Chanel wasn’t known for traveling often, but she was very interested in other cultures and leaned a great deal from books. Karl Largerfeld was able to go into Coco’s apartment (which was kept in place after her passing), to gain inspiration for the brand. It wasn’t until 1983 that Karl Lagerfeld was appointed artistic director for Chanel. In 1971, Coco Chanel passed away, but the brand lives on. In the 60’s many famous women were spotted carrying Chanel bags and wearing Chanel garments, including Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy, heightening the brand appeal. Two years later the cap toe shoe was created, it’s made to flatter by shortening the foot and lengthening the leg. Its name stems from the month and year it was created, February, 1955. It’s good she did because it was then she designed the 2.55 handbag, a timeless classic.

Over time she opens and closes her fashion house and eventually reopens at the age of 71 as she was tired with the fashions at the time. After the war Chanel resumed production, she was embraced by the Americans and the British and was even hired to come to Hollywood to create custom wardrobe for the leading ladies. Yves Saint Laurent is the one who really brought ready to wear into reality.Ĭhanel stopped her clothing production during WWII, all but one boutique on Rue Cambon closed and the one remaining offered only perfume and accessories. With so many employees, many were making dresses to be sold in a ‘ready to wear’ collection. She began to create ‘ready to wear’, before this you’d go to a boutique and be fitted for a dress that would then be made for you. In 1935 Chanel was at the height of her career, she owned 5 boutiques on Rue Cambon and employed over 4000 workers. The stripes you’ll see integrated into collections is a nod to her time in Paris during WWI, seeing the sailers wearing stripes coming home from war. She brought this idea back to Paris and began using tweed for women’s suits. Either way, in 1921 Chanel N5 perfume was born, the first perfume in her collection and is the best selling perfume in the world.Īfter many trips to Scotland with the Duke of Westminster, Chanel came across tweed, yet another fabric that was mostly reserved for men. It’s rumored that Chanel is extremely fond of the number five, another rumor is that while going over perfumes, while testing the fifth one, she knew that one would be a classic.

Her collection was not well received by the press, however it was well received by the public. She began creating garments with jersey fabric, which was considered taboo at the time because jersey fabric was reserved for mens underwear. Her first advertisement was sending her sister and young aunt around town dressed in her clothing to get people into her shop, it worked. Three years later Chanel opened a new boutique with the help of an investor. Her hats at the time were named ‘Chanel Modes’ and her simple and elegant style quickly took over Paris. The first brick and mortar Chanel shop was founded in 1910 at 21 Rue Cambon in Paris. By the time Chanel was 27 she was designing hats and had garnered a celebrity following, including the most famous French actress of the time. She grew up poor, but being in the cabaret exposed her to very wealthy men. Gabrielle Chanel grew up in a convent as an orphan, as a young adult she dabbled in cabaret dancing and was known for singing only two songs, because of lyrics she was given the nick name ‘Coco’, she later claimed it was given to her by her dad.

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