Lesson #2: Be Bold

“In fashion, you know you have succeeded when there is an element of upset,” said Chanel.

When Chanel first introduced her jersey and tweed suits for women, she was rebuked by the European critics. But, Chanel gave no matter. From day one, her career had been characterized by her willingness to defy convention time after time. Whether it was through her own personal style or the products she designed, Chanel was audacious and paid no attention to those who didn’t see eye to eye with her vision. “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself,” she said. “Aloud.”

She created her signature scarlet lipstick before such a colour was ever envisioned for a proper lady’s lips; she wore open-necked shirts when everyone else was buttoning theirs up; and she wore trousers that showed off her ankles which only men had been able to do before. “Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable,” said Chanel. She ignored the critics and continued embodying her bold vision of fashion and femininity.

During the First World War, when Chanel was just starting to grow in prominence, she ran into trouble. Fabric supplies were running low the world over and she did not know how she was going to continue designing her clothes. She could have given up, closed down her business, waited for the war to end and hoped that she could begin anew afterwards. But, giving up was not in Chanel’s nature.

Because Chanel had always loved wearing men’s clothing and borrowing clothes from her partners’ closets, she came up with a bold new idea to use jersey to make women’s dresses. Before Chanel, jersey was a fabric whose use was limited to men’s underwear. It was unthinkable that the same material that was used to create men’s underwear should be used to make fashionable dresses for proper ladies – unthinkable to everyone but Chanel, that is. She was willing to take that bold first step and soon, her jersey dresses were all the rage.

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone,” said Chanel. When she accidentally singed her hair, instead of worrying, Chanel boldly decided to chop it all off. Would her new hairstyle ruin her image of femininity and class? She wasn’t worried. She showed up to an opera with her radically short tomboyish hair and almost immediately, she had created the latest fashion trend. The next day, women everywhere were going to hairdressers to demand this new hairstyle, called the ‘bob’.

“I’ve never done anything by halves,” said Chanel. Her career was characterized by a willingness to be bold, to take risks, to defy convention and to challenge stereotypes. She ignored society’s rules and created a style all her own. It was her readiness to be daring and follow her own path that set Chanel apart from her competitors and attracted loyal customers the world over. She offered women exciting new propositions and in opening the door to a new world of fashion freedom, Chanel turned the industry on its head.

Lesson #2: Be Bold

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