Thesis: Coco Chanel, an icon in the world of fashion,
was much ahead of her time and created clothes
which were successful in changing the way women
looked at clothes as well as themselves.
Introduction: Gabrielle `Coco’ Chanel was
born in 1883 in Saumur. Her mother died when she
was just six years of age, leaving her father
to tend to five children whom he soon deserted
to be looked after by relatives. She got the name
of Coco during her short stint as a café
and concert singer in 1905-1908. She soon became
mistress of a wealthy military officer and then
of an English industrialist who enabled her in
setting up a millinery shop in Paris in 1910 which
she then expanded to Deauville and Biarritz. Her
success started with her boyfriends getting her
customers among wealthy women of society and making
her simple hats very popular among them.
From this millinery shop, she rose to become
one of the most successful premier fashion designers
in Paris. She was successful in replacing the
corset with comfortable and casual clothing with
her fashion themes which included simple suits
and dresses, trousers for women, costume jewelry,
perfume and fabric.
From simple hats, she was able to diversify into
couture, jersey which became a fashion statement
in the world of fashion in France. By 1920s, her
business has expanded considerably with her chemise
taking on the trend of a `little boy’ look.
Her casual clothing, short skirts were in tremendous
contrast to the corset fashion which was more
common during that period. She herself set a fashion
statement by dressing herself in a mannish manner
which was considered more liberated. [Berman,
Phyllis & Zina Sawaya, 1989]
Shortly by 1922, she was successful in introducing
her personalized range of perfume, Chanel No.
5, which is even now considered one of the most
popular products of the Chanel’s company.
Her perfume business reached greater heights with
Pierre Wertheimer joining hands with her as a
partner in 1924. Owing to the success of her perfume
business, she ventured into her signature cardigan
jacket in 1925 as well as her signature “little
black dress” in 1926. [Richards, Melissa.
2000]
Her life was quite eventful as during the World
War I she served as a nurse which forced her to
go off fashion business for some years. Her affair
with a Nazi officer during the World War II further
weakened her popularity in the fashion circles
and also resulted in an exile to Switzerland for
some years. However, in 1954, her return to the
fashion business brought her back to the top of
haute couture. Her natural and casual range of
clothing which also included the Chanel suit again
became popular among women. She was also successful
in introducing the pea jackets and bell bottom
pants exclusive for women.
Along with setting fashion trends, she also designed
stage costumes for several successful plays like
Antigone in 1923, Oedipus Rex in 1937 along with
costumes for films which included the famous French
movie La Regle de Jeu. She was still creating
fashion statements when she died in 1971. [Brower,
Brock, 2001]
Analysis: Coco Chanel is a name which is still
synonym with fashion. She was much ahead of her
time in creating fashion trends. Some of the most
contemporary fashion designers such as Tom Ford,
Helmut Lang, Miuccia Prada, Jil Sander, Donatella
Versace have all been inspired by her work at
one time or the other. As long as 75 years back,
she was successful in merging male and female
clothes and creating fashion which was successful
in providing the wearer a feeling of comfort as
well as luxury rather than just showiness which
was much in league during those days.
Though considered a feminist and as part of the
women’s liberation, Chanel was more of a
person who personified femininity through her
designs. She was successful in providing and designing
men’s clothes to women’s fashion through
appropriated styles, fabrics and articles of clothing
that were worn more commonly by men but also for
women along with sports clothes for both men and
women. Her clothes were also more evolved through
necessity and boldness.
Her venture into designing revolutionary clothes
started when she wasn’t able to afford the
fashionable clothes of that period and she went
ahead and starting making her own, by using clothes
which were readily available like the sports jackets,
ties etc. which was part of the everyday male
attire. Through her fashionable designs she became
associated with the likes of Diaghilev, Picasso,
Stravinsky and Cocteau. She was bold enough to
break all old formulas and rules and invent a
unique way of expressing herself through her clothes.
Commenting on her work, Cocteau once mentioned
that "she has, by a kind of miracle, worked
in fashion according to rules that would seem
to have value only for painters, musicians, poets."
[Wallach, Janet. 1998]
In one of her quotes, Chanel asked about Belle
Epoque milliner, “How can a brain function
under those things?” Chanel was very bright
and used her sharp mind in everything she did
which also included her logos to her grasp of
the power of personality along with packaging.
According to her infamous quote, “Fashion
is not simply a matter of clothes. Fashion is
in the air, born upon the wind. One intuits it.
It is in the sky and on the road."
Her life was eventful throughout including her
death at the age of 87 in her private quarters
at the Ritz Hotel. She started her career as a
seamstress in an orphanage and shocked everybody
by changing her career as a cabaret singer. Becoming
a mistress to a playboy to start off her first
hat business led to bigger and better business
propositions when she became the mistress of Arthur
Capel who helped her to expand her hat business
to clothing. Her first success which shot her
to fame was the designing of loose-fitting sweater
which was belted and coupled with a skirt. Most
of her women’s clothes were made out of
men’s material such as jersey which was
usually associated with men’s underclothes.
[Madsen, Axel. 1991]
Her uniqueness lay in her contemporary and extraordinary
designs which included Gypsy skirts, over-the-top
fake jewelry, glittering evening wear predominantly
made up of crystal and jet beads laid over black
and white georgette crepe apart from her jersey
suits and little black dresses which were her
signature designs. However, her most prominent
creation which made her an instant legend in the
history of fashion has been the launch of her
perfume, Chanel No. 5 in its Art Deco bottle launched
in 1923 which along with its fragrance was also
unique due to it bearing the designer’s
name for the first time ever.
After her death in 1971, the company has been
taken over and looked after by Karl Lagerfeld
who has been the chief designer of Chanel's fashion
house since 1983. He has been successful in making
the company even bigger, more profitable and more
tuned-in business than it was before. [Ingrid
Sischy, 1998]
Her fashions had a staying power and haven’t
changed years later or rather generations later
and are still prevalent. She has been one of the
most influential and innovative fashion designers
across the globe till date. According to Christian
Dior, "With a black pullover and ten rows
of pearls she revolutionized fashion." He
opposed her fashion through his new look - the
corset. This angered Chanel and she set out to
rework much of her older designs.
She created history in the fashion industry when
in 1931; she was hired by Samuel Goldwin for one
million dollars to dress his stars, Kathrine Hepburn,
Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Gloria Swanson.
Her popularity was owing to her simple little
black dresses, squarish suits, and almost boyish
design suits which were greatly differing to the
confining and tight-fitting corsets and long dresses
with petticoats. By the mid '20s, Chanel's comfortable
and practical "working costume" designs
gained immense popularity.
The contemporary Chanel suit, whether it belonged
to the 1930s era, 1960s era or a `millennium’
suit are typical of its signature brand owing
to its `boxy’ lines along with braided trim
and a slim skirt lined with a gold link chain.
The buttons are also unique owing to their resemblance
to coins or are in gold with the signature double
`cc’ logo on them. To ensure comfort, there
is always a ribbon at the waist of the skirt to
prevent the blouse from slipping. [Aime Joseph]
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