The famous Coco Chanel is a loving woman, a purposeful businessman and a creative person. Coco Chanel - the great mademoiselle
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Biography
Biography
She was born in Saumur in 1883, although she claimed that she was born in 1893 in Auvergne. Her mother died when Gabrielle was twelve years old, later her father left her with four siblings; Chanel's children were then in the care of relatives and spent some time in an orphanage. At the age of 18, Gabrielle got a job as a saleswoman in a clothing store, and in her free time she sang in a cabaret. The girl’s favorite songs were “Ko Ko Ri Ko” and “Qui qua vu Coco”, for which she was given the nickname Coco. Gabrielle did not succeed as a singer, but during one of her performances, officer Etienne Balsan became captivated by her. She went to live with him in Paris, but soon left for the English industrialist Arthur Capel. After connections with generous wealthy men, she was able to open a store in Paris in 1910, selling ladies' hats, and within a year the fashion house had moved to 31 rue Cambon, where it remains to this day, just opposite the Ritz Hotel.
“I’m tired of carrying reticules in my hands, and besides, I always lose them,” Coco Chanel said in 1954. And in February 1955, Mademoiselle Chanel introduced a small rectangular handbag on a long chain. For the first time, women were able to carry a bag comfortably: just hang it on their shoulder and completely forget about it.
Perfume
In 1921, the famous Chanel No. 5 perfume appeared. Their authorship, however, belongs to the Russian emigrant perfumer Ernest Bo. Before Chanel, women's perfumes did not have complex scents. These were mono-flavors. Chanel was an innovator, offering women the first synthesized perfume that did not repeat the scent of any one flower.
Coco Chanel also popularized the little black dress, which could be worn from day to evening depending on how it was accessorized. In 1926, the American magazine Vogue equated the “little black dress” to the Ford car in terms of versatility and popularity.
Intermission
Despite the enormous success of Chanel's designs, Coco closed all her boutiques and fashion house in 1939 because World War II began. Many couturiers left the country, but Coco remained in Paris.
In the autumn of 1940, being in a state of absolute inactivity and, as a result, in almost complete oblivion, Gabrielle meets a man who will become her lover in subsequent years.
In June 1940, her nephew Andre Palace was captured by the Germans. In an attempt to return her nephew from captivity, Coco turned to the German diplomat Hans Gunther von Dinklage, whom she had known for a long time.
He was born in Hanover in 1896. His mother was English, he received an excellent education and spoke equally brilliantly in English and French. Lively and witty, a passionate lover of music, he was also handsome. His friends nicknamed him “Spatz,” which means “sparrow” in German, for the ease with which he fluttered through life and flew into the hearts of the most beautiful women.
The gallant German promised to intercede and Andre Palace was eventually released. Needless to say, Coco felt endless gratitude to Spatz for the service rendered, and her affection for him only grew from this.
During the painful period of inactivity that followed the closure of the studio, Gabrielle, obsessed with the dream of ending the war, wanted to meet her friend Winston Churchill in November 1943 to try to persuade him to agree to the principles of the secret Anglo-German negotiations.
Gabrielle outlined her plan to Theodore Momm, who was in charge of the French textile industry in the occupation government, with whom Spatz introduced her. Theodor Momm conveyed the proposal in Berlin to Walter Schellenberg, who headed the Sixth Directorate, which controlled the foreign intelligence service. Contrary to Momm's expectations, Schellenberg found his proposal interesting, and an agreement was reached on Operation Modelhut - "Fashionable Hat". However, “operation” is too strong a word: it was simply about allowing Gabrielle to travel to Spain with a pass valid for a few days to meet Churchill there.
Gabrielle travels to Madrid, but the meeting did not take place because Churchill was ill, and she returned to Paris, dejected by the failure of her mission. And, although she behaved clearly neutrally there, all her contacts with the Germans were noticed and “taken to account.” At the end of the war, in connection with this, she was labeled as an accomplice of the fascists, accused of collaboration, and was even “put” behind bars for a short time...
Winston Churchill himself stood up for her in 1944 and agreed with the new French authorities to release Mademoiselle, but the French were so aggressive against their once beloved “couturier” that she was released only on the condition that she leave France.
Spatz had managed to leave Paris by this time, but Gabrielle had no news of him. She was left alone again. Aging, separated from what she loved and on the verge of depression, Gabrielle went to Switzerland for several years to nurse her melancholy.
Return to the world of fashion
In 1954, 71-year-old Gabrielle returned to the fashion world and presented her new collection. However, she achieved her former glory and respect only after three seasons. Coco perfected her classic designs, and as a result, the richest and most famous women became regular visitors to her shows. The Chanel suit became a status symbol for the new generation: made of tweed, with a narrow skirt, collarless jacket, trimmed with braid, gold buttons and patch pockets. Coco also reintroduced handbags, jewelry and shoes, which subsequently became a resounding success.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Coco collaborated with various Hollywood studios, dressing such stars as Audrey Hepburn and Liz Taylor. In 1969, legendary actress Katharine Hepburn played the role of Chanel in the Broadway musical Coco.
