Gabrielle 'coco' Chanel
The Paris fashion house that was founded by Coco Chanel. It is recognized as one of the most established houses in fashion (haute couture). Chanel specilises in luxury goods, ready-to-wear, handbags and cosmetics within the fashion industry.
Chanel has many high-profiled celebrities as spokes-persons. Chanel’s most famous spokes woman was Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s. Marilyn was the face of Chanel No.5 in the 1950’s with the model pictured splashing herself with a compartment of No. 5. The image is certainly the most famous Chanel ads, and continues to be one of the most popular advertisement photos in the history of high fashion marketing. Marilyn brought the Chanel No. 5 to its fame.
Coco Chanel claimed a birthdate of 1893 and a birthplace of Auvergne, but she was actually born in 1883 in Saumur. According to her version of her life story, her mother worked in the poorhouse where Gabrielle was born, and died when Gabrielle was just six years old, leaving her father with five children whom he abandoned to the care of relatives, and then soon after was abandoned into an orphanage.
She adopted the name Coco during a brief career as a cafe and concert singer 1905-1908 where she preformed with her sister. First a mistress of a wealthy military officer then of an English industrialist, Coco Chanel drew on the resources of these patrons in setting up a millinery shop in Paris in 1910, expanding to Deauville and Biarritz. The two men also helped her find customers among women of society, and her simple hats became a hit in their society.
Soon after, Coco Chanel was expanding to couture, working in jersey, a first in the French fashion world. By 1920 and in the mid 1920s, her fashion house had expanded considerably, and set a fashion trend with its "little boy" look. Her relaxed fashions, short skirts, and casual look were in contrast to the corset fashions popular in previous decades. Chanel herself dressed in boring, non elegant clothing, and adapted these more comfortable fashions which other women also found liberating.
Chanel has many high-profiled celebrities as spokes-persons. Chanel’s most famous spokes woman was Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s. Marilyn was the face of Chanel No.5 in the 1950’s with the model pictured splashing herself with a compartment of No. 5. The image is certainly the most famous Chanel ads, and continues to be one of the most popular advertisement photos in the history of high fashion marketing. Marilyn brought the Chanel No. 5 to its fame.
Coco Chanel claimed a birthdate of 1893 and a birthplace of Auvergne, but she was actually born in 1883 in Saumur. According to her version of her life story, her mother worked in the poorhouse where Gabrielle was born, and died when Gabrielle was just six years old, leaving her father with five children whom he abandoned to the care of relatives, and then soon after was abandoned into an orphanage.
She adopted the name Coco during a brief career as a cafe and concert singer 1905-1908 where she preformed with her sister. First a mistress of a wealthy military officer then of an English industrialist, Coco Chanel drew on the resources of these patrons in setting up a millinery shop in Paris in 1910, expanding to Deauville and Biarritz. The two men also helped her find customers among women of society, and her simple hats became a hit in their society.
Soon after, Coco Chanel was expanding to couture, working in jersey, a first in the French fashion world. By 1920 and in the mid 1920s, her fashion house had expanded considerably, and set a fashion trend with its "little boy" look. Her relaxed fashions, short skirts, and casual look were in contrast to the corset fashions popular in previous decades. Chanel herself dressed in boring, non elegant clothing, and adapted these more comfortable fashions which other women also found liberating.
