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Chanel was beginning to make a name for herself among the who’s who of Paris all the while acquiring a taste for their luxuries and decadent lifestyle. With her modest hat and dress store, Chanel’s reputation was already beginning to grow as a woman who had little interest in the extravagant and tight-fitting clothes that were all the rage at the time. Instead, she opted for darker and simpler dresses that drew their inspiration from men’s clothing as well as the outfits of the nuns she had grown up around.
With her new taste of the opulent life, Chanel decided to leave Balsan and link onto the arm of his friend, a wealthy businessman by the name of Arthur “Boy” Capel. The two would go on to enjoy a passionate affair until Capel’s life was cut short by a car accident while on his way to see Chanel in 1919. But, in their early days together, it would be Capel who helped get Chanel’s career off the ground. He provided the financing for Chanel to open an additional two boutiques in Biarritz and Deauville.
In no more than four years, Chanel’s business had become so successful that she was able to pay back the startup money she had initially received from Capel in full – this, despite the fact that it was given to her as a gift, not a loan. Chanel had broken into the fashion industry by being a trendsetter, gaining inspiration for her designs largely from her lover’s closet and using traditionally masculine materials to make them. Instead of the ornate pieces of her competitors, Chanel’s creations were minimal and unpretentious yet still sophisticated. Her “little black dress” quickly became a staple in the fashion world.
While her prominence as a fashion designer was continuing to grow, it was the release of a product in the 1920s that would immortalize Chanel. After the death of Capel, Chanel had become mistress to the Russian Grand Duke Dmitri, through whom she met Ernest Beaux. Beaux was in the perfume industry and was currently working on a special concoction for a French company. Chanel sampled the essence and after making a few suggestions, convinced Beaux to give it to her instead. With that, the legendary Chanel No. 5 perfume was born in 1924.
At the same time, Chanel had also been making quite a name for herself in the inner circles of the elite, having romantic liaisons with many of the most notable dukes and businessmen of the time. But, it was one relationship in particular that would threaten to destroy Chanel’s career completely.
During World War II, Chanel closed down her business and began a relationship with a German Nazi officer. Her reputation in the public’s eyes became quickly and irrevocably damaged. She thought her years as a designer were finished and she stayed out the spotlight until 1954, when at the age of 71, Chanel decided to make a comeback. To this day, nobody knows if she returned because she was bored or if she wanted to reclaim her territory amongst the growing competition. But, it didn’t matter – Chanel was back.
She received a lukewarm reception in Europe, where her designs were not perceived as being as revolutionary as they once were. Americans thought otherwise and embraced Chanel with open arms. Europe would follow soon after. Chanel quickly climbed back to her position at the top of the fashion ladder and continued to innovate and create designs until her death at the age of 88. She never married and had no children, but Chanel had achieved the kind of success that most others only dream about. Today, under the direction of Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel remains one of the most prestigious and successful fashion houses in the world.
“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress,” said Chanel. “Dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” Chanel understood the importance of appearance to getting ahead in the business world. Looking her best wasn...
“Fashion is not simply a matter of clothes,” said Chanel. “Fashion is in the air, born upon the wind. One intuits it. It is in the sky and on the road.” A passionate woman, Chanel found the inspiration for her desig...
When Time magazine published its list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, Chanel was only the person in the fashion industry to be named. With that, her influence on not only her own field, but o...
In 1924, legendary fashion icon Coco Chanel remarked, “I want to give women an artificial perfume. Yes, I really do mean artificial, like a dress, something that has been made. I don’t want any rose or lily of the v...
World War II proved to be a turning point in Chanel’s career. Despite being wildly successful, Chanel decided to close up shop in 1939, when France declared war on Germany. She closed the doors of her stores and sto...
Coco Chanel Video (French) - Première interview à la télévision de Mademoiselle COCO CHANEL dans son bureau... sur la mode, sa prochaine collection, l'élégance, son don, son style et les imitations. A celle-ci succède une présentation des modèles de la collection 1959 par le mannequin vedette de Chanel, Marie-Hélène ARNAUD, et d'autres mannequins. Phrase finale de Mlle CHANEL dans l'escalier sur la collection présentée:
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“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress,” said Chanel. “Dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” Chanel understood the importance of appearance to getting ahead in the business world. Looking her best wasn...