On January 10, 1971, at the age of 87, the great Gabrielle died of a heart attack at the Ritz Hotel; buried in Lausanne, Switzerland, in a grave with five lions on the top of the tombstone.
Since 1983, Karl Lagerfeld took over the leadership of the Chanel fashion house and became its chief designer.
In cinema
The Italian-French-British television film Coco Chanel premiered on September 13, 2008 on Lifetime Television.
The French film “Coco before Chanel” with Audrey Tautou was released in April 2009. It grossed $50 million at the box office.
“Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky” is a feature film by Jan Koonen, based on the novel “Coco and Igor” by Chris Greenhalgh. The film tells the story of the relationship between Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky.
Interesting Facts
In honor of the 125th anniversary of the birth of Coco Chanel, the head of the Chanel Fashion House, Karl Lagerfeld, presented a unique design of a commemorative 5 euro coin depicting the legend of world fashion. The gold coin (mintage of 99 pieces) is valued at 5,900 euros, and one of the 11,000 silver coins can be purchased for 45 euros.
Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, a small town in the Loire Valley, but spent almost her entire childhood in Auvergne. Gabrielle's parents lived in poverty, their weak mother was constantly ill, and her father was chasing other women. Her constantly ill mother died of tuberculosis when Chanel was barely twelve. Neither the father nor other relatives wanted to take care of Chanel and her two sisters, so the girls were sent to an orphanage at the Catholic monastery of Aubazine. Chanel never saw her father again.
Innovations! You can't always run ahead of time. I want to create classics.
Coco Chanel
At eighteen, Gabrielle was faced with a choice: stay in the monastery or continue her education in the world. Having abandoned church life, she entered a free place at a boarding school in the town of Moulins. Chanel firmly decided never to return to her poor past; she was attracted by a luxurious life. However, she did not want to become a hostage to a marriage of convenience - money meant, above all, freedom and independence for her. Chanel indulged in dreams of future wealth, standing behind the counter of a fashion store during the day with scissors and a needle in her hands, and in the evening on the stage of a café, where she performed in a revue.
Based on the title of one of the songs from the modest café repertoire, she received the nickname “Coco” - this is how tipsy soldiers called Chanel for an encore. Among the soldiers quartered in the garrison there were many aristocrats, and Gabriel soon had many admirers who did not skimp on treats and generous gifts. One of the officers named Etienne Balsan - the heir to a powerful dynasty of textile industrialists - invited her to visit the family nest, and very quickly they became lovers. The luxury of Etienne's lifestyle made an indelible impression on Chanel, although the style of clothing for kept women, accepted in the officer circle, seemed to her too sophisticated and uncomfortable - exquisite dresses with a corset designed to create an S-shaped silhouette, draped with meters of fabric.
Then Chanel created her own style, which was based on the clothing style of her male friends. Shirts, ties, jackets, riding breeches (breeches) were used - all these items of men's wardrobe were transformed into comfortable women's clothing, in which Chanel felt comfortable. During her relationship with Balsan, she created a whole collection of hats, which enjoyed great success among popular actresses. Sometimes Chanel hats even ended up on stage. It was then that the future trendsetter was first noticed: drawings of her hats appeared in one of the newspapers, which other designers liked. They have improved their overly sophisticated models and simplified the style.
Chanel - business woman
In 1912, Chanel met Arthur "Boy" Capel, the heir to an English coal mining dynasty and an avid polo player. He became the love of her life, and his tragic death in a car accident in 1919 drove Chanel to despair. Capel financed her move from the Balsan workshop, where she made her hats, and helped her open a store in Paris, on Rue Cambon. Very soon the name of this street became invariably associated with the name Chanel, and this connection only strengthened throughout her life. Now Chanel has become a businesswoman; She left only one thing from her past life - the camellia flower, a symbol of high-society courtesans. The white silk camellia flower soon became a luxurious accessory.
In 1913, Chanel opened her first boutique in Deauville, and two years later a boutique appeared in Biarritz. Flannel jackets, knitted tunics and straight skirts from Chanel were the highlight of any gathering, and the ladies finally felt free. Although Chanel was not the first to free women from corsets, it was her ideas that contributed to the emancipation of women. She wanted to free the minds of women from the spiritual laziness that made them dependent on men. Fashion is not only the appearance and style of clothing, but also a lifestyle, a way of understanding the world. Until 1918, Chanel's Parisian store sold only summer clothes for wealthy matrons who spent the summer season in country houses.
