Coco Chanel

Chanel headquarters in Paris

Coco Chanel (left) with Misia Sert on Lido Beach, Venice

Duke of Westminster with Coco Chanel

Illustrating the influence: a modern 'little black dress' by Cynthia Rowley, New York 2007; model is Nataliya Gotsiy.

The famous perfum commercialized by Coco Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld, the artistic director of Chanel since 1983

Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel (19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was French fashion designer. She was a founder of the House of Chanel. She was a leader of women's fashion in the 20th century. She was the only fashion designer to be named on TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century. The strength of this fashion designer has always been to have the drive to live life fully according to her own rules, even though the power of women in the post-World War I era was still limited. She has been one of the main protagonists of the fashion industry that we can still see many influences today. While female emancipation movement emerged, she became a role model for many women across the world to break free of conventions.

In her youth she had been a seamstress (sewed clothes) and a night-club singer. After opening boutiques in Paris and Deauville, Coco eventually became a licenced couturiere (dress designer & maker) in 1919.

Fashion triumphs

Her styles were simple, practical, and expensive. They included beautifully-made suits for women, and classic dresses. Her 'little black dresses' from the 1920s were famous, and are still copied today. She also designed accessories, such as a handbag with a shoulder strap that left the wearer's hands free.

A short-list of triumphs which are taken for granted today:

• The little black dress
• Chanel No.5, the most famous female perfume in the world.
• The suit for women: knee-long skirt and box jacket worn with pearl necklace
• The Tweed suit for women
• The jersey dress with the chain belt
• The cashmere cardigan
• Slacks – women's trousers for informal occasions
• Shoes, such as the beige slingback with black toecap
• Costume jewellery (various)
• Make-up and skin care products
• Short hair: the 'bobbed' hairstyle
• Above all, the 'total look': integration of the various elements of a woman's outfit.

Women's liberation

In 1913, Coco Chanel opens her first boutique in Deauville, France. She commercializes a simple wardrobe which attracts the interest of women from posh society under the casual-chic label of Chanel brand. Her success allows her, in 1915, to install a second shop in Biarritz where her flexible and athletic clothes were dearly appreciated by the women clientele. Chanel doesn’t worry about what should or shouldn’t be and prefers an approach where she promotes her own standards through her line of clothing. Especially in 1915, she cuts down horse keeper’s clothes because she was missing material for some sportswear she was working on at the time. It was the beginning of women's clothes made in jersey and tricot. She helps liberate the women's body and conceal their waist. Chanel popularized this new silhouette which earned her popularity and contribute to build her reputation. She became one of the first women to create simple and practical clothes whose aesthetic were solely based on a dynamic and sporty lifestyle. Coco liked to mix the men’s and women’s fashion to help diminish the discrimination against women. She contributes to the reform of women's lifestyle: short hair, tanned skin and casual style were the new tendencies. She was also the one who helped women to say goodbye to old days' corsets and other uncomfortable garments..

Inspiration

This revolutionary fashion designer found her inspiration though her romantic conquests. In 1920, while she was in a relationship with the Grand Duke Dimitri, she had the brillant idea to add a Russian touch to her dresses by embroidering some Russian patterns on them. With the Duke of Westminster, from 1924 to 1931, she discovered the English elegance and comfort: tweed sweaters, men's jackets and the famous English coats which will all become part of her new collections.

Personal life

She was the mistress of a number of rich men, and reputedly turned down marriage to the Duke of Westminster. When asked why she did not marry him, she said: "There have been several Duchesses of Westminster. There is only one Chanel". She never married.

Coco lived at the Hotel Ritz, Paris, for over thirty years. She was there during World War II, when the Germans occupied Paris, and her shops were closed. Her affair with a Nazi officer put her in an awkward position after the war, when she was accused of being a collaborator. Apparently, the British Royal Family intervened to get her released. She promptly moved to Switzerland, and gave up fashion. After a retirement for fifteen years, Coco Chanel, who was then 71 years old, was shocked to see the new trend created by Christian Dior in the couture and high fashion industries. According to her, the fashion designer was retrograde and imposed an overly feminist style with his restoration of crinolines and corsets. She understood better than anyone the requirements and necessities of an active woman’s lifestyle so decided to reopen her boutique in 1954. The French ignored her, but she was still a star to the Americans and British, who bought steadily almost everything she designed. Her fame rests not just on her dress sales, but on the many design styles which influenced other designers, and were copied by many of them. It was at this precise moment that she came up with the idea of the lady’s suit. This clothe is like a second skin, we can wear it all year long (in winter like in summer). This set of clothes was designed to allow maximum movement's ease. The jacket, devoid of collar, would be as flexible as a cardigan and the skirt, knee-level, would not tighten the waist or hinder during walking. Chanel privileged the simplicity and practical outfits like the first and most anticipated women pants.

Media

Her life has proved fascinating to theatre, movie and television:

• 1969 Broadway musical: Coco
• 1981 film: Chanel Solitaire
• 2002 novel: Coco & Igor
• 2008 book for children: Different like Coco
• 2008 TV movie Coco Chanel
• 2009 movie Coco before Coco
• 2009 movie Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

Today

Coco Chanel died in 1971 after a well fought fight against feminine discrimination. She has left behind her a real fashion empire. However, this ingenious and revolutionary designer is still influencing the women’s lifestyle. Indeed, it’s because of her if today women can be feminine while being comfortable. The House of Chanel is still in business, and still a member of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture, the top fashion clique in Paris. They do modern versions of many of Coco's best ideas.Karl Lagerfeld is now the artistic director since 1983.

References

• Charles-Roux, Edmonde 2005. The World of Coco Chanel: friends, fashion, fame. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-51216-6.