Coco Chanel

"Coco" Chanel

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was born on August 19, 1883. She is most famous for her little black dress and Chanel No. 5. Chanel No. 5 was a perfume with such a sensational smell that is was one of the main contributors to her wealth.

In 1899, she was brought to Paris by a millionaire cavalry officer. She fell in love with the tastes and habits of the wealthy. She liked all of their fashions, except for the women's boa-draped hats. She opened a millinery boutique in Deauville to alter the hat. In 1914, she opened her first shop in Paris.

In the 1920s, Coco's fashion expanded. She came out with more relaxed and casual looks. Short skirts were a big hit. Her practical "working clothes" designs flourished and she opened two boutiques: one in Paris and the other in Biarritz. She served as a nurse in WWI for a little while.

Chanel retired in 1938 due to the war and to the Italian designer Schiaparelli moving on up into the fashion front. For 15 years, she shuffled through many cities hoping to reopen a store. She found no luck in Vichy and Switzerland.

In 1954, she created the Chanel suit.

In the 1960s she still stayed with her classic look. She had collarless jackets and flaring skirts. Her fashion empire at her death brought in over $160 million. Her clients included: Princess Grace, Ingrid Bergman, Marlene Dietrich, the Rothschilds', and most of the Rockefellers.

She designed stage costumes for plays such as Cocteau's "Antigone"(1923) and "Oedipus Rex"(1937). She also made film costumes for several movies including Renoir's "La Regle de Jeu."

Who would have ever thought that this woman, once an orphan, would be this successful? She really proved the saying, "You can be anything you want to be if you set your mind to it." She passed away on January 10, 1971. Chanel contributed a lot to the growing fashions of the world. She provided men and women with a warm, casual style in which they can look cute and still be comfortable in.