Fashion Influential #3: Coco Chanel
Designer Coco Chanel in one of her signature jackets. Photo via CocoChanel-Blog.com.COCO CHANEL
Born:
August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France
Died:
January 10, 1971 in Paris, France
Fans:
Tom Ford, Audrey Hepburn, Rachel Bilson, Nicole Kidman
Fan of:
Herself. She was quoted as saying: "There have been several Duchesses of Westminster. There is only one Chanel."
Beginnings.
Coco Chanel (born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel) lived for seven years in an orphanage after her parents died, and it was there that a seamstress taught her how to sew. Once she turned 18, she left to work for a tailor and began an affair with a French millionaire who introduced her to some of life's luxuries: dresses and jewelry. Ultimately he, Etienne Balsan, financed her relocation to Paris and the opening of her first hat shop.
Career Highs.
There were actually two Chanel booms in the 20th century. The first time, in the 1920s, it was Balsan's best friend, Arthur 'Boy' Capel, who helped to advance Chanel's career further. He financed her growth from hats to clothing and her move from Paris out to French coastal cities. There, she began to gain recognition for the same clothes she had been making herself: belted sweaters with skirts made from everyday fabrics. She became so prominent that Hollywood stars were wearing her clothes, and she almost married the Duke of Westminster. She stopped designing after World War II broke out, but the second boom occurred in the 1960s, when she returned to fashion. By then, her signature suits were iconic, and her name recognition was ubiquitous.
Coco Chanel (born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel) lived for seven years in an orphanage after her parents died, and it was there that a seamstress taught her how to sew. Once she turned 18, she left to work for a tailor and began an affair with a French millionaire who introduced her to some of life's luxuries: dresses and jewelry. Ultimately he, Etienne Balsan, financed her relocation to Paris and the opening of her first hat shop.
Career Highs.
There were actually two Chanel booms in the 20th century. The first time, in the 1920s, it was Balsan's best friend, Arthur 'Boy' Capel, who helped to advance Chanel's career further. He financed her growth from hats to clothing and her move from Paris out to French coastal cities. There, she began to gain recognition for the same clothes she had been making herself: belted sweaters with skirts made from everyday fabrics. She became so prominent that Hollywood stars were wearing her clothes, and she almost married the Duke of Westminster. She stopped designing after World War II broke out, but the second boom occurred in the 1960s, when she returned to fashion. By then, her signature suits were iconic, and her name recognition was ubiquitous.
- Coco Chanel
Chanel in her signature pearls. Career Lows.
Chanel tarnished her name during World War II, when her prejudices began to show. She was anti-Semitic and homophobic (although she dabbled in bisexuality), and she moved in with a Nazi officer. When she did return to fashion, there was a stigma in Europe attached to her name that was difficult to shake.
Legacy.
Who hasn't been influenced by Coco Chanel? The little black dress and classic cut suits have inspired top designers such as Helmut Lang, Miuccia Prada, Jil Sander and Tom Ford. But even more important, she brought the fabrics and comfort of menswear to women's style, freeing ladies from clothes that constrained them. And let us never forget the one item she gave us that will always endure: Chanel No. 5 perfume. It was the first fragrance to have a designer name on the label.
Models in a Chanel collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld. Get the Look.
These days Karl Lagerfeld has updated the classic Chanel look so that the house is more adaptable to fashion-forward styles and trends, like the picture on the right. If you'd rather stick with the original, choose simple, well-tailored cuts and colors, loads of pearls, and above all, make sure you are comfortable.
- Olivia
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