Coco Chanel Case

Gabrielle Chanel was born August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France. Her mother died when Gabrielle was only six and her father abandoned her and her sister soon after, and rejected by all other family members. And separated into different homes. In the orphanage Gabrielle was starved for attention, but because of her pride would not admit it. This pride she had would help to mold her future. At age 17 nuns raised her and taught her good manners and solitude in a convent in Aubazie. At 19 she became an assistant in a shop altering women's clothing. In reminisce of her father, she became known as Coco when she sang in bars known as café-concerts, he was the first to call her that. She was a petite girl with prominent features, whose appearance made her stand out from others, and gain the affection of many men. She dated and was engaged many times, but never married because the love of her life had passed away early on in her life. She courted with other men to try and satisfy her unfilled passion she had for her lost love, Boy Chapel. Many of the men in her life were very wealthy, making her accustom to an expensive lifestyle. She made designs and had her friends wear them to help her start off her business. Her first sketches looked something like this. The convent smocks she wore as a teenager inspired the jersey material her clothes were made out of. They had no idea that the clothes they wore would change the fashion world forever. In 1910 Coco opened her first real business store, called Chanel Mode. Which was a huge challenge for a woman in the early 1900s because women did not work at this time, let alone own their own store. It was a hat shop in Paris. People loved her designs and just three years later she opened a full boutique. She started creating dresses and clothing for women to exercise and work in, which was not common during this time. Coco loved photographers. She was one of the first to use them to promote her image. Chanel's skirts were shorter and more casual than most, and people mocked her for trying to be inventive. None of these people realized that what she was creating would shape the lives of women for the next 50 years. Chanel became famous and was friends with the wealthiest and most prestigious. After the loss of Chapel, she lost any hope of happiness and sought after only business and her career. Coco's line of clothing made a very bold statement, how clothing is worn is more important than what is worn. This made people think and eventually allowed them to learn to love her designs. In 1921 No. 5 Chanel Perfume was launched. It is still very famous today and probably one of the most recognizable scents still. Three years after the launching of her first perfume, the Chanel Perfume Company was created. It was a booming success. The men in Chanel's life influenced her designs greatly. One of these men, Tsar Nicholas II, introduced her to sparkly, extravagant jewelry. She incorporated this into her designs by putting sparkles on her dresses. In 1926 she changed fashion for all women, even still today.