Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel Biography Essay Sample

📌Category: Fashion, Life
📌Words: 1007
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 10 June 2022

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, better known as Coco Chanel, was a fashion designer and buisnesswoman originating from Saumur, France. Chanel waas born in August of 1883 to Eugénie and Albert Chanel.

Early life

Gabrielle’s parents worked as a laundry woman and a street vendor, meaning they grew up moving from one run down lodging to another, often having all 5 children staying in one room. The children did not attend school, instead, the father sent the two sons (Alphonse and Lucien) to labour at a farm and sent his 3 daughters (Julia, Antoinette and Gabrielle) to the convent of Aubazine. The convent of Aubazine ran an orphanage which Chanel attended until the age of 18. During Chanel’s time at the orphanage, she acquired skills which would lead to help her in her later life, for example sewing. At the age of 18, Gabrielle could no longer attend the orphanage as she was too old, after spending 6 years here, she left and went to live in a Catholic Girls boarding house.

Early Career

After leaving the orphanage, Chanel worked as a seamstress. However while she wasn’t occupied with sewing, she sang and performed in a carabet. It was during her time here that Gabrielle was given the nickname ‘Coco’ as she would often perform the song ‘Who Has Seen Coco?’. Chanel performed inbetween the performances of more famous singers, this was known as a poseuse. The pay was what was gathered on the plate after it was passed around.

In 1906, Chanel worked in the town of Vichy. Vichy was well known for their entertainment venues such as cafes, concert halls and theatres. Chanel hoped to pursue her passion of performing in the town, she often impressed those who she auditioned for with her physical assets and youth, however her singing voice wasn’t to the same standard, so she failed to find any work on stage. On the mission to find a job, Chanel was hired at the Grand Grille where it was her role to dispense glasses of Vichy’s acclaimed mineral water.

Chanel Brand

The first few locations of Chanel’s shops along with Chanel’s apartment in Paris, was paid for by Captain Arthur Capel, a man who she was having an affair with at the time, although he was never faithful to her.

She was struck exceptionally hard when Capel died in a car accident after having a 9 year affair with Chanel. In 1918, Chanel bought a property on rue Cambon, located in one of the most popular areas for fashion in Paris. In 1921, she opened a fashion boutique, she sold primarily hats, clothing and accessories, however later on during her career she ventured into the world of jewelry and fragrances. By 1927, Chanel owned buildings 23-31 on the rue Cambon.

In spring 1920, Diaghilev introduced Chanel with Igor Stravinsky, a Russian composer at the time. Stravinsky and his family were seeking a place to live in Paris after fleeing the USSR. Chanel invited the family to stay at her residence in a Paris Suburb until they found a satisfactory place to stay.

Chanel worked with Diaghilev on productions, Chanel produced costumes for Productions choreographed by Diagheielv from 1923-1927.

World War II

At the start of the war in 1939, Chanel closed all her shops in order to maintain her apartment in Paris, she stated it was not an appropriate time for fashion, in response 4,000 female employees lost their jobs. At the time Chanel was very anti Semetic and had an affair with a German Aristocrat at the Hotel Ritz, a place known to  house German military staff, this later fueled rumors that Chanel was a supporter of the nazi party during the uprise of the faschist political party in Western Europe, these rumors were further stimulated by French Intelligence documents released describing Chanel as a ‘vicious antisemite’ who praised Hitler.It was later confiremd (2014) that Chanel worked as a spy and was involved in a plan which would result in the Third Reich taking control of Madrid.

During WWII, all property and financial assests obtained by Jews were ceased, this provided Chanel to recieve the full profit from her ‘Parfums Chanel' from the Wertheimers, who directed the ‘Parfums Chanel’. Chanel used being an ‘Aryan’ to her advantage in order to acquire her profits from her most frequently sold product.

Legally however the Wertheimers still owned ‘Parfums Chanel’. After an almost 7 year legal dispute over ownership, Chanel sued the Wertheimers and was repparated $9,000,000 (9 million dollars) over the altercation. The financial benefit was substantial to Chanel, inclining her projected profits to $25,000,000 (25 million dollars).

Legacy

Chanel passed in 1971, leaving behind a vast legacy and having influenced the fashion world significantly. Chanel’s use of jersey fabric was not meant to be different, it was circumstantial. When the brand begun, Coco could not afford most materials, so she made her clothes from Jersey. Jersey deterred other brands as it was thought to be too complicated to handle in comparison to woven fabrics. Jersey was usually only used to produce undergarments, sportswear and beach clothes. Jersey was thought to be too standard to make couture, but Chanel disproved this and continues to have a vastly popular fashion company.

Chanel continues to produce her quintessential perfume ‘Chanel No.5’. The bottle for this perfume was thought to be adapted from a whiskey bottle by the man she was having an affair with at the time, Captain Arthur Edward Capel.

The perfume was first launched in 1921. The scent was concocted by Ernest Beaux, a French-Russian chemist. The perfume is said to have a floral overtone which comes down to a combination of Rose, Jasmine, ylang-ylang and May rose. The perfume has a long continuance and is thought to be an essential to any woman's scent collection.

Marcel Breur

Breur is a furniture designer and modern architect originally from Hungary born in 1902. He is still recognised today for his distinctive and fluent designs.

Early life and education

Breur spent a brief period at The Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, he then became one of the youngest admissions at the Bauhaus, an outstanding arts and crafts school formed by Walter Gropius briefly after the First World War in Weinmar. The school moved from Weinmar to Dessau, Breur returned from France and began teaching in its newly founded Architecture department. While teaching here, Breur had a great enough income to financially support himself with the incomes from his elaborate and outstanding designs. His wooden furniture was heavily influenced by Dutch designers Theo Van Doesburg and Gerrit Rietveld

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