed with those of Diaghilev, Cocteau, Stravinsky and Dali… Gabrielle Chanel would financially support Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, and would design the costumes for his ballet, Le Train bleu (The Blue Train).
Why was Gabrielle called Coco? ›
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.
Chanel was the mistress of some of the most influential men of her time, but she never married. She had significant relationships with the poet Pierre Reverdy and the illustrator and designer Paul Iribe. After her romance with Reverdy ended in 1926, they maintained a friendship that lasted some forty years.
Who inherited Coco Chanel's fortune? ›
The Wertheimer family fortune dates back to 1920s Paris when Pierre Wertheimer funded designer Coco Chanel. His grandsons, brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, control Chanel today. The brothers have a combined net worth of over $96 billion.
Why was Coco Chanel a hero? ›
Chanel was a hero because she was able to reinvent the women's fashion industry and change the way women were expected to act in public. She introduced the art of elegance and simplicity, helping women feel confident in what they wore. She showed women an example of what it is to speak and act for yourself.
What did Coco Chanel say before she died? ›
Before she passed away, Coco Chanel took a walk with one of her friends before retiring to her hotel room. "You see, this is how you die," Coco Chanel addressed her maid as her last line before closing her eyes forever. These were Coco Chanel's last words according to The Guardian.
What did Coco Chanel say about lipstick? ›
Fashion industry legend, CoCo Chanel was once quoted, “If you're sad, add more lipstick and attack.” She knew a great lip signified a happy, confident woman. The quotes below endorse her belief.
What was Coco Chanel's lucky number? ›
In 1921, she created her first perfume, Chanel No 5. It was the first fragrance to bear the name of a designer, and was accompanied by the number five because Chanel had been told by a fortune teller that this was her lucky number.
What are Coco Chanel's values? ›
CHANEL Mission Statement
Designer, visionary, artist, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel reinvented fashion by transcending its conventions, creating an uncomplicated luxury that changed women's lives forever. She followed no rules, epitomising the very modern values of freedom, passion and feminine elegance.
Why was Coco Chanel inspirational? ›
She wanted to inspire women to be women, and to allow them to live comfortably and freely. Through the use of her fashion and accessories, she inspired and uplifted women. This spirit of the free woman still lives today in all of Chanel's vintage and current lines.
Why was Coco Chanel a feminist? ›
A feminist icon ahead of her time
She hated corsets that made a woman's waist look impossibly small and skirts that brushed the floor and hid women's bodies completely. She wanted women to feel as though they could do whatever men could do, which can be seen in the androgynous touches of her bags and clothing.
What is the smell of Gabrielle Chanel? ›
GABRIELLE CHANEL EAU DE PARFUM
A luminous floral interpretation composed around 4 radiant flowers: jasmine, ylang-ylang, orange blossom and Grasse tuberose.
A rich, enveloping heart of intense jasmine shimmers with the fruity green notes of ylang-ylang, while fresh and sparkling orange blossom shines through, offering a glimpse of smooth Grasse tuberose captured at its finest.
What is Gabrielle Chanel favorite flower? ›
IN FULL BLOOM
“The Camellia, Gabrielle Chanel's favourite flower and a house emblem, worked its way to become an extraordinary raw material for Chanel skincare.
What did Coco Chanel say about fashion? ›
“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
What is the rarest Chanel perfume? ›
Exclusively made to order, the Parfum Grand Extrait is the rarest form of iconic House fragrances. The most precious expression of haute parfumerie, each Grand Extrait is presented in a majestic faceted glass bottle at a dazzling scale. Like a monumental diamond.
What is the most famous perfume of all time? ›
Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum Spray
Celebrating its 100th birthday in 2021, Chanel No. 5 is perhaps the most famous fragrance of all time.
What age group is Coco Chanel perfume for? ›
Though Coco Mademoiselle was made for younger women between 20 to 30 years, the user reviews indicate the older age women using it.
Who is the face of Coco crush Chanel? ›
The new face of the Chanel luxury brand, US actress Amandla Stenberg, wears the Chanel Coco Crush 2023 signature Manchette bracelet on her debut. Each bracelet in the latest capsule can be combined to form Gabrielle Chanel's nickname: Coco.
Who continued with Chanel after Coco died? ›
Continuing to design her classic collections, Coco Chanel died in 1971 aged 87. After her death Yvonne Dudel, Jean Cazaubon and Phlippe Guibourge took over the house. This was followed by Pierre Wetheimer acquiring the company.
Was Winston Churchill friends with Coco Chanel? ›
Chanel's clothes were very popular among the wealthy in Britain, so she quickly rose up the social ladder, making friends with man prominent people, one of which was none other than Winston Churchill. The two eventually became good friends and even took several fishing trips to Scotland together.
What events are in Coco? ›
Disney Pixar's Coco, the animated film that celebrates the Mexican tradition known as Día de Muertos, has become a family favorite. Día de Muertos has its roots in a pre-Hispanic commemoration of deceased loved ones that is practiced by some Latin American indigenous populations.
The story follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel (Gonzalez) who is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living and to reverse his family's ban on music.
What are the key activities of Chanel? ›
Key activities
fashion and cosmetics, fragrances, handbags and watches.