In 1918, dresses first appeared on the shelves, elegant beige ensembles of dresses and coats, evening dresses made of black tulle, decorated with black amber - a complete wardrobe for urban fashionistas. Chanel worked meticulously on every detail, and models often had to stand motionless for hours until an armhole or collar was perfect. Thanks to this meticulousness, Chanel soon gained the reputation of a perfectionist. Initially, when creating her outfits, Chanel was guided by considerations of convenience: the main thing is that the clothes do not restrict movement. Her cut followed the lines of the body, and the collections reflected the spirit of the 1920s. Chanel's close friend was Picasso, but unlike her contemporaries - fashion designers Poiret and Schiaperelli - she never succumbed to the momentary moods of the time. Chanel remained true to her beliefs: she firmly believed that the purpose of clothing is to be comfortable for the wearer, and not to excite the imagination of others.
Chanel celebrated its fortieth anniversary with the release of the first bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume. Unlike other designers who bottle perfume in exquisite crystal bottles, Chanel chose a very modest and unassuming bottle design. And in this she did not betray herself. In the 1930s, Chanel's life was a unique mixture of frivolous glamor and hard work. She dined with artists and aristocrats, spent days fishing with the richest man in England, the Duke of Westminster, and played cards with Winston Churchill. Chanel seemed to be taking revenge on life for her joyless and penniless youth and enjoying luxury and unlimited possibilities. Chanel's apartment was located directly above her signature boutique on Rue Cambon. The apartment was luxuriously and tastefully furnished with antique furniture from the 18th century, there were crystal chandeliers on the ceilings, and Persian carpets with oriental patterns on the floors. During the American Great Depression (1929 – 1933), Chanel approached Hollywood producer Samuel Goldwyn with an offer to “dress” the stars of his studio for $1 million a year. Thus, Chanel planned to return American capital to Europe, because American women at that time were saving on haute couture outfits. However, this proposal did not receive support, and in the late 30s, Chanel's financial situation deteriorated greatly amid the impending Second World War. In 1936, Chanel suffered the most bitter humiliation - striking workers closed the owner in her own studio. A year ago, her lover died of a heart attack, and in a war-torn world she felt incredibly alone. When the war began in 1939, Chanel closed the studio and fired all the workers. She spent almost the entire war in Paris, and after its end she emigrated to Switzerland. In 1947, Christian Dior created the legendary New Look silhouette, which featured fitted jackets that created a wasp waist and full skirts. The looks that Chanel managed to banish from the catwalk in the 20s were making a comeback. Women's fashion was again dictated by men.
Sales of her Chanel No. 5 fragrance steadily declined, and at the age of 70, Chanel decided to return to the world of fashion. She returned to her old boutique on Rue Cambon. The show of Chanel's first collection in fifteen years took place on February 5, 1954. Fashion observers called the show a “melancholy retrospective.” Seeing the future of fashion, they could not distinguish it from the past. In the fashion trends of the 1960s, many ideas of the 20s would be repeated many times, but in 1954 only 70-year-old Chanel could see this. After two seasons, she completely regained her rights: a suit of a new cut with a fitted jacket trimmed with cord and gilded buttons became the ultimate dream of every fashionista, regardless of whether the suit was actually from Chanel or a fake. Open-toe shoes, faux-stone jewelry, and the infamous chain handbags soon sold out around the world.
Gabrielle Chanel died on January 10, 1971, at the age of 87, in her suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Time magazine estimated that at the time of Chanel's death, her empire's annual income was $160 million. Despite Chanel's enormous fortune, the walls of her room were not decorated with expensive paintings, which made it look like a monastery cell in which she spent her adolescence. In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld took over the House of Chanel, but showed so little reverence for her memory that he turned this somewhat outdated label into a popular and coveted brand. The SS logo acquired some irony, and Chanel's collections of the late 90s looked as if Lagerfeld had returned to his roots, to where the legend began: light fabrics and elegant simplicity of cut.
RONICA OF PERSONAL AND CREATIVE BIOGRAPHY
Coco Chanel (French: Coco Chanel) --- Gabrielle Bonheur Chasnel (French: Gabrielle Bonheur Chasnel,
August 19, 1883, in the city of Saumur (French Saumur) (France - January 10, 1971, at the Ritz Hotel, (Paris, France). According to the wishes of the deceased, she was buried in the cemetery in Lausanne (Switzerland).
August 19, 1883 - the future world fashion star Gabrielle Coco Chanel was born in the city of Saumur in France.
1895 - Father assigns Gabrielle to the orphanage of the monastery in Aubazine.
1901 - Gabrielle is 18 years old. She leaves the orphanage and begins an independent life, goes to work in a clothing store, where she finds her first clients and fans.
After working in the store for some time, Chanel leaves for the stage of a French cafe in the provincial town of Moulins.
1906 - Chanel moves to the castle of the rich rake Etienne Balsan, who was the first to exalt her... - Royeaux.
1908 - short haircut from Chanel. The fashion for short haircuts was quickly reflected in the fashion industry, and in 1908, only models with short haircuts appeared on the catwalk during the next show.
