Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel born in 19 August 1883, grew up with her sister in an orphanage, her mother died when she was only 6 years old, she still had her father but he wasn't able dealing with a family situation of 5 children.
Gabrielle who was only 6 years old already had a lively imagination of what she wanted to wear. The simplicity of what they had to wear in the orphanage will later become the inspiration for the simple black Chanel dress with imitation string of pearls or with a white camellia, her favourite flower.
Gabrielle learns the skill of a seamstress in Moulins, a city and village just a few hours away from Paris. She loves to go out and in a local pub where she sings her favourite song "qui qu' a vu Coco dans le trocadero" Who has seen Coco in the Trocadero, an area in Paris. That earned her the nickname of Coco.
Coco's first big lover is Etienne Balsan, he introduces her in the sophisticated environments of Paris. She falls in love with "Boy", Arthur Capel a hockey player who overwhelmed Coco with real and imitation jewels. Capel turns out to be her true love, he helps her starting out her first business, a hat shop in Paris and a 2nd one in Deauville. Coco looses her true love in accident in 1919.
In 1921 Coco Chanel launches her first perfume; N°5, to this very day N°5 is the most sold perfume as it became more famous over the years.
In 1931 Hollywood movie producer Samuel Goldwyn engages Coco to become Katharine Hepburn and Grace Kelly personal stylist. Coco works very hard and she doesn't have the time to fall in love and moves temporarily to America, Greta Garbo and Marlène Dietrich become regular clients.
Back to France Coco starts her own business in 1954, she moves across the street into the Ritz Hotel apartment. She rules with an iron hand and her business is a great success, in 1971 Coco dies alone in her apartment.
The impact of Coco in the fashion industry is enormous, her ideas were revolutionarily, the use of jersey, the blouse, short skirts, woman sports wear, short hair…she introduced black as a colour and the Chanel lipstick red.
Chanel is one of the rare fashion houses that is still in private hands. Head designer Karl Lagerfeld took over the strings in 1983, he cooperates with fashion models Inès de la Fréssange, Claudia Shiffer and Australian actress Nicole Kidman.
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