Coco Chanel Research Paper

Coco Chanel, born August 19th, 1883, contributed substantially to the women’s fashion industry in the 1920’s. Her rough upbringing caused her to become one of the most successful icons in fashion at the time. Chanel’s work reflected the idea of setting yourself apart from the norm at a time of modern trends. To this day Coco Chanel’s work as a fashion designer as well as a Fashion icon, is still continuing to thrive and make women’s fashion chic and sophisticated.

Originally named Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, Chanel later changed her name to Coco following a song that she sang in her first job as a singer at a local bar in Moulin . She grew up in great poverty with her other two sibling. Her parents were Albert and Eugenie Chanel, a peddler and

She was also heavily influenced by the events of the time being that everyone wanted to stand out and become their own kind of person. Therefore, her less than ideal upbringing was “instrumental in her breaking the stereotype and liberating women from the stifling ‘corseted silhouette’”(McDell 2015). She had an ability that allowed her to read and comprehend the moods of the time in accordance with what was happening at the time. Chanel was able to understand the times in a way that no one else in the fashion industry could. Throughout Chanel’s many years of working as a seamstress, she was heavily inspired by men’s clothing such as the sailor suit. She then sought out a way to make a suit for women that would still remain chic and sophisticated for women’s wear. Finally she introduced the Chanel suit, a collarless jacket and a well-fitted skirt. This suit caused women everywhere to get rid of their uncomfortable corset dresses and insead be comfortable in what they were wearing. Chanel’s Illusion jewelry consisted of beautiful gemstones and other accessories that “brought an appealing symmetry between womens waist and chest”(Wilson 2012). Another one of Chanel’s revolutionary designs was the little black dress in which she took a color “once associated with mourning and showed just how chic it could be for evening wear”(Biography 2018). This

Her influence on women at the time as a flapper showed women how sexy yet chic a women can dress and be. Being the confident women she was, Chanel once said “ I do not do the Fashion I am the fashion” these words reflected the boldness of her designs as a fashion icon.Chanel was described by many as “quite the party animal and someone who had a large networks of people with whom she socialised, build connects with and did business with”(The Famous People 2017). Some of the success that Chanel had could be accredited to the multiple amount of men who she had affairs and in return would supply her with money to start her business as a designer. Therefore, it was no surprise that Chanel had never settled down to get married. However, following the death of her longest relationship with Arthur Edward Capel, Chanel was only seen publicly crying in for that specific occasion. This reflected the idea that she strived to portrayed through her clothing being that women can be independent, and self-sustaining.

Coco died of a drug overdose at the age of 87 on January 10th, 1971 in Paris, France. The mourners of her death wore her Chanel suits to her funeral. Chanels works can best be described as “ fashion fades but style remains” as she once said. Her work reflected who she