Coco Chanel

Name: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel

D.O.B.: 19^th August 1883

D.O.D.: 10^th January 1971 (aged 87)

Place of Birth: Saumur, France

Place of Death: Paris, France

Gender: Female

Nationality: French

Occupation: Fashion Designer

Personal Profile

Gabrielle was born in Saumur France, to an unwed mother Jeanne Devolle a laundry women. Her father is a street peddler with a horse and cart lived a nomadic life, Albert Chanel was his name. They travelled to and from market towns the family resided in rundown lodgings. Chanel’s Parents married several years after she was born.

When Chanel was born her name was entered at the registry as ‘Chasnel’, it could have been that it was a technical error or that it was an ancient spelling of the family name. Chanel had five siblings two sisters, Julia-Berthe, Antoinette and three brothers Alphons, Lucien and Augustin who was born and died the same year.

When Chanel was twelve years old the year 1895 her mother died from tuberculosis, Albert her father sent the two brothers out as farm labourers and the three daughters to Aubazine an orphanage at a bleak area of central France, the Correze. It was stark and demanding strict discipline, they also followed the Catholic faith. When Chanel turned 18 she was too old to stay at the Aubazine and moved to a boarding house set aside for catholic girls, in the town Moulins.

Career and Work life

With her sewing skills having learned at the Aubazine for six years Chanel was able to find a job as a seamstress. When not doing her day job she would sing at a Cabaret. It was then she discovered the name ‘Coco’ and requested to be called that. It could have come from a popular song that she sang or from the French word Cocette – A cafe entertainer.

Chanel met a young French ex-cavalry officer and wealthy textile Heir ‘Etierre Balsan’. When she was 23 she became his mistress and moved to live with him for three years in his Chateau Royallieu near Compliegne. Balsan provided Chanel the beauties of the ‘Rich life’ Diamonds, Pearls and dresses. It was when she was living with Balsan that Chanel started designing hats, which soon became one of her deep interests.

1910

Chanel became a licensed hat maker which leads to her opening the Chanel Modes Boutique on 21 Rue Cambon, Paris. When theatre actor Gabrielle Dorziat modelled her hats in the F Noziere’s play ‘Bel Ami’ , in 1912 Chanel’s career had bloomed.

1913

She opened her boutique in Deauville where she had introduced the luxe casual clothes that were perfect for leisure and sport.

1915

Chanel-Biarritz was opened that’s when Chanel launched her career as fashion designer, she catered for the wealthy Spanish clients that were less affected by the war and had spent the holidays in Biarritz.

Chanel created clothing made from Jersey which could have been used for men’s underwear, the clothes were loose and casual.

1919

Chanel was registered as Couturier and established her Maison de Couture at 31 Rue Cambon.

Love life

Captain Arthur Edward ‘Boy’ Capel a wealthy member of the British upper class, he was one of Balsan’s friend. Chanel began an affair with him in the year 1908, Capel got her an apartment in Paris and opened Chanel’s first shops. It is said that the Chanel NO 5 perfume bottle design was related to Capel, it was either the Charvet toilery bottles that he carried in his leather travelling case or the design of the whisky decounter Capel used. Chanel admired this so much that she wanted to produce it in a expensive delicate glass. They had spent a lot of time together but Capel was never faithful to Chanel, the affair lasted nine years. Even after Capel married an English beauty in 1918 he didn’t completely break off the relationship with Chanel. Capel died in 1919 in a car accident, which was the most devastating thing that happened to her. Chanel placed a roadside memorial at the same place the accident happened which she visited in later years to place flowers .

1945

Chanel moved to Switzerland and eventually returned to Paris in 1954, that year she returned to the fashion world.

1971

Although she was tired she continued at her normal schedule overseeing the preparing of her spring collection. It was Sunday January 10^th that Chanel had gone for a long drive in the afternoon not feeling well and returned to bed early at the Hotel Ritz were she had died.