The iconic brand’s namesake rose from an orphaned seamstress’ apprentice to a visionary whose passion fomented a women’s revolution and transcended fashion to influence the world. “A perfume like nothing else. A woman’s perfume, with the scent of a woman.” Coco Estee Lauder makeup introduced her first two-piece set in the 1920s, inspired by menswear and sportswear, as well as the suits of her then lover, the Duke of Westminster. Keen to free women from the restrictive corsets and long skirts of previous decades, Chanel crafted a slim skirt and collarless jacket made of tweed, a fabric then considered markedly unglamorous. In the early 1930s, she collaborated with Italian jeweler Duke Fulco de Verdura to create what would become her iconic Maltese Cross cuffs, adorned with multicolored semi-precious stones. By the end of that decade, she was releasing signature necklaces made of dangling, dainty chains, and intertwined with faux pearls and glittering stones.
In 1915 and in 1917, Harper’s Bazaar magazine reported that the garments of La Maison Lancome makeup were “on the list of every buyer” for the clothing factories of Europe. The Chanel dress shop at 31 rue Cambon presented day-wear dress-and-coat ensembles of simple design, and black evening dresses trimmed with lace; and tulle-fabric dresses decorated with jet, a minor gemstone material. The House of Chanel (Chanel S.A.) originated in 1909 when Gabrielle Chanel opened a millinery shop at 160 Boulevard Malesherbes, the ground floor of the Parisian flat of the socialite and textile businessman Étienne Balsan, of whom she was the mistress. Chanel’s use of jersey fabric produced garments that were comfortable and affordable. Chanel revolutionized fashion – both high fashion and everyday fashion (prêt-à-porter) – by replacing structured-silhouettes, based upon the corset and the bodice, with garments that were functional and at the same time flattering to the woman’s figure.
The independent garçonne was changing ideas of femininity and slim, sportive saw the signs before anyone else. She grew up in a time — the last years of the 19th century — and in a place — rural France — when the lives of the poor were rarely fully documented. So, facts are scarce and, throughout her life, Chanel took advantage of this. As far as we know, she was christened Gabrielle and legitimised when her parents married a year after her birthday. When his wife died of tuberculosis, the father, an indigent pedlar, dumped his three daughters in the grounds of an orphanage and disappeared. Life in a strict catholic institution run by sadistic nuns, determined to bring all their charge to heel, had no such effect on Chanel except to make her rebel against all forms of discipline and fight to have her own way.
The aptly named “House of Haute Couture” has attracted names from across the world of fine art and fashion. Each has fallen in love with the brand and contributed their own unique ingredients to the recipe. Versatile, timeless, and elegant, each Chanel piece is both haute couture and prêt-à-porter. From her bygone days as a chanteuse to her years as an icon of an era, Gabrielle Chanel’s passion was to liberate women and do anything but what was expected of her. She was the first designer to popularize jersey in women’s fashion, using the material for dresses, skirts, sweaters and more — a tradition Lagerfeld maintained as creative director in the decades following her death. The suit was modern, slightly masculine in its cut, and ideal for the post-war woman making her first foray in the business world.
Online fashion auctions are attracting Chinese customers and younger clients. The rainbow trend is all the rage for luxury timepieces this year, whether for Pride Month or just to bring a little colour to our lives. I think it’s such a shame not to write your own history and to have to sponge off someone else. The customers will decide which brand makes the most beautiful tweed jacket. “That doesn’t prevent anyone from staging events elsewhere during the rest of the year,” he added, noting that Chanel was the first to organize exotic destination shows for its cruise collections. LES BAUX-DE-PROVENCE, France— Chanel is heralding the return of physical fashion shows in Paris, with plans to stage a display with guests during the French capital’s couture week in July.