Gabrielle Chanel remains one of the most well-known fashion designers of all time. She was born on August 19, 1883 in France and died in 1971. Chanel revolutionized the fashion industry with her distinctive style. After the death of her mother, she spent much of her childhood in an orphanage. The challenges of her early life helped build her strong character which influenced her path in life. Chanel was nicknamed “Coco” after a lost dog in a popular song she loved to sing. Her early career was funded by a succession of her rich lovers. This allowed her to open her first shop in Paris in 1910. She sold hats as well as some garments. Coco developed a significant following of clientele who enjoyed her practical sportswear creating great success. …show more content…
They liberated women from tight corsets through her innovative use of tweed and jersey influenced by men’s clothing. Chanel created many timeless designs including the “little black dress,” the classic Chanel suit and Chanel No. 5 perfume. Her designs have forever changed the fashion industry. Coco created a modern, functional, chic look for women which made them feel liberated in their own clothes. Her style is described it as “less is more.” Many of her concepts were influenced by sportswear and men’s clothing which evolved into a practical effortless style for women. Chanel had a unique way of working. She preferred to work directly on her models rather than sketching. She stood up for what she believed in and paved the way for women in today’s society. She rebelled against the norm of what society wanted women to look …show more content…
The “little black dress” has become a staple for every woman’s wardrobe. It was designed to be simple, versatile and affordable. The “little black dress” was cut in a black crepe with a high neckline, long fitted sleeves and hemline that stopped just above the knee and paired well with long white pearls. It was known as a fashion basic that every woman must have in her wardrobe. The concept for the dress was that it could be worn during the day as a more casual outfit or dressed up as elegant evening wear. Although the color black was previously used for mourning she made it chic and
During her time in Moulins Chanel met and courted Etienne Balsan, an affluent textile hier. For three years she lived with him at his castle in Compiègne serving as his mistress. There Chanel lived a life of wealth and luxury that would not have been possible without Balsan. Later in her career it was those riches that inspired many of her iconic designs; her times spent on yachts lead her to incorporate those traditionally sailors looks of striped shirts and bell bottoms into her later
...s far as the author is concern, the fact that CoCo Chanel left the Victorian ideas and lived a life of her own made other women admire her. According to the author, clothing design was her star that raised her above other women. It would be better if other women would emulate her character and moral beliefs that should attract other women.
This theme is evident in the doubling of stockings with the girl’s natural black legs. The red stockings, which represent sexual, material desires, are contrasted with the natural, elegant beauty of the legs of the black girl. The stockings highlight only the legs, separating them from the girl as a whole and allowing for easier objectification, specifically by young white males. However, the girl knows this, as she has put the stockings on and is being told so by the narrator, who represents the black community. The narrator also clearly recognizes the girl’s beauty, and her beauty is further highlighted in the fact that she is clothed in silk, which relates to royalty and comfortability.
Creator Coco Chanel was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel in 1883 in the Loire Valley, France. Her mother expired when she was six years old, the youthful Chanel was sent to the orphan house of the Catholic religious community of Aubazine, where she studied the skills of a seamstress. When she turned 18, she left the shelter, and started working for a neighborhood tailor.1 It was during a short stint as an artist in joints and show corridors that Gabrielle embraced the name Coco. World War I directed her to move to the resort town of Deauvile, it was here that she began outlining and making caps as a redirection, which then transformed into a business venture. She was ready to open her own particular millinery shop in Paris in 1910 and she soon had boutiques in both Deauville and Biarritz. By the 1920s, Maison Chanel was secured at 31, rue Cambon in Paris (which remains its headquarters right up 'til the present time) and turn into a style force to be associated with. Chanel turned into a style symbol herself with her striking weave hair styling and tan, setting her at the cutting edge of modern style. Her new accumulation of designs was applauded by the press in Europe, and was a big success in the United States.2
Givenchy greatly influenced the fashion world. He is known for his classic dresses, elegance, glamour, and flowing lines. His designs in the 50s and 60s are the base of classic. Some of his vintage dresses can frequently be seen on the red carpets. He helped Audrey Hepburn to shape her unique style and made it flawless. Her little black dress from movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s made a history and opened a new chapter in the fashion world. House of Givenchy is on a new chapter with Italian Riccardo Tisci continuous Givenchy’s elegant style.
Rowe, Jessica. "Interesting Facts About Fashion Designer Coco Chanel." Yahoo Contributor Network. Yahoo Contributor Network, 7 Feb. 2008. Web. 8 Feb. 2014.
The term “The Little Black Dress,” the fragrance “Chanel No. 5,” the Chanel suit with its soft, cardigan-like jacket and skirt, have become part of the timeless fashion vocabulary familiar to us all. From our perspective, these aspects of modern fashion hardly seem revolutionary, but Coco Chanel was a businesswoman who became successful by adopting fashion to the evolving role of women in a rapidly changing wartime society; her vision that left a legacy which endures to this day.
