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The Coco Chanel bio is a story that begins far removed from the opulence that her name would later come to represent. Born in Saumur, France, in 1883, Gabrielle Bonheur ‘Coco’ Chanel was the illegitimate daughter of a shop girl – who would die soon after – and a traveling salesman – who would abandon his daughter on the streets of France. It was her two aunts, with whom she was sent to live, who would teach the young girl the etiquette that would come to shape the Coco Chanel bio.

At the age of 17, the future designer was sent to live in an orphanage, where nuns taught her the basic techniques of sewing and helped her land a local job as a seamstress. However, this life was meant for more exciting things than a seamstress, and so the ambitious young girl took off for the town of Moulins to become a cabaret singer.

While the experience in Moulins did not open up any singing opportunities, it did set this life story in a new direction. It was here that she met Etienne Balsan, a rich, young French textile heir to whom she soon became mistress. Bored with her life as a mistress, it wasn’t long before she would approach Balsan with a business proposition; she wanted to open up a hat and dress shop in Paris. Rich as he was, Balsan gave her the money. In little time, this had become the story of a budding entrepreneur. Indeed, her little Paris shop was quickly becoming one of the most popular boutiques in all of Paris.

Much like her darker and simpler clothes than were fashionable at the time, the Coco Chanel bio began to stand out from the rest. She soon left Balsan and became involved with Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel, a wealthy businessman who financed her expansion. An additional two boutiques were built in Biarritz and Deauville. Capel would die in a car accident not long after, but Coco Chanel’s business kept on growing. In fact, in less than four years, she was able to pay back all the startup money she had received from her beaus – despite the fact that they were given to her as gifts, not loans.

This life story was beginning to stand out because so too were her clothes. With her ‘little black dress’ and masculine-inspired pieces, Chanel was quickly becoming a fashion trendsetter throughout Europe. She soon expanded beyond clothing, and in 1924, launched the product that would make her immortal – the famous Chanel No. 5 perfume. For the time being, it appeared that nothing could go wrong for this designer.

However, during World War II, she began to stand out for another reason: she was having a personal relationship with a German Nazi officer. Public opinion of her quickly turned sour and she withdrew from the spotlight. It wasn’t until 1954, when she was 71 years old, that her life story would take a turn for the better. The designer had decided to make a comeback.

At first, Europeans did not take well to the reemergence of Coco Chanel, but over time, she would regain her position at the top of the industry, and would continue to dominate until her death at the age of 88. Today, the Coco Chanel bio stands out as a story of success by innovation.

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