![]() ![]() The inheritor of Coco Chanel’s legacy seemed an impossible role to fill, that is, until Karl Lagerfeld stepped in.Ĭhanel Double Flap Black Quilted Lambskin Paris Gold and Silver Hardware, 1986-1988 Daring, free and ahead of her time, Chanel was the ultimate avant-garde woman, inspiring generations to come. Coco Chanel’s influence on the fashion world and her liberation of the female body was bar none. On January 10th, 1971, at the age of 87, Mademoiselle Chanel peacefully passed away in her suite at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris. From this moment on, Mademoiselle Chanel tirelessly pursued her life’s work, adding to the allure of Chanel with slingback heels and quilted leather bags. This Chanel handbag emphasized practicality, comfort and elevated taste. ![]() A signifier of fashion liberation, the 2.55 was the first bag made for women to come with a shoulder strap. In February 1955, Coco Chanel first designed the 2.55 Flap. The First Lady Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly and Liz Taylor were among the earliest fans of the Chanel suit, solidifying it as an instant classic. It wouldn’t be until 1954 when Chanel would stage her lasting comeback, marked by the debut of one of her most timeless designs: the tweed suit. This series of groundbreaking and successful endeavors came to a halt in 1939, when World War II forced the closure of Coco Chanel’s Paris boutique. Instant Classics: Chanel Tweed Suit and 2.55 Flap Bag Chanel’s more understated garments were perfectly balanced with whimsical accessories, and she awed the fashion world with her playful design combinations. Opulent costume jewels were Coco Chanel’s next endeavor, where she astounded her followers with unprecedented combinations of faux and precious materials. In gabardine, tweed and jersey, women around the world were captivated by the liberating designs of Mademoiselle Chanel. Formerly reserved for house servants or mourning, black was never a color represented in mainstream fashion, until Coco Chanel birthed the petit robe noir, or little black dress. A fashion revolution quickly followed, when Coco Chanel utilized the color black as the key to her success. The following year, in collaboration with French perfumer Ernest Beaux, Chanel would launch the world’s most iconic fragrance: No.5. 1920 saw her return to Paris, and Chanel opened her first boutique at 31 Rue Cambon. The 1920s were pivotal years in the career of Coco Chanel. Chanel’s sporty silhouettes emphasized simple and soft lines, which was a radically new style that freed women’s physical form. Her favorite fabric was jersey, which had been used for men’s underwear in the early 20th century. Coco Chanel’s designs were a sharp contrast to the traditional and restrictive pieces that dominated popular fashion at the time. Just two years later, Chanel would open her first high fashion showroom in Biarritz. It wasn’t long before the women who resided near Balsan’s company headquarters began to notice Coco Chanel’s innovative hat designs, and the demand skyrocketed.īy 1908, growing demand for Chanel’s millinery creations took her first to Paris and then Deauville, where she opened her first shop in 1914. Chanel and Balsan sparked a six-year relationship, and he served as her first financier as well as romantic partner. ![]() At the cafés in Moulins, Coco Chanel was first exposed to fashion executives, particularly Étienne de Balsan, the son of a textile entrepreneur. Rumor has it, one of Chanel’s signature songs to perform was Qui qu'a vu Coco?, and it served as the inspiration for her legendary nickname, Coco. On the side, Chanel worked as a singer in a café. Yet, it was the harshness and rigidity of Aubazine that taught Coco to defy discipline, inspiring her unwavering radical spirit.Īt 18 years old, Coco Chanel was finally freed from the constraints of Aubazine, and she began her career as a sales assistant in the Maison Grampayre shop in Moulins. The convent was run by cruel nuns dressed only in austere, black and white clothing. Following the sudden death of their mother, Jeanne Devolle, Coco and her three sisters were abandoned by their father, Henri-Albert Chanel, and placed in custody of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, in Aubazine. As such, much of Chanel’s childhood is unknown and her real family is difficult to trace. The neglect of her childhood began immediately, with a massive spelling error on her birth certificate that read Gabrielle Bonheur Chasnel, instead of her true, enduring surname. One day, the world would know her by the eponymous name of Coco Chanel, but the iconic fashion designer first had to survive an impoverished, grief-stricken childhood. ![]() Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in a hospice in Lamur, France on August 19th, 1883. ![]()
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