Written by: Joya Shrestha - 25004, Grade X
Posted on: 08 December, 2022
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, known as “Coco Chanel” was born in Saumur, France, on August 19, 1883. She founded the Chanel brand and was also a fashion designer and businessperson. She had been abandoned by her father when she was 12 years old and stayed at a Roman Catholic orphanage for six years as her mother had died of tuberculosis. Chanel worked as a café singer for a few years. As a singer, she performed in clubs and was called "Coco." Coco Chanel was known for her timeless designs, trademark suits, and little black dresses. In Paris, Chanel started a millinery business with Etienne Balsan when she was 20.
Chanel began selling hats in 1910 when she opened her first shop on the Rue Cambon in Paris. Later, she opened shops in Biarritz and Deauville. It was in 1920 that Coco introduced the Chanel suit and the little black dress, which were more comfortable for women, as well as the launch of her perfume. Her first taste of clothing success was a dress she fashioned out of an old jersey on a chilly day. Over 2,000 people were employed in Chanel's industries, including a perfume laboratory, a textile mill, and a jewelry workshop. Chanel industries were reported to be worth millions of dollars. In 1921, she introduced Chanel No. 5 with Ernst Beaux, one of France's most talented perfume creators, and it became one of the most successful perfumes ever. Chanel introduced the Chanel suit in 1925, which featured a collarless jacket and a well-fitted skirt. By then her designs were extremely popular. With her help, women could say goodbye to corsets and other confining garments. Little black dresses were another Chanel design from the 1920s. She showed how chic a color once associated with mourning could be for evening wear. 16 years after retiring from fashion in 1938, Coco Chanel made a comeback as she felt that French fashion was dominated by men. The Chanel look was adopted and enjoyed by rich and famous women in France, but she pulled them back. At that time, she was one of the most famous fashion designers in the world. Besides dresses, she was also creating new types of expensive jewelry.
In World War II the Chanel company had a negative impact which led her to close her business. Chanel fired her workers and closed her shops. Chanel died on January 10, 1971, at her apartment in the Ritz. A Broadway musical based on Chanel's fascinating life story was produced in 1969. During the last hours of her life, Coco Chanel walked with one of her friends before retiring to her hotel room. Coco's last words were, "You See, This is how you die.". After that, she passed away. Some of her famous quotes are: “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” and “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”
REFERENCE
Chanel, Coco. “Coco Chanel Quotes (Author of The Gospel According to Coco Chanel).” Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3004479.Coco_Chanel. 2022
“Coco Chanel - Quotes, Fashion & Facts - Biography.” Biography (Bio.),https://www.biography.com/fashion-designer/coco-chanel. 2018
“Coco Chanel | Biography, Fashion, Designs, Perfume, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Coco-Chanel .