1910 - Arthur Capel (English industrialist and dandy Arthur "Boy" Capel), whom she called her only love) helped Coco Chanel establish a small business - the famous Chanel Fashion salon at number 21 on the street Rue Cambon. Soon she opened a fashion house in the fashionable resort of Biarritz.
1913 - Coco Chanel proposed the model of the first beach suit.
1915, September - with a loan from Arthur Capel, Coco Chanel opened in Biarritz no longer an atelier, but a real fashion house with collections and dresses for 3,000 francs.
1918 - Coco Chanel created the cardigan jacket.
1919 - moving from Paris to Cannes, Arthur Capel died in a car accident, and Chanel decided to completely delve into her work.
1920s - K. Chanel proposed the idea of wearing costume jewelry, which, unlike jewelry, could be worn with everyday clothes.
1920 - Igor Stravinsky and his wife Vera moved in with Chanel.
1921 - Coco Chanel creates a fur coat and a new brand of perfume.
Chanel offered trousers as casual wear for the first time (she was 40 years ahead of her time).
Boyish boubikopf haircut.
Coco met the poet Pierre Reverdy, who, after breaking off a close relationship, remained her friend until his death.
1924 - K. Chanel opened a workshop for the production of costume jewelry and a boutique where her perfume was sold.
1924 - Having decided to seriously engage in the production and sale of perfumes, Gabrielle Chanel entered into an agreement with the industrialist brothers Pierre and Paul Werthuy Mer and created the Les Parfums Chanel company.
1925 - she presented the Art Deco collection.
Coco Chanel began a long affair with the main wearer of tweed - Duke Hugh Risard Arthur of Westminster.
1926 - Coco Chanel created a shirt-cut dress from a pattern of a simple robe dress. The dress looked like a shirt with a man's collar and cuffs, to the bottom of which (along the waist line) a straight or wide gathered skirt or bell skirt was sewn.
The company's assortment now includes cosmetics.
Pleated skirt.
That same black crepe dress with a V-neck.
1926-1931 - Coco Chanel successfully promoted the English style.
1928 - Peak of Chanel's success - Fashion house opened at 31 rue Combon in Paris. Only fashion models of Russian origin were invited to demonstrate the models.
1929 -Coco Chanel opened a boutique selling haute couture accessories. K. Chanel played the role of a pioneer in this.
1931 - Samuel Goldwyn signs a contract with Coco Chanel for an unprecedented amount - a million dollars. Coco creates dresses for the great stars of the time: Katharine Hepburn and Gloria Swanson.
1931 - K. Chanel managed to “adapt” her style to new requirements - in the summer collection. In 1931, she first offered white evening dresses made of cotton fabric (pique, muslin, organza, lace) from the English company Ferguson Brother Ltd., reducing prices for models by 30%.
1932 - After working in Hollywood in 1932, K. Chanel organized a charity exhibition of jewelry created according to her ideas by Count F. di Verdura.
1932 - in his magical salons on the rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Chanel presents his first collection of jewelry, “Hymn to Diamonds.” Chanel's main professional partner was Paul Irib, the designer of most of Chanel's precious jewelry.
1935 - Paul Irib fell on the tennis court and died instantly. This is how another story of her unrealized marriage ended bitterly for Chanel.
1939 - Chanel closed the Fashion House and soon left France. She went to Switzerland, where she spent fourteen long years in inactivity.
1945 - for safety reasons, Coco Chanel went to Switzerland and spent seven long years there.
1950-60s - Gabrielle Coco Chanel collaborated with various Hollywood studios, dressing such stars as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.
1952 - Schellenberg died in the clinic.
1953 - Almost at the age of seventy, Gabrielle Coco Chanel returned to Paris.
1954 - “I’m tired of carrying reticules in my hands, and besides, I always lose them,” Coco Chanel said at the end of the year.
1956 - Coco Chanel proved that it is no coincidence that she bears the title of queen of fashion. She presented her new creation - a collarless two-piece suit with braid trim. It was made famous by style icon Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and today it is called the Chanel suit all over the world.
1970 - Coco Chanel introduced the new perfume "Chanel No. 19", the fresh, slightly bitter aroma of which is today considered a classic perfume bouquet.
January 10, 1971 - at the age of 88, the great Gabrielle passed away. She is buried in Lausanne, Switzerland, in a tomb surrounded by five stone lions. 
Coco Chanel was born on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France. Her parents were not married. The mother could not feed the child and sent her to an orphanage. When Gabrielle was 12 years old, her mother died, and her father sent the girl to a Catholic monastery and then to a boarding school. Having been forced to wear a uniform for many years, she dreamed of dressing all women in her own way.
