As we constantly progress in society and in the fashion world, we must not forget who has paved the way for us. One woman who has remained a prominent figure in the fashion industry is Gabriel Chanel, better known as Coco Chanel. As one of history’s first woman fashion designers, Coco Chanel single handedly changed the course of fashion for women. Coco certainly made her mark in the fashion world and has paved the way for women today.
Coco Chanel grew up as an orphan and learned how to make hats in her orphanage. She started her career as a hat designer opening a hat boutique at 21 Rue Cambon in 1910. Coco proceeded to open the first Chanel Boutique in 1912, and from there she began opening boutiques and coutures galore throughout France.
The era in which Coco started her empire was conservative with strict gender norms. Coco was brave enough to defy and therefore redefine those gender norms with her fashion designs and her own everyday apparel. The iconic tweed suit and introduction of pants as womenswear feminized commonly masculine articles in a liberating manner. She freed women from the confines of the dress and gave us the poised practicality of pants. A visionary, Coco was certainly ahead of her time and had tremendous influence as she understood the intersection of glamour and functionality shown through her designs. Her legacy has been carried on through the lasting lifetime of the pant suit as it is commonly promoted in fashion to this day. So next time you throw on your trendy pant suit, say your thanks to Coco for this timeless ensemble.
Chanel is undoubtedly known for its haute couture fashion, but the brand’s influence does not stop there. Chanel may arguably be more famously known for her perfume. The No. 5 perfume is a classic, accompanied by No. 19. Her many other scents exuberate the essence of class and modernity.
The luxury fashion brand has made a name for itself in the industry, and the brand’s power persists today. Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy were commonly seen wearing the brand, and many celebrities and models today flaunt the French couture.
Besides changing the course of fashion as she knew it, Coco also gave us many lessons as one of the most prominent women in fashion history. She taught us to not let society define us. Her career path starting as a hatmaker and transforming to the roles of a dressmaker, designer, perfumist, advertiser, jewelry designer and businesswoman shows us that we can continuously reinvent ourselves no matter what stage of life we are in.
I am confident that Coco is watching down on the fashion world from haute couture heaven, admiring the legacy that she has left behind in both her luxury brand and her individual persona.
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