Hat Talk

Chanel was born on the 19th August 1882 in Saumur, France. Her mother died when she was just six. A week after the death of her mother, Chanel’s father abandoned her and her siblings, which resulted in Chanel’s young life being spent in an orphanage, raised by nuns. The nuns taught her how to sew. Being a girl bought up under these circumstances; there seemed little chance for success.
It may be surprising for some to learn Coco’s real name is in fact Gabrielle Bonheur. ‘Coco’ came from a shortened version of cocotte, the French word for ‘kept woman’. Chanel started out as a milliner selling hats in Paris in 1912. She sold simple cloche hats that became popular amongst society women. Chanel soon expanded into couture, introducing simplicity and comfort to the industry, proving she was a brilliant entrepreneur.
One of the first major fashion innovations pioneered by Chanel was the use of jersey. Jersey was previously associated as material for men’s underwear. Chanel used jersey as it was cheap, draped well and suited Chanel’s simple, practical designs.
Her individual style was simple, slightly masculine and relaxed; It was reflected directly in her designs.
During the twenties, Chanel was often photographed wearing trousers; at the time this was considered very inappropriate for a woman. Her image, her short cropped hair and her love affairs with famous men lent her notoriety. She appeared daring and exciting. Importantly, she appealed to women. Trousers became popular, and even more fashionable were short cropped haircuts. Chanel’s lifestyle embodied the emergence of the independent, uninhibited woman.
For Chanel the key concepts behind her designs were simplicity and comfort. This contrasted sharply with the corset fashions popular in the previous Edwardian era.
In 1922 Chanel released her most famous perfume – Chanel No. 5. It has been described as “the world’s most legendary fragrance” and still remains popular today, the company claim a bottle of it is sold every 55 seconds. However Chanel was not completely happy as the control of her perfume business was not entirely hers.
The “little black dress” was introduced by Chanel in 1926 after a picture of it appeared in Vogue which claimed it would become “a sort-of uniform for women of all tastes” The simple cut, colour and comfort appealed to all women and remains a staple of women’s wardrobes today. As well as clothes for the public, she designed costumes for the Ballets Russes.
Chanel was radical, innovative and successful, this made her immensely popular, and she counted film maker Jean Cocteau and artist Pablo Picasso among her closest friends.
In the war however Chanel started to lose her appeal. In 1939 all her workers were sacked and the fashion house was temporary closed. The fashion industry in Paris was cut off due to the Nazi occupation and for a brief period Chanel worked as a nurse. She took up residence in the Hotel Ritz Paris; it became her home for more than 30 years. It was during this time that a passionate love affair with a German begun. Baron Von Dincklage was a Nazi officer and spy.
Still unhappy that she did not have complete control of her perfume business, Chanel and Baron Von Dincklage wanted to expose her Jewish partners to the Nazis allowing her to gain full control of the perfumes.
With the liberation of Paris at the end of the war Chanel was arrested. Her reputation had been tarnished by her relationship with Von Dincklage and there were rumours of other ‘war’ crimes. Chanel was interrogated but she was not charged as a collaborator. The public view was different. Many believed she had betrayed her country. She went to live alone in Switzerland for a number of years in self imposed exile.
In 1953 Chanel returned to Paris, Christian Dior was now dominating the Haute-Couture industry. Her return collection was savaged by the French press who were quick to take revenge. They had not forgotten her relationship with Von Dincklage and described the show as a flop and fiasco. However her stylish casual clothing caught the eye of the public and she was once again dominating the Haute Couture scene.
The famous Chanel quilted handbag with the chain strap was introduced in 1955. It fast became so popular that Chanel was forced to decline numerous requests as supply was not fast enough for demand. Now over 50 years old, the 2.55 has been recently re-released and is still as popular as ever.
Chanel died on January 10, 1971 at the age of 87. Even as an old lady, Chanel continued to design and work. Karl Lagerfeld became creative director of Chanel in 1983 and remains in charge today. Renowned for its perfumes, suits and handbags, Chanel is one of the most famous fashion houses in the world.