The founder of the most famous and chic fashion house many decades ago laid down a tradition of timeless elegance that defies the influence of time. Instead of endless innovations, Gabrielle Coco Chanel offered updated classics with pleated skirts, women's trousers and blazers. A coat, and, of course, the famous Chanel-style suit. The ideas that she embodied at the beginning of the 20th century turned out to be truly revolutionary: she freed women from suffocating corsets, long fluffy skirts, extravagant hats and intricate jewelry. Simple, strict, clear lines, emphasizing the advantages and hiding the flaws of the figure, have replaced ruffles and frills. Women enthusiastically accepted Chanel's brilliant philosophical concept: you don't have to be young and beautiful to look great. Chanel fashion never goes out of date. All her things - simple and comfortable, but at the same time stylish and elegant - remain relevant from year to year, regardless of the changes taking place in the fashion world.
After leaving the orphanage, young Gabrielle decided to try herself in the musical field. An untalented but very attractive cabaret singer often performed the song “Soso”, after which she received her nickname Coco, which stuck for the rest of her life. She did not achieve much success in her musical career, but she made close friendships with several wealthy men. Chanel was familiar with such celebrities as Toulouse Lautrec, Renoir, Picasso, Diaghilev, Stravinsky. There, in La Rotonde, Gabrielle, who had never known her father's affection, met a wealthy businessman Etienne Balzan and settled with him in the aristocratic suburb of Paris - Vichy. She wanted to differ in clothing from the wealthy courtesans who also lived in the area, and preferred formal suits that were complemented by small, elegant hats.
Balzan bought her a store where she sold her hats, which over time became very successful. Feeling confident, Chanel left Balzan and began to live independently, maintaining a close relationship with Balzan’s friend Copel.
In 1918, Kopel died in a car accident. Coco returned to the circle of Parisian bohemia again. At this time, she was often seen on the French Riviera in the company of a pianist friend. Rumors spread about the milliner's bisexuality. Despite the fact that Chanel introduced the fashion for women's trousers, she herself rarely wore them, as she believed that a woman would never look as good in trousers as a man.
A short affair with one of the Russian Grand Dukes forced her to pay more attention to the details of Russian folk costume, the motifs of which appeared in her styles. Close relationships connected her with the French mystic poet Pierre River and with one of the closest relatives of the English queen.
During the difficult war years, many Parisian fashionistas lost their brocade dresses and ostrich feather boas. Instead, Chanel offered them simple shirt-cut blouses and straight knee-length skirts - copies of the models of their own simple, but always relevant wardrobe. Parisian women enthusiastically accepted the “elegant simplicity of Chanel,” and in the early 50s, fashionistas who recognized Chanel’s style could be seen throughout Europe. A tailored suit, a flirty hat that covers half of the face, high heels - the image of an elegant, confident and sexy lady without age. All that was missing was the last, subtle but necessary accent - a drop of perfume that would emphasize this image. Then Chanel created a perfume that became the most famous in the world and is recognized by descendants as a work of art. Coco named her perfume “Chanel No. 5.” All her life she considered five to be her lucky number, which invariably brought her good luck. It is no coincidence that she always showed her new collections on the fifth.
Already being the uncrowned queen of Parisian fashion, Chanel offered her clients several more revolutionary changes: checkered trousers, a short haircut and her famous “little black dress”, in the past - the uniform of Parisian saleswomen, without which the wardrobe of any fashionista is now considered incomplete.
To expand the circle of her clients, and at the same time gain new creative ideas, Coco Chanel never stopped moving in the circles of Parisian bohemia. It was here that she met the great Pablo Picasso, the famous ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev, composer Igor Stravinsky, and playwright Jean Cocteau. Many sought communication with the famous fashion designer simply out of curiosity, but were surprised to find Coco to be an intelligent, witty, and original-minded woman. Picasso himself called her “the most sensible woman in the world; men were attracted to her not only by her appearance, but also by her extraordinary personal qualities, strong character, unpredictable behavior. Coco was either irresistibly flirtatious, or extremely harsh, straightforward, even cynical. She seemed purposeful to others, a confident woman, satisfied with herself and her successes.
And suddenly, at the end of the 30s, being at the height of fame, in the prime of life and creative energy, Chanel unexpectedly closed her boutiques and retired to Switzerland. The reasons for this unexpected act were said to be equal: disappointment in her craft, and grueling ten-year competition with another famous fashion designer, Elsa Chiaparelli, and of course the impending World War II. One way or another, the next few years of voluntary imprisonment became the saddest chapter in the life of the great couturier. An already difficult situation was extremely complicated by Coco's love affair with a high-ranking German officer Walter Schellenberg, assistant to SS commander Heinrich Himmler.
In the post-war years, Coco had a dangerous competitor - Christian Dior, who made women look like flowers by dressing them in crinoline, cinching their waists and putting numerous folds on their hips. Chanel laughed at this “hyperfemininity”: “A man who has not had a single woman in his entire life strives to dress them as if he were a woman himself.”
Mademoiselle Coco was generally jealous and tight-fisted. She always wore scissors around her neck, tied with a ribbon. There was a case when Chanel, seeing a Givenchy suit on one of her models, came up and instantly tore it open, saying that now the suit looked better.
