Coco Chanel

“Boldly defying convention again and again, Gabrielle Chanel was as audacious as the signature scarlet lipstick she created. She wore open-necked shirts when her contemporaries buttoned theirs up, and showed off her ankles by donning trousers with the confident swagger of her male friends. When fabric supplies ran low during the First World War, she used jersey, a fabric that had previously been used only for men’s underwear, to make stunning dresses for women. This, at a time when proper single women weren’t even supposed to think about men’s under wear.

Chanel shunned early corsetry and bustles, empowering women by giving them the freedom of movement and choice they enjoy today. She believed luxury was as spiritual a need as love – but luxury on her terms was low-key, not vulgar. To prove his she deconstructed and reconstructed her own collection of jewels, mixing precious and paste with abandon until she invented a new type of jewelry, wearable throughout the day.

Chanel almost certainly inspired a fashion for ‘La Garçonne’. Chanel’s audacity allowed her to maintain an air of contradiction and mystery. Although inspired by men’s clothes, she believed ‘the more feminine a woman, the stronger she is.’

In search of a shoe that would lengthen the leg and flatter the foot, she whipped up the famous two-tone sling-back; tan at the foot, black at the toe. Chanel was fashion’s first true problem-solver, an inquisitive woman who not only liberated women with the sailor blouse, stretch jersey pieces, stylish waterproof raincoats, costume jewelry and cashmere cardigans, but became the fashion editors’ favorite with her go-anywhere ‘little black dress.’

Anything she could not find she would make, using the mantra, ‘always take away, always pare down.’”

From: www.Chanel.com

I understand that director, Anne Fontaine, is in working on a biographic film based on Coco Chanel's life. The working title is, Coco Avant Chanel, and it stars the adorable Audrey Tautou (Amelie). Yay - I can't wait! Chanel was lightyears ahead of her time - another woman who kicked ass and took names; fabulous!

-Shannon