Gabrielle Bonheur ‘Coco’ Chanel was a world-renowned French designer and entrepreneur. She founded the Chanel brand in 1910 at the age of 27 and established a new paradigm of style for women that moved away from the ‘corset silhouette’ style that had dominated women’s fashion.
- Name: Coco Chanel
- Date of Birth: 19th August 1833
- Country of Birth: Saumur, France
- Date of Death: 10th January 1971 (aged 87)
Chanel believed in the elegance of fashion but sought to simplify the look to be less time consuming to put on, much more comfortable, less expensive and more straightforward in its design. She is credited as the driving force behind this significant shift in women’s fashion and as the creator of the ‘little black dress’ - still seen as a fashion staple to this day.
Chanel also created fragrances, such as the ubiquitous Chanel No. 5, and beautiful jewellery collections that combined the idea of costume jewellery and genuine fine gemstones when jewellery was either one or the other, but never both. She frequently collaborated with other jewellery designers to create extravagant collections for wealthy clients who flocked to be associated with her powerful brand. To this day, her name is associated with simple style and elegance, and she is regarded as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking style icons of all time.
