Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel
(French: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel) or Coco Chanel (French: Coco Chanel) is a French fashion designer who is considered one of the most famous and important personalities of the twentieth century. She was born on August 19, 1883, and passed away on December 10, 1971.
Chanel was distinguished by introducing "elegant simplicity" to the world of fashion, and her influence was very great. She was also among the people on the list of the 100 most important and influential people in the world in the twentieth century, which was issued by the famous Time magazine. The Chanel brand is considered one of the most important fashion brands in the world. Chanel achieved both financial success as a businesswoman and a high social position in French society.
Chanel learned the art of sewing and knitting during her six years in the orphanage. In the 1920s, Chanel launched her first perfume and introduced the world to the black suit and short black dresses, with an emphasis on making women's clothing more comfortable.
One of Coco Chanel's most famous quotes
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Your most courageous act is for yourself. Achieve it and shout it out loud.
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When I realized that my work had a life, it is my life; a face is my face, and a voice is my voice; and then I realized that my work loves me, and I dedicate myself completely to it. There was no greater love than that.
Some of Chanel's achievements include:
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Chanel opened her first boutique on the Rue Cambon in Paris in 1910, selling hats. She later added clothes. Her first success in clothing came from a dress she designed from an old winter shirt. In response to several people asking her where she got that dress, she said, "I made my fortune on this old shirt that I was wearing because it was cold in Deauville."
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In the 1920s, Chanel took her business to new heights as she launched her first fragrance, Chanel No. 5, and the fragrance was backed by shopkeeper Théophile Bader and entrepreneurs Pierre & Paul Wertheimer.
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In 1925, Chanel presented her legendary design of an ensemble consisting of a collarless jacket with a skirt in the same fabric as the jacket. Her designs were revolutionary, as she borrowed men's designs and modified them to be comfortable for women to wear.
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At the age of 70, Chanel returned to the world of fashion. It first received raunchy reviews from critics, but its feminine, relaxed designs won over shoppers from all over the world.
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In 1969, Chanel's remarkable life story became the basis for the Broadway musical Coco.
Coco Chanel died on December 10, 1971, in her apartment at the Ritz Hotel.
More than a decade after her death, designer Karl Lagerfeld took over her company to carry on Chanel's legacy. Today, Chanel's namesake company continues to thrive, generating hundreds of millions in sales each year.