In 1954, at the age of 70, she made a triumphant return to the world of fashion. “I could no longer see what designers like Dior or Balmain had done with Parisian couture,” she explained her return.
The first reaction of connoisseurs and the press to the presentation of Chanel's new collection was shock and indignation - she could not offer anything new! Alas, critics failed to understand that this is precisely its secret - nothing new, only eternal, ageless elegance. In any case, less than a year has passed since a new generation of fashionistas began to consider it an honor to dress from Chanel, and Coco herself turned into a tycoon, managing the largest house in the world fashion industry.
There have always been many love affairs in this woman’s life, but none of them ended in anything serious. Of course, they made her offers, sometimes very tempting ones. Once the Duke of Westminster asked for her hand in marriage, to which she replied with her characteristic directness and irony: “The world is full of all sorts of duchesses, but only one Coco Chanel.” After all, her work was her reason for living.
Until old age, Chanel retained her flexible figure and was very hardworking. Ideas for new costumes came to her even in her sleep, and then she woke up and started working.
Gabrielle Chanel died a quiet death on January 10, 1971, at the age of 88, in a suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, across the street from the luxuriously decorated, world-famous House of Chanel. The income of her empire was $160 million a year, and in her wardrobe only three outfits were found, but “very stylish outfits,” as the Great Queen of Fashion would say.
On January 10, 1971, the style icon who turned the fashion world upside down, the creator of the little black dress and the legendary Chanel No. 5 fragrance, the magnificent Coco Chanel, died. She was known not only for her signature accessories and perfumes, but also for her interesting phrases about life and fashion, the best of which are in our publication.
1. “In order to be irreplaceable, you must always be different.”
2. “Fashion is not just a matter of clothing. Fashion is in the air, it is brought by the wind. Everyone anticipates it, breathes it. She is both in the sky and on the road.”
3. “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty you get the face you deserve.”
4. “Fashion passes, but style remains.”
5. “Where should perfume be applied?” - a young woman once asked me. “Wherever you want a man to kiss you,” I said.”
6. “When taking care of beauty, you must start with the heart and soul, otherwise no amount of cosmetics will help.”
7. “Dress poorly and they will remember your clothes; dress impeccably and the woman will be remembered.”
8. “I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without cleaning herself up - at least out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe on this day you will meet your destiny. So it’s better to be as perfect as possible to meet fate.”
9. “There is no time for boredom and monotony. There is time for work. And there is a time for love."
10. “It’s easy to dress like Scheherazade, but it’s hard to find a little black dress.”
11. “Elegance is not the prerogative of the youth, it is the prerogative of those who hold their future in their hands.”
12. “If a man speaks ill of all women, it usually means that he was burned by one of them.”
13. “Some people think that luxury is the opposite of poverty. This is wrong. It's the opposite of vulgarity."
14. “Fashion has become a joke. The designers forgot that there are women inside the dress. Most women dress for men and want to be admired. But they also need to be able to move and get into a car without tearing their dresses! Clothing should have a natural shape."
Throughout human history, how many legendary and outstanding women the world has seen! And although they were all beautiful and majestic in their own way, none of them can compare with the magnificent Coco Chanel.
This woman conquered the fashion world and became a true style icon, offering the world the legendary little black dress. Until now, her unique style remains a classic, preferred by most women, and her signature perfume remains popular and in demand from year to year.
How did an ordinary French girl named Gabrielle, born in one of the orphanages in the provincial town of Saumur, turn into the one whose name became the Coco Chanel brand? We invite you to find out from our article what the biography and personal life of Coco Chanel was like.
The thorny path of a girl from an orphanage
The famous woman, known all over the world as Coco Chanel, actually received a different name at birth. Few people know, but back in 1883, a girl was born in a shelter for the poor, whose mother died as a result of difficult childbirth. The newborn received the name Gabriel, exactly the same as the nurse who helped her see the world. The full real name of Coco Chanel, who was born on an August day, is Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel.
The parents of the little girl Gabrielle were not officially married. The baby's father, Albert Chanel, was at that time a merchant who wandered around fairs. Mother, Eugenie Jeanne Chanel (Devol), suffered from asthma and died in 1894.
Until the moment of her death, the woman gave birth to Albert Chanel only six children: three boys and three girls, among whom was Gabrielle. It was very difficult for a wandering merchant to feed six children. Maintaining a large family became an unbearable burden for him, which he threw off his shoulders by sending the children to an orphanage. At the same time, he swore to them that he would return, but he never kept his promise.
Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel, whose biography and personal life are a clear example of the thorny path to fame, did not like to remember the years of her life in the orphanage at the Mulinsky Monastery (from approximately 1894 to 1900).
