Fashionista at Forty: Legandary Style of Coco Chanel

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Legandary Style of Coco Chanel

She started her own company in an era before women worked outside the home, much less ran a company. She created a fashion empire that is highly regarded to this day. Her name is synonymous with timeless style and sophistication.

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in Saumur, France on August 19, 1883. After her mother’s death, she and her sister were placed in an orphanage to be raised by nuns. This is where Chanel learned to sew. After she left the orphanage, she embarked on a short-lived career as a singer, before she embarked on creating her signature fashion line. Chanel once quipped that her nickname “Coco” was derived from a shortened version of “cocotte”, meaning a “kept woman”.

Chanel opened her first shop in 1910 located Paris’s Rue Cambon. She began building her empire selling hats. By the 1920’s she had was making clothes and had expanded by adding shops in Deauville and Biarritz. She also launched her signature perfume Chanel No. 5. Chanel described perfume as “the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion”. In 1925 she introduced the legendary, iconic Chanel suit which featured a collarless jacket paired with a well-fitted skirt. Chanel is credited with introducing the “Little Black Dress” (LBD), a staple in every fashionable woman’s wardrobe.

Chanel believed fashion should be simple and comfortable to wear. This is why her company continues to thrive, even after her passing in 1971. Karl Lagerfeld joined the company in 1983, as it has continued to thrive. Chanel is a privately held company, which is worth an estimated $1.5 billion today.

Below is the Chanel suite from the runway of the Fall 2010 Collection in Paris France. It is a timeless classic.