Chanel Research

C H A N E L

There is much to learn about French fashion designer Gabrielle Bonheur “coco” Chanel. She was born in summer of 1883 and was raised by nuns in an orphanage where she learned to sew at a young age. Chanel started her career as a milliner opening at her first shop in Paris in 1913 following in the footsteps of fellow French designer Caroline Reboux. As she expanded her business to Deauville and Biarritz, she began designing clothing where her first hit was actually a jersey dress.

However, Chanel is most known for her legendary collarless jackets and well-fitted skirts which borrowed elements from menswear and focused more on tailoring and comfort than femininity and restriction.

Chanel is also known for popularizing the little black dress, worn by Chanel as a chic mourning wear after the death of a lover. The idyllic little black dress is now a closet staple for all occasions

As well as her business, Chanel died at the hotel Ritz Paris in 1971 – more than a decade after her death, designer Karl Lagerfeld took over as creative director of the brand in 1983. The Chanel that you know today may be thanks to the flashy new life that Lagerfeld breathed into the brand after his arrival.

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