Designers through the ages - Coco Chanel

Gabrielle "Coco" Bonheur Chanel was born on August 19th 1883 in France. She had a difficult childhood but managed to become on the world's most beloved fashion designers. Before founding her company she worked as a singer where she got her nicckname, Coco. With the help of wealthy male admirers she managed to establish a millinery business in 1910 followed by shops. By 1919 she had a booming business in Paris. After relaunching herself after the World War II her high-priced products became more and more known internationally.

She designed comfortable and feminine clothes that women could easily look stunning in. Some of her many signature designs were the "LDB", women suits in tweed and jersey, wide-bottomed trousers, quilted bags and signature jewellery and of course we all know her perfumes!

Her clothes were very often in grey, black, white or navy and she experimented a lot with menswear styled looks. This label still exists today even after her death in 1971 and the famous Karl Lagerfield is now one the key people. There has been made a movie about Coco's life, Coco before Chanel, and it is one of my favorites!

(I used information from the book Fashion)