Later, when the girl celebrated her majority, the monastery gave her good recommendations, which allowed Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel to get a job in a lingerie store. Working there during the day as a sales assistant, in the evenings she went to sing in a cabaret in order to somehow earn a living. It was then that the girl’s biography continued under a different name - Coco Chanel. Her repertoire included the frequently performed and beloved song “Ko Ko Ri Ko,” the name of which became an association for the beautiful singer, and later her new name. Thus began the story of the French celebrity Coco Chanel.
Singer, dancer or designer
Despite the fact that the girl became more or less famous in narrow circles, Coco Chanel’s success story was not as colorful as she wanted. Trying to become famous and influential, the girl knocked on various castings, trying to try herself as not only a singer, but also a dancer, ballerina, and actress. However, the girl’s talent seemed not enough for the stage to accept her with open arms.
Although Gabrielle lived in luxury and could not deny herself anything, such a life was not for her. Actually, that’s why the girl, at the age of 22, became interested in sewing ladies’ hats.
In 1909, Coco Chanel, whose life story is full of ups and downs, finally opens her own hat workshop - right in the apartment where she lived with Etienne. The interesting facts that became known about this kind of creativity of dear Coco even then captured a large queue of rich ladies who wanted to purchase the designer’s headdress.
But Coco Chanel considered her small workshop only as an intermediate point on the path to great fame, for which she needed a lot of money.
The influential and generous English industrialist Arthur greatly contributed to the fact that all of Paris learned about the designer of ladies' hats. So, in 1910, Coco Chanel opened her own store on one of the streets of Paris. According to Wikipedia, it is still there, across the street from the Hotel Ritz, at 31 rue Cambon.
The ups and downs of a fashion designer
The first store with the very loud name “Coco Chanel Fashion” became literally her “firstborn”. After three years of successful and fruitful work, the femme fatale Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel becomes the owner of another store, in the town of Deauville (1913).
Interesting facts surround this “invention” of the French fashion designer and designer Coco. Thus, the famous American publication “Vogue” dedicated one of its publications to a product that was already popular at that time, equating a cute black dress from Coco to a Ford T car in terms of comfort, practicality and popularity.
Coco Chanel made sewing such items of women's wardrobe as dresses her main, but not her only, occupation. For 5-6 years of her life she also sewed:
- Pants for women, which were similar in style to men's.
- Women's business suits made of coarse fabric.
- Fitted vests that replaced corsets.
- Fashionable beach items.
By that time, Gabrielle Chanel was already a very famous person who moved in high circles of aristocratic Parisian society. Most likely, it was communication with high-ranking officials that inspired her with the idea that any clothing can be simple, but at the same time it should be elegant. Thus, today we can observe Coco Chanel’s signature style in clothes, hats, perfumes and accessories created by her own hand.
A few years later, Gabriel, taking into account the advice of the famous perfumer Ernest Beaux, released his signature perfume “Chanel No. 5”, which became a legend. At that time, the unique fragrance satisfied not only Chanel herself with her high demands, but also most women around the world. Since then, Chanel's number five has remained the top seller among other women's perfumes.
Another victory was the presentation to the world of amazing small handbags that replaced bulky handbags. Declaring that handbags were impractical and unfeminine, she introduced her line of tiny clutches that had an elegant chain instead of a handle. This accessory has gained immense popularity among French women and residents of other countries.
Other “inventions” of the French woman Coco Chanel include the “a la garçon” hairstyle. She became the first woman to allow herself to have a short haircut. Since then, this hairstyle has become considered not only for men...
How did Coco's life turn out later?
Without a dressmaker's diploma and unable to draw properly, she surprised the world again and again. Neither personal problems, nor even the outbreak of World War II stopped the self-confident and determined woman.
This romance between the Frenchwoman Coco and the Englishman Hugh lasted almost 15 years. But Chanel could not give children to her partner. The lovers had to separate. Subsequently, the Duke will meet another, whom he will make his legal wife.
After breaking up with Hugh, Gabriel will find solace in the arms of Paul Iribarnegara. The French artist, who decided to divorce for the sake of Coco, was not destined to marry her, as on one tragic day his heart stopped. She found the embodiment of her feelings in black, continuing to work at an increased rhythm.
Her world famous creation was the cute little black dress. By creating a whole line of such wardrobe items, she provided the opportunity for women to look elegant every day, having in their wardrobe only a black dress and accessories that allow them to create a variety of looks.
On the pages of history, she remained a woman who is rightfully called a legend, a style icon and an outstanding personality who showed “Art de Vivre!!!” ("art of Living"). Salvador Dali himself, who was a close friend of Coco, after her death admired how amazing and decisive the woman was, who herself invented her own date of birth, name and even her whole life. Author: Elena Suvorova
Coco Chanel (real name Gabrielle Chanel) is a style icon, one of the most famous fashion designers in the world, founder of the Chanel clothing and perfume brand. The style created by Chanel personifies an entire era, and in it - elegance, minimalism in the use of accessories and convenience. Chanel was an extraordinary and complex person in life - she mostly despised people and was ready to go over her head for the sake of her success and benefit.Childhood and family
The future celebrity Gabrielle Chanel was born in 1883 (although she herself claimed that she was born 10 years later) in a poor family of a market trader and the daughter of a rural carpenter. When Gabrielle was born, her parents were not married, it was their second daughter. The girl was registered at the shelter, and her name was given in honor of the nurse Gabriel, who helped the baby be born. 
