The brand Chanel is a synonym to luxury today but few know that the woman behind, Coco Chanel grew up in abject poverty. Her incredible journey to become a women’s fashion mogul has made her one of the most important figures in the history of fashion design. Time magazine recognized Chanel as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
Born as Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, Coco started designing work by creating hats out of boredom while living with a man she was in a relationship with. Opened as a millinery shop, the first Coco Chanel outlet was opened in 1910 and was housed on the ground floor of the Parisian flat.
Creating a revolution in women’s fashion, years later the brand started offering deluxe casual clothes made of jersey and tricot, fabrics that were previously only used for men’s clothing. With Coco’s sister and aunt as one of the very first models, Chanel quickly rose to become one of the most sought after fashion brands and it took only another three years for the Coco Chanel to have enough money to pay all her investors back.
In 1922, Coco Chanel introduced the first-ever perfume mixed of natural extracts and artificial essence named Chanel No. 5, which today remains one of the tops wanted luxe perfumes in the world.
During World War II Chanel had to shut down her fashion business, but she never lost faith in herself. Despite having to overcome her age and her ruined reputation, she was able to make a comeback in the industry at the age of 71. She reinvented her designs and made her company a leader once again.
The women’s fashion visionary may not be around today but her legacy and her inspiring story will stay forever to inspire generations.
