Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel, one of the worlds most famous fashion designer, was born August 19, 1883, in Saumur, France. When she was a child her mother died and her father sent her to an orphanage. The Nuns at the orphanage taught Channel how to sew and on school vacations female relatives expanded her skills. This would later lead her to her life’s work.
When Chanel was eighteen she left the orphanage and went off to become a cabaret singer. She would perform in bars and at this time she inherited the nickname Coco. The nickname was a shortened version of coquette; a French word that means “kept women”.
Around 1910 Chanel started to design hats. She opened her own hat boutique at Cambon rue 21 Paris named Chanel Modes.
Her career bloomed when an actress modelled her hats in the F Noziere's play Bel Ami in 1912 and by 1913 she opened a boutique store where she sold luxury clothes fit for leisure and sport.
Her career expanded exponentially and her designs were soon recognized as a famous designer label. She created many collections and perfume. Her 1920 design of the little black dress was revolutionary. In 1925, she introduced the now legendary Chanel suit with collarless jacket and well-fitted skirt. Her designs were revolutionary for the time—borrowing elements of men’s wear and emphasizing comfort over the constraints of then-popular fashions. She helped women say good-bye to the days of corsets and other confining garments.
the little black dress
Coco ‘s life was extremely glamorous. She dated some of the most influential men of her time, but she never married. The reason may be found in her answer, when asked why she did not marry the Duke of Westminster: "There have been several Duchesses of Westminster. There is only one Chanel.
The international economic depression of the 1930s had a negative impact on her company, but it was the outbreak of World War II that led Chanel to close her business. She fired her workers and shut down her shops. But at age 70 she had a comeback. Her feminine and easy-fitting designs soon won over shoppers around the world.
Coco Chanel died on January 10, 1971, at her apartment in the Hotel Ritz. A little more than a decade after her death, designer Karl Lagerfeld took the reins at her company to continue the Chanel legacy. Today her namesake company continues to thrive and is believed to generate hundreds of millions in sales each year.With her trademark suits and little black dresses, Coco Chanel created timeless designs that are still popular today. She herself became a much revered style icon known for her simple yet sophisticated outfits paired with great accessories, such as several strands of pearls. As Chanel once said, “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.”
In addition to the longevity of her designs, Chanel’s life story continues to captivate people’s attention. She was a strong women who worked in a industry that was dominated by men at the time. And when times were difficult for her she never let it affect her work. I believe she captures a perfect hard working strong women and I would like to carry out my life in the way that she did.
When she was younger she enjoyed sewing and designing clothes, although her first career was singing. When times were hard she pulled through and found ways to make hats and clothes and she was constantly criticized about her designs. The breakthrough for her was the men that she had relations with; they helped her start out her career and become recognized by the public. After her breakthrough her career boomed and she became one of the most famous and world renounced fashion designer of all time. So as you can see she her life and career followed H.U.N.T.
