Born: Saumur, France, 1883
Died: Paris, France, 1971
‘Chanel is the fascinating paradox,’ said Vogue in 1957, ‘the couturier who takes no account of fashion, who pursues her own faultlessly elegant line in the quiet confidence that fashion will come back to her – and sure enough it always does.’ The most influential designer of the twentieth century was a non-conformist with a classical streak. Coco Chanel designed the definitive women’s suit, wore masculine clothes, sported a cropped haircut and flaunted a suntan when it was considered to be an emblem of the working classes. In 1916 she outraged the fashion industry by using jersey at a time when it was strictly associated with underwear. ‘This designer made jersey what it is today – we hope she’s satisfied,’ snapped Vogue in 1917. ‘It’s almost as much part of our lives as blue serge is.’ Modernity and comfort came naturally to Chanel. This was the key reason why the classic Chanel suit – collarless, simply cut, trimmed with braid and with a discreet chain sewn into the hem – has transcended every single movement of the twentieth century. ‘Men make dresses in which one can’t move,’ she observed. ‘They tell you very calmly that dresses aren’t made for action.’ Coco Chanel had a disappointing love life and brittle personality. She continually criticized her contemporaries: dismissing Elsa Schiaparelli as a dressmaker, accusing Christian Dior of dressing women like armchairs, and giving Cristobal Balenciaga the ultimate backhanded compliment in admiring his design, but questioning his ability to cut.
The first Chanel shop opened in Paris in 1914; by 1930 annual turnover totalled 120 million francs. When war broke out, Chanel’s salon on rue Cambon closed and she went into exile. When the salon reopened in 1954, Chanel was interviewed by Vogue. Now almost 70 years old, she was in a defiant mood: ‘Look at today’s dresses: strapless evening dresses cutting across a woman’s front like this. Nothing is uglier for a woman; boned horrors, that’s what they are.’ On plagiarism: ‘I have always been copied by others. If a fashion isn’t taken up and worn by everybody, it’s not a fashion but an eccentricity, a fancy dress.’
By 1969 Chanel had appeared consistently in Vogue for over 50 years. Her place in history was secured. Already a legend, she was immortalized on Broadway in Alan Jay Lerner’s musical Coco, which centred on Chanel’s 1953–4 comeback; the lead role was played by Katharine Hepburn and the costumes were by Cecil Beaton, who received a coveted Tony Award for them. In her twilight years, Chanel lived a solitary existence, residing at the Ritz hotel in Paris.
The Chanel label found its natural successor, Karl Lagerfeld, in 1983. Lagerfeld’s singular ability to astound, exploit and amuse – often all at the same time – took Chanel to the limit. His arrival coincided perfectly with the mood of the moment: a decade when conspicuous consumption and designer labels became the new religion.
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New Genuine Chanel Parfums Black Velvet Signature Bag |  |
0 Bid | US $24.99 | 49m |
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New $2525 CHANEL RUE 31 CAMBON Large Shopping Tote bag | |
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US $1,949.99 | 1h 24m |
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AUTH CHANEL BLACK CC TASSEL SHOULDER BAG SAME NICOLE | |
1 Bid | US $1,050.00 | 1h 26m |
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VINTAGE CHANEL BLACK LEATHER PURSE | |
8 Bids | US $305.00 | 1h 40m |
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CHANEL LARGE CLASSIC BLACK LEATHER TOTE | |
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US $1,675.00 | 1h 41m |