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born August 19, 1883 to Albert Chanel and Jeanne Devolle, a stallholder and a laundrywoman at the time of her birth. Gabrielle was the second daughter born to the Chanel’s. She had five siblings, her two sisters Julie and Antoinette, and her 3 brothers Alphonse, Lucien, and Augustin. "Chanel rarely talked about the circumstances of her birth, but she did occasionally mention a train journey that her mother had undertaken just before, in search of the elusive Albert." (Picardie 15). Chanel claimed that her mother was dressed were no one could determine if her mother was pregnant or not. When the passengers acknowledged the fact that she was pregnant they took her into their home and sent for a doctor. When the doctor arrived they took Devolle to the hospital were later Chanel was born. At her birth she was baptized and given the name Gabrielle Bonheur. The name was given from a nun that worked in the hospital and became her godmother as well. At the age of 5 Chanel's mother became ill and she and her sisters were taken to her uncle's house to stay. Chanel explained too many that her mother died of tuberculosis but Devolle actually died of poverty, pregnancy, and pneumonia. Chanel was put into a Roman Catholic orphanage by her father who later left the family behind. She was raised by nuns who taught her how to sew and would later lead to her life’s work. There was no future; for a poor girl being brought up in an orphanage but the dream was established at an early age. She began working with her sister in a milliner in Deauville. Throughout her glamorous and luxurious life she never mentioned to the world her upbringing and the trials life brought her. She repeatedly erased all of the saddened traces of...
Coco Chanel, born Gabrielle Bonhuer Chanel, on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France was an amazing woman who redefined fashion as we know it today. She was a clothing designer who revolutionized the fashion industry with her suits, little black dresses, and avant garde flare. Because of this quickly in her young life she became well know, and rose to be the fashion icon that she is today. From the timeless designs that are still popular to this day, and the sophisticated outfits that can be paired with great accessories Chanel has done it all. When it comes down to it though it was Coco Chanel’s philosophy that “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it’s not luxury” that lead to her success. (“Coco Chanel”)
Born as Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel on August 19th, 1883 in Saumur, France, she quickly rose to fame. Before the glamorous time period of her life, she was a young little girl with big dreams. During her childhood, her mother died in early years, and her father worked extremely hard as a street vendor, with over hours almost every week, being nothing but usual. When he was not able to look after little Gabrielle anymore, he put her in an orphanage. Ran by nuns, the orphan life was all Coco knew. With the ability of knowing how to sew, taught by the nuns, was a start to her work later on in her life.
Stories about even her death are inconsistent. One story says that Ms. Chanel was a party animal and that she died from a drug overdose. (Coco Chanel Biography- Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline) Her obituary says that “her death came peacefully” meaning that she may have died in her sleep. Her funeral was held at the Church of the Madeleine, where hundreds of people went to say goodbye to her. About ten years after Coco’s passing, Karl Lagerfeld took over her company, becoming the head director and creative director of Chanel. There had been many movies and a musical done that depict her life. The Wertheimer family has control of the company at this moment because in the 1920’s, when Coco was trying to expand her business, she asked Pierre and Paul Wertheimer to sign on as backers, and then she became really good friends with Pierre. (Coco Chanel- Fashion Designer) It is obvious that her beloved company has been in very good hands since her death because her company is doing very well
“Once she began to apply herself, Chanel became a femme d’entreprise forever. Throughout the remainder of her life she would work unremittingly as craftsman and business woman, imposing her personal conception of the art of dressing upon an ever-expanding clientele” (Charles-Roux 6-7). Even though Chanel left the fashion industry during the war and was heavily criticized for it, she was and still is one of the most famous fashion designers (Charles-Roux 7-8). Until her death, Chanel continued working on new designs that were accustomed to her style (“Coco Chanel Biography” par. 20). In 1971, Chanel died at the age of 88. To this day, her house still exists. Chanel is buried in Switzerland with five stone lions surrounding her tomb (Gabrielle par. 1). Because of Chanel’s new bold ideas, the women’s fashion industry has forever been changed (Charles-Roux 6).
The story of Coco Chanel's rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world.
In 1946 Dior made a huge success in his career, he transformed fashion world and “reaffirmed the status of Paris as the World’s Fashion Capital” (“Christian Dior Biography”). After that he opened his own fashion house and hic career has reached a new
In the end, history of perfume shows how great human in developing what we call fashion. From all those history we know that there are a lot of perfume usages, like medicine, surgeon, etc. People developed not only the fragrances, but also the bottles. They also invented a lot of way to obtain the fragrances, like distilling oil from the petals of roses. After all, perfume is part of human history, without it our live is not complete.