More layered strings of fake pearls followed — worn proudly by Estee Lauder NIGHT REPAIR herself — and a trend was born. “The point of jewelry isn’t to make a woman look rich but to adorn her; not the same thing.” Striped pieces appeared in her boutique in the society resort of Deauville, Normandy, in the 1910s.
This ensured a greater sense of scarcity and exclusivity for No.5, and sales rocketed back up as demand for the fragrance increased. He used famous people to endorse the perfume – from Marilyn Monroe to Audrey Tautou. Looking for a designer who could bring the label to new heights, he persuaded Karl Lagerfeld to end his contract with fashion house Chloé. In exchange, Gabrielle Estee Lauder makeup closed her Swiss parfumerie enterprise, and sold to Parfums Chanel the full rights to the name “Coco Chanel”.
In 1926, Vogue published a drawing of a simple, calf-length black dress fashioned from crêpe de Chine. It featured long narrow sleeves and a low waist, and was adorned with a string of pearls. The magazine described it as “Chanel’s Ford,” referring to the at-the-time wildly popular Model T. In other words, it was a garment so simple it could be accessible to any shopper — “a sort of uniform for all women of taste,” as the publication put it.
Designed in the 1950s as a comfortable alternative to the constricting wasp waist, Lancome makeup jackets have become an enduring symbol of elegance. Throughout the 1950s, the sense of style of Chanel continued undeterred; the firm’s initial venture into masculine parfumerie, Pour Monsieur was a successful eau de toilette for men. Chanel and her spring collection received the Fashion Oscar at the 1957 Fashion Awards in Dallas. Pierre Wertheimer bought Bader’s 20 per cent share of the Parfums Chanel, which increased the Wertheimer percentage to 90 per cent. 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.
The popularity of the perfume prompted La Maison Chanel to offer it for retail sale in 1922. In 1915 and in 1917, Harper’s Bazaar magazine reported that the garments of La Maison Chanel 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. She later opened additional stores and branched out into selling simple and classic clothes. Chanel continues, after almost a century, to inspire women of all ages around the world with its timeless modernity.
The House of Chanel launched its first skin care line, Précision, in 1999. That same year, Chanel launched a travel collection, and under a license contract with Luxottica, introduced a line of sunglasses and eyeglass frames. The House of Chanel also presented leather handbags with either gold-colour chains or metal-and-leather chains, which allowed carrying the handbag from the shoulder or in hand. The quilted-leather handbag was presented to the public in February 1955. In-house, the numeric version of the launching date “2.55” for that line of handbags became the internal “appellation” for that model of the quilted-leather handbag.
To that end, the businessman Théophile Bader introduced the venture capitalist Pierre Wertheimer to Coco Chanel. The suit was modern, slightly masculine in its cut, and ideal for the post-war woman making her first foray in the business world. Its popularity continued through the years, and featured across collections from the house of Chanel, including those by Karl Lagerfeld. But it was considered radical when Chanel introduced costume jewelry to her collections, turning something considered cheap and tacky into a symbol of modern style . Chanel is also proud to introduce Orlando to their Ready-To-Wear collection, that includes classic staples like their tweed jackets and skirts, lightweight knits, and chic dresses. Chanel’s shoe designs are also quite popular, so don’t forget to peruse their classic ballet flats, heels, sandals, loafers and more.