Nearly 30 years after her death, Gabrielle Chanel alias Coco remains an unforgettable character. Who doesn’t remember her lucky number, her little back dress, her enigmatic smile, her iron will, her remarkable capacity to answer women’s expectation ?All that brings her to the ranks of empress of the French " Haute Couture ". In fact Coco is an essential part of France’s patrimony.But even if success rhymes with happiness, it wasn’t the case for her. Her private life was with difficulties. Perhaps it was the secret of her success.

 

 

Gabrielle was born in Ponteils, France, on August 20^th 1883 to an ummarried couple. She spent her childhood with her parents at the market places around Issoire. Unfortunately at the age of 12, her mother died. To make it worse, her father abandonned her and her sister to the Aubazine Abbey. Then she left orphanage to go to a catholic convent when she was 18. The nuns made her feel that she was there thanks to charity. Two years later, the nuns sent her to work as a shop assistant in a hosiery shop in Moulins. There, she met the first man of her life :Etienne Balson, gentleman rider and officer with the 90^th Infantery Regiment, who came from an upper classe familly and was quite well-off. Not wanting to spend her whole life at a hosiery shop, she tried out theatre and dance.

Gabrielle agreed to live at Etienne Balsan’s castle at 25. But because of her family situation he wouldn’t marry her, so she had to remain very discreet. However, she adapted to the situation and to amuse herself ; begins making hats for her friends. It was the time of her first creation :the famous little boater hat which followed her throughout her life.

In spring 1912, Gabrielle met Arthur Capd a close friend of Etienne Balsan. With him she achieved her plan :being a milliner. But what she wanted most of all was to make a name for herself. He backed her financially and she oppened her first shop at 21 rue Cambon and later a second one in Deauville. Chanel became the darling of the young up and comers. Being an outstanding woman, she was invited everywhere and opened a fashion boutique in Biarritz in 1916. She sold luxury dresses. she was the boss of 300 employees, She was able to reimburse Arthur and finally, lived all by herself.

In 1917, she broke out a new revolutional trend. She launched jersey fabric, cut hair, put off corsets and. Wanting to be at ease in mouvement, she said years later : " I created fashion for a quarter of a century. Why ?Because I knew how to express my era ". A smile never comes without tears :on christmas Arthur was killed in a car crash. Her biggest and only love had disappared.

Five her lucky number, number chosen at random became the world famous parfume with a rectangular bottle in 1920. Two years later, she started a new career of costume designer

for the theater, asked by Jean Cocteau. Immediatly after, Chanel invented silk beach pyjamas. People were aghast :a woman in trousers ! !Furthermore, she lay out in the sun :huge scandal !

Like in 1917, she turned fashion upside-down from 26 to 31with an English inspiration :tweeds, vests, berets pulled down to eye-level and pearl necklaces. This is also the period of the " little black dress " :a simple long sleeved, close-fritting sheath dress made of crepe de chine which didn’t please the columnists. Nevertheless, the Americain Vogue affirmed it would be the uniform that every woman wanted to own at that time, they all be trusted in Coco’s tastes.

In 1928, she moved to 31 rue Cambon, to celebrate it, she invented the unisex fashion, the " anti-fashion ". The old lady in black gave way to the woman in white. It brings to mind the famous white dress of satin of Mistinguette. Then, was offered one million dollars by Sam Goldwyn, " Carol Hollywood ", to design movie wardrobes for the stars in his films. After being indecisive, she finally agreed in 1931. Once she was professionnally peaceful, she got heartly lucky : she met Paul Iribe, the most popular designer of the 20^th century.

However, once again she feft lonely and desperate when he died in 1935, during a tennis’match . In order to increase Gabrielle’s misfortune, her workers went on strike in 1936, during the Popular Front ; She fired 300 of them but she had to give in for fear of not being able to show her collection. As soon as the Second World War was declared, Chanel closed her fashion house.

At the liberation , she was arrested because of having intercourse with a representant of propraganda of the Reich. She was imediately released and fled to Switzerland for 8 years. In 1947, she was forgotten because of Dior and his " New Look ". When se came back to Paris .she presented a new collection but critie pulled her to pieces. Luckily, popular magazines like " Elle " supported her and her fashion went into the streets. From 1954 to 1971, she never stoped, always hard working until January 10 when she decided to rest once and for all : she died at the age of 87.

 

 

In spite of her extraordinary professional success, she lived in appalling solitude, having failed at whatshe had wanted the most : to have a family. Many stylists tryed to imite her model but noone managