Coco Chanel

I will present you my first article with Coco Chanel. She is a lady I admire. Let me tell you what made me look up to her. She was born Saumur France on August 19, 1883 as Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. Her mother passed away when she was very young. Her father, a peddler, placed her in the orphanage. She learned how to sew during her years there under the guardianship of the nuns. Later, she became a singer, but briefly before opening her first clothes store in 1910. Based on other historical gatherings, her name “Coco” came from the clubs she sang in. It might have been in her songs or what everyone called her. Whatever may be, her name is history. Back to her first store in 1910, it opened in Paris’s Rue Cambon. It started out selling hats, then spread its stores in Deauville and Biarritz. Then she started making clothes, and one of the clothes made her popular. It was an old jersey that she turned into a dress during a chilly day. That marked the start of her popular career. However, it didn’t turned out quite well as she intended. It became more, with a few hiccups on the way.

She was famous for her timeless pieces like the little black dress, Chanel suit, and Chanel No. 5. The perfume, Chanel No. 5 was becoming popular and it accounted for new partners to sell the product. Chanel was good friends with entrepreneurs, like Pierre and Paul Wertheimer. However, when the product became on demand and the sales skyrocketed; factories began producing them. Yet, the profit went to the Wertheimers and Chanel received less than her fair share. This was when they brought up different deals during Chanel’s inventions. Chanel sued them later for the set of new rules of the deal. Still, nothing was stopping her for the passion of revolutionary fashion. Her dresses were ideas from men's clothing in a brand new style. Her Chanel Suit, was made to let women be free of corsets for good. Her other famous clothing was the Black Dress. She turned the color black from mourning, into chic and elegant. Her fashions allowed her to be good friends with other artists like Pablo Picasso, and (a love relationship) with Igor Stravinsky. However, her decade long romance was with the Duke of Westminster. Despite his proposal of marriage to her, she denied. Her decision was to become independent and allowed her to be a timeless inspiration. She had numerous relationships during her years but still remained single. Yet, this is what Chanel wanted to do. Her work was first.

When the 1930’s came around, her business wasn’t doing well. World War II pushed her to close her shops and let her workers go. Germany invaded Paris, and while Chanel stayed in the for a while; she dated a Nazi soldier. Through him, she was granted special permission to stay in her apartment. Years later, when the war was over Chanel was brought into court in suspicion for collaboration with the Nazis. She didn’t get in trouble, yet she was later under public view and criticized for betraying her country. She escaped to Switzerland as a refuge and part of her exile. When she reached 70, Chanel returned in making designs and despite the critics, her clothes won hearts of shoppers from around the globe. Her legacy made a Broadway musical, movies, and articles reflecting on her life. She died on January 10, 1971 in her apartment in Hotel Ritz. Many came to say farewell to the timeless fashion icon in the Church of the Madeleine. To give tribute, many wore the Chanel suits.

Coco Chanel became an elegant beauty in her work and her aura. The class and chic in her soul that revolutionized what a woman should look.