The History Of Chanel

There is no doubt that Pairs is an extremely important and influential city. Its rich history, beautiful architecture, legendary art museums and world-renowned food combine together to create a lovely place to live in and visit. However, many people do not know about the history of fashion in Paris. Sure, most have heard of famous designers like Chanel or Dior, but cannot say that they know about the history behind those household names. The founders of each company all have an incredible story to tell filled with inspiring tales of harnessing God given talents to rise to the top of the fashion world.

One of the most well-known and respected high fashion brands of all time is Chanel. Today, it is worth billions of dollars, but that was not the case when a young woman named Gabrielle Chanel founded it in 1909. On the 19th of August, 1883, in Saumur, Auvergne Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born into a peasant family. Her unwed mother Eugénie Devolle was a laundrywoman in a charity hospital and her father was a street vendor who sold work clothing and undergarments. They traveled quite a bit in the early days, moving around in hoped of making more money. In 1884 her parents married and had five other children in addition to Gabrielle and her older sister.

In 1895, Chanel’s mother passed away due to bronchitis, so Gabrielle and her three sisters were shipped off to Corrèze, a region in central France to live in a convent for abandoned or orphaned girls called Aubazine. She stayed there until she was eighteen, and then moved to Moulins where she was able to find work as a seamstress and cabaret dancer and singer at a venue frequented by soldiers. It was here that she obtained her nickname “Coco”, most likely from a popular song tha...

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...tent couture houses aside, Paris served as a canvas to paint a picture of a fashion landscape that is still very much present today. Chanel revolutionized the idea of the ‘Little Black Dress’ and suit for women. Dior popularized a feminine silhouette, and the concept that a woman’s entire wardrobe could come from a singular designers collection, as he integrated the concept of luxury goods into his collections. Saint Laurent brought prêt-à-porter, or ready-to-wear, to the forefront of the otherwise exclusive world of couture. By creating less expensive collections, he opened up the world of fashion to many that would have been otherwise unable to financially participate. Most importantly, it’s important to remember that none of this would have been able to happen without Paris, the city that fostered the creativity of the people that revolutionized fashion forever.