Regarded as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time Magazine, founder of the renowned House of fashion Chanel, designer, entrepreneur, and style icon, today we pay tribute to the incomparable Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel.
Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19, 1883, in a general hospital in the town of Saumur, France.
Years later, in February 1895, her mother passed away, leaving Gabrielle and her four siblings in the care of their father. Shortly thereafter, Gabrielle’s father sent his sons to a military school and his daughters to a convent.
During her time at the convent, Gabrielle acquired skills in sewing, hand embroidery, and ironing. Moreover, the convent’s strict discipline and rigorous standards of behavior helped shape Gabrielle’s character and personality, laying the foundation for her future success.
When Gabrielle turned 18, she left the convent and went to live with an aunt. She had two jobs: one as an assistant in a tailor’s shop, and the other as an entertainer at a café-concert, where she would perform between sets to entertain the audience while the main artists changed costumes.
Gabrielle’s introduction to the fashion world was as a hat designer. Her hat designs had begun to gain prominence among the upper class, thanks to Gabrielle’s clients.
In 1913, Gabrielle inaugurated her first boutique in Deauville, France, featuring women’s apparel and millinery. The venture proved highly successful, as Gabrielle pioneered the concept of casual yet luxurious clothing for women of high society.
After a couple years the opening of her first store, Gabrielle was determined to replicate her success. It was then that she opened a second store in a villa facing the casino in Biarritz, located on the Basque coast. The store’s location made it a popular destination among wealthy Spanish clients, further establishing the name Gabrielle Coco Chanel in European high society.
Gabrielle later opened her flagship boutique in Paris in the number 31 Rue Cambon.
In February 1916, Coco Chanel’s first fall collection was unveiled, and her designs were featured in Vogue magazine for the first time. Before long, her clothes were being sold in top department stores across the US.
In 1921, Coco introduced Chanel No. 5, a perfume that would become a timeless classic. A century later, it’s still considered one of the most influential perfumes of all time.
When World War II began, Gabrielle closed her all stores but kept her boutique at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris open, making it clear that it was not a time for fashion.
As World War II ended, Gabrielle Chanel faced accusations of being a Nazi spy and was put on trial. After a few years of silence, she returned to fashion with a new collection, which was initially met with skepticism in France. However, it was well received in the UK and US, where Vogue praised her as a ‘revolutionary and rebel in fashion’.
Gabrielle Chanel worked in her Parisian atelier until her death. She passed away on January 10, 1971, at the age of 87, in her suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. According to those close to her, Gabrielle had become a solitary figure, and she died alone. Her funeral was attended by her models, and her coffin was covered with white flowers.
Write by Alejandra St, for Mighty Magazine.