Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel, an icon in the world of fashion, was the first women to create clothing for women that is both attractive and useful. Chanel was one of the first women to run a large, successful business in the fashion industry. Today, it’s hard to imagine the controversy Chanel stirred up simply by making women’s clothing beautiful, comfortable and practical. Chanel understood that women wanted a sense of style and professionalism in their fashion. The clothes she created changed the way women looked and how they looked at themselves. Coco Chanel fulfilled the American Dream through definite actions, personal accomplishments and worthwhile contributions to America.

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel aka Coco Chanel was born in 1883 in Saumur, France. Her mother died when she was just six years old, leaving her father to tend to five children whom he soon deserted to be looked after by relatives. She got the name of Coco during her job as a cafÐ"© and concert singer in 1905-1908. She soon became mistress of a wealthy military officer and then of an English industrialist who enabled her in setting up a millinery shop in Paris in 1910 which she then expanded to Deauville and Biarritz. That was the beginning of Chanel’s fashion career. Her success started with her boyfriends getting her customers among wealthy women of society and making her simple hats very popular among them.

From this millinery shop, she rose to become one of the most successful premier fashion designers in Paris. She was successful in replacing the corset with comfortable and casual clothing with her fashion themes which included simple suits and dresses, trousers for women, costume jewelry, perfume and fabric.

Shortly by 1922, she was successful in introducing her personalized range of perfume, Chanel No. 5, which is even now considered one of the most popular products of the Chanel’s