Coco Chanel Essay

487 Words2 Pages
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel(1883-1971) was a famous french designer, who revolutionized the fashion on the 20th century. She was born in Saumur,France,as the second child of a poor family. Her mother died when Gabrielle was 12 years old. One week later she was abandoned by her father, who left her to be raised by the nuns in a provincial orphanage. When she turned eighteen, she left the orphanage, and took up work for a local tailor. Also, she sang and danced in a cabaret, trying to make a career as a singer.It was at this time that Gabrielle acquired the name “Coco,” a name possibly derived from a popular french song. At the age of twenty-two Coco Chanel met Etienne Balsan, a gentleman horse breeder and accepted his proposal to live together, for the next 3 years .While living with him, Coco began designing hats as a diversion, which soon became an important interest for her. Soon, she met one of Balsan's friends, Arthur Capel who helped Coco to open her first shop in Paris,in 1910. Her first taste of clothing success came from a dress she fashioned out of an old jersey. In response to the many people who asked about where she got the dress, she offered to make one for them. Soon, she captured the attention of the most famous men and women of her time. She created a new,relaxed style for women ignoring the stiff corseted look of the time. In her early years she often borrowed clothes of her lovers: white shirts, ties, coats. Later she made this one of the principles of her art: adapting the elements of male attire for feminine use. Chanel became a fashion icon herself with her bob haircut and her modern clothes. She launched her first perfume, Chanel No. 5, on May,5th, because she used to say that 5 is her lucky number. Chanel No. 5 was a succes at the release and it's still the best selling perfume
Open Document