Gabrielle's mother, Jeanne Devol, died when the girl was only eleven years old. Literally a week later, her father abandoned her with her sister and two brothers - until she came of age, Gabrielle had to live in an orphanage at a monastery.
It would seem that the backstory is not at all conducive to success - however, the experience acquired by Chanel in an orphanage determined her future life. The fact is that it was the nuns who taught the girl to sew, so that after leaving the establishment, Gabrielle was able to get a job as a saleswoman in the Au Sans Pareil lingerie store.
First steps to success
In addition to her passion for fashion design, Gabrielle loved to sing and even performed in cabaret. It was then that she received the nickname Coco because her favorite songs were "Ko Ko Ri Ko" and "Qui qua vu Coco". In one of these cabarets, the girl met a wealthy retired officer, Etienne Balzan, who soon invited her to move with him to a real castle in Paris. Chanel agreed, but depending on someone was not her style. 
Soon, remembering sewing lessons at the orphanage, she realized that she wanted to become a milliner (a craftswoman in making women's hats, dresses and underwear), and with the help of a young English entrepreneur, Arthur Capel, in 1910 she was able to open her own hat shop in Paris - it is still It is located opposite the Ritz Hotel at 31 rue Cambon.
Start of a design career
When Coco Chanel opened her own business and was able to give free rein to her taste and abilities, nothing could stop her - neither lack of experience, nor even the First World War. She worked both as an entrepreneur and as a designer, bringing to life all her ideas for creating elegance - she introduced women's trousers, that very little black dress, into fashion. The style she created was later called “simple luxury” - in order to dress in the Chanel style, you first need taste, and not a lot of money. 
But Gabrielle’s clients had money, and they happily bought hats and clothes from the original milliner. Very soon, Coco's business became a phenomenon that had never existed before in fashion history. Chanel herself became the first tailor who entered high society, and was not a servant for wealthy customers. Composers, choreographers, artists, directors, and entrepreneurs became her friends. The girl changed public opinion about the work of a designer, becoming an attractive personality on an international scale.
“I entered the cream of society not because I created clothes. On the contrary. I created clothes because I was in a society where I became the first woman to live the full life of my century,” Coco Chanel commented on her fame.
High-ranking aristocrats paid attention to Coco Chanel. For example, the woman was part of the social circle of the Great Russian Duke Dmitry and the English Duke of Westminster. Many successful men tried to woo her hand, but she was only really concerned about her own business. To the Duke of Westminster's proposal, Coco replied that there may be many Duchesses of Westminster, but there is only one Chanel.
At the age of fifty, Coco Chanel was at the height of her fame and beauty. She dressed with a sense of absolute freedom and basked in glory. It was at this time that she was admired most. The years of her fiftieth birthday became the most golden in the biography of the once poor girl Gabrielle.
And if during the First World War the designer managed to stay afloat, then after the declaration of the Second World War in 1939, Chanel had to close all her salons - at such a time there was no place for fashion. Despite the occupation of Paris, Coco remained in the French capital for this time and even managed to rescue her nephew from captivity.
In September 1944, on the initiative of the Committee on Public Morals, a woman was arrested due to rumors about her relationship with the German officer Hans Gunther von Dunkleg. She was soon released at Churchill's request on the condition that she leave France. Chanel went to Switzerland and lived there for almost ten years. According to researcher Hal Vaughan, Chanel was not only the mistress of a Nazi collaborator, but also supplied information to the German government.
Coco Chanel Interview with French Television (1969)
Personal life of Coco Chanel
The life of the famous clothing designer was full of romances, but none of them developed into marriage - it seems that Chanel did not need this. She was credited with affairs with the Russian emigre composer Igor Stravinsky, the Duke of Westminster and even the Nazi officer Hans von Dinklage. According to some sources, Chanel was bisexual. 
The famous Chanel No. 5 perfume appeared in 1921. Their author is the Russian emigrant perfumer Ernest Bo. The uniqueness of these perfumes is that before Chanel, women's perfumes did not have complex scents. Coco was an innovator and offered women the first synthesized perfume.
Coco Chanel made popular little black dresses that could be worn all day long, complemented with various accessories. Thus, she proved that black, once considered a mournful color, can be elegant and perfectly complement an evening look.
Coco Chanel's achievements also include the creation of unique handbags. “I’m tired of carrying reticules in my hands, and besides, I’m always losing them,” Gabrielle said in 1954. A year later she introduced a small rectangular handbag on a long chain. As a result, women were able to carry the bag comfortably on their shoulders.