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When was Coco Chanel born and when did she die?
Coco Chanel was born on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France, and died in Paris on January 10, 1971 at the age of 87.
What is Coco Chanel known for?
Coco Chanel was a fashion designer who dominated Paris haute couture for almost 60 years. She is known for her Chanel suits, quilted purses, costume jewelry, and “little black dresses,” all now classic innovations. Her designs emphasized simplicity and comfort and revolutionized the fashion industry. Chanel also introduced the iconic perfume Chanel No. 5.
How did Coco Chanel become famous?
Coco Chanel began working as a seamstress as a teenager and opened a small hat shop in Paris about 10 years later in 1910. In 1912, he established a boutique in Deauville, France. Her practical and elegant designs appealed to influential women, and Chanel quickly rose to the top of the couture houses. “My life didn’t suit me, so I created my own,” she said.
What was Coco Chanel’s family like?
Coco Chanel’s parents were Eugenie Jeanne Devor Chanel, a washerwoman, and Albert Chanel, a street vendor. The Chanel family had a total of six children, and the family lived in poverty in the French countryside. At the age of 11, after the death of her mother, she was sent to an orphanage in Aubazine. She moved to Moulins at the age of 18 and lived in a convent while attending school. She was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. The origin of her nickname “Coco” is unknown.
Coco Chanel (born August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France; died January 10, 1971 in Paris) was a French fashion designer who dominated Parisian haute couture for almost 60 years. Her elegant, casual designs inspired women to abandon the complicated and uncomfortable clothing such as petticoats and corsets that were prevalent in early 20th century dress. Among her now-classic innovations were Chanel suits, quilted purses, costume jewelry, and the “little black dress.” She was also known for her iconic perfume Chanel No.5.
early life
Coco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliation, the woman who would become a fashion icon learned to sew in an orphanage. (detail)
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She was born Gabrielle Chanel, but her last name was misspelled on her birth certificate (Chasnel). Her parents were Eugenie Jeanne Devole Chanel, a washerwoman, and Albert Chanel, who worked as a street vendor. Eventually, the family, which included six children, lived in poverty, moving around the French countryside. After the death of her mother in 1895, 11-year-old Gabrielle Chanel was sent to an orphanage run by a convent in Aubazine. There she learned to sew.
At the age of 18, Chanel moved to Moulins, where she lived and attended school in a convent. In 1902 she struck out on her own and became a seamstress. Around this time, Chanel was also active as a cafe singer. Although she was not a particularly talented singer, she was a popular performer known for her charisma. The origin of her nickname “Coco” is not certain, but it comes from some of the songs she performed, “Ko Ko Ri Ko” (“Cock-a-doodle-doo”) and “Qui qu’a vu Coco?” Some people think that it comes from ” (“Has anyone seen this?”).
fashion empire
“My life didn’t satisfy me, so I created my own.”
Chanel enjoyed an active social life and had affairs with various wealthy men, most notably Arthur (‘Boy’) Capel, with whom she remained until her death in 1919. With his financial support, she opened a small hat shop called Chanel Mode. 1910, Paris. Two years later, she established a boutique in Deauville, France. She later sold simple sportswear there, including jersey sweaters. At the time, jersey was an inexpensive fabric commonly used for men’s underwear. However, Chanel transformed fluid materials into practical and elegant designs, many of which took inspiration from menswear.
Coco Chanel Coco Chanel was just beginning her fashion career in 1910. (detail)
Within five years, her unique use of jersey to create a “poor girl” look attracted the attention of influential and wealthy women seeking freedom from the rampant corset style. True to her maxim, “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it’s not luxury,” Chanel’s designs emphasized simplicity and comfort, revolutionizing the fashion industry.
In 1926, Chanel introduced the so-called “Little Black Dress” (commonly referred to as the LBD) and continued to transform fashion. Although Chanel was not the first fashion designer to use black, the color was commonly used for mourning and more formal attire. But Chanel’s black dress was incredibly versatile and could easily transition from day to night with the right accessories, including the costume jewelry she often wore. The LBD was praised for both its simplicity and mass appeal. Alluding to Henry Ford’s revolutionary Model T automobile, American Vogue dubbed the little black dress the “Ford of Fashion” and it quickly became a fashion staple.
Chanel No.5
“A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.”
Although Chanel achieved great success as a designer, the financial foundation of her empire was Chanel No. 5. She developed a phenomenally successful perfume in 1921 with the help of Ernest Beau, one of France’s most talented perfume creators. The perfume’s name is said to have come from a series of scents that Beau created for Chanel samples. The fifth scent she chose was a combination of jasmine and several other floral scents, more complex and mysterious than the single-scented perfumes of the time. It’s on the market. However, some point out that Chanel was superstitious and considered five to be her lucky number. Chanel was the first major fashion designer to introduce perfume, and her replacement of typical perfume packaging with a simple, sophisticated bottle also added to the scent’s success. The top of the bottle bore an interlocking C, which later became the insignia of the Chanel brand.
Chanel then partnered with businessman Théophile Bader of the Galeries Lafayette department store and brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer of the Bourgeois cosmetics company to market Chanel No. 5. The men agreed to help her produce more fragrances and sell them in exchange. share of profits. After signing a contract in which she received only 10 percent of royalties, Chanel filed a series of lawsuits over the next few decades to regain control of her signature fragrance. Although the terms of the contract could not be renegotiated to increase royalties, Chanel still made a significant profit from the perfume.
world war ii
Chanel closed its haute couture house in 1939 with the outbreak of World War II. At the time, she was living at the Ritz Paris Hotel, which became a Nazi stronghold after France fell to Germany in 1940. There she began a romantic relationship with Baron Hans Günther von Dinklage, a German diplomat and Gestapo spy.
Scholars and biographers have established that Chanel was a collaborator, but there is disagreement over the extent of her involvement with the Nazis. Some claim that she only interacted with Germans and turned a blind eye to their activities. However, some claim that she was a Nazi agent. Particularly noteworthy was a trip she took to Madrid with German intelligence in 1941. She is believed to have made a deal with the Nazis to secure the release of her nephew, who was a prisoner of war in a German concentration camp. . It is unknown what she did in Madrid, but soon after Chanel returned to France, her nephew was released.
From couturier to collaborator
The Nazis reportedly gave Chanel the code name “Westminster”, perhaps an allusion to her previous relationship with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster.
There is little uncertainty that Chanel supported some of the Nazi policies. Anti-Semitic, she petitioned Nazi officials for exclusive control of Chanel No. 5, claiming that the Wertheimer family’s Jewish status prevented them from owning property. However, the Wertheimers had previously transferred their shares to non-Jewish businessmen, and Chanel’s efforts failed.
Shortly after the Nazi occupation ended in 1944, Chanel was arrested by French authorities. However, no charges were filed, and Chanel later claimed that her longtime friend, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, intervened. She then moved to Switzerland.
come back
Who owns Chanel?
The Wertheimer family acquired the Chanel haute couture house in 1954 for an undisclosed sum. The family remains the sole owners.
In the early 1950s, Chanel began considering a return to fashion. At that time, French fashion was undergoing a drastic change due to Christian Dior. He created the New Look, which was widely copied. This is a style defined by extremely feminine, elaborate, and highly sculpted clothing. Chanel, who favored simpler, more comfortable designs, mocked the look, at one point claiming, “Dior doesn’t dress women, it upholsters them.”
Chanel Suits Women model suits designed by Chanel on the streets of the city. (detail)
In 1954, Chanel held its first fashion show in nearly 15 years. Despite negative reviews in the French press, the collection proved popular in the United States. That year, Chanel also introduced her much-copied suit designs: collarless, braid-trimmed tweed jackets and graceful skirts. By the end of the 1950s, she debuted several other iconic pieces, most notably a quilted purse with a gold chain and two-tone shoes. These works helped Chanel regain its position as one of the fashion world’s most influential designers.
heritage
After her death in 1971, the Chanel haute couture house was led by a series of designers, but Karl Lagerfeld’s tenure (1983-2019) was the longest and most influential. Under their leadership, the Chanel brand remains one of the most influential and iconic brands. Coco Chanel’s insight into women’s fashion needs, her enterprising ambition, and the romantic aspects of her life (her rags-to-riches and sensational romances) have inspired numerous biographical books, films, and plays. It continues to inspire me. Notable examples include the 1969 Broadway musical Coco, starring Katharine Hepburn as the legendary designer, and the 2009 biopic Coco Avant Chanel, starring Audrey Tautou in the title role. ).
Encyclopedia Britannica Editor This article was recently revised and updated by Alicja Zelazko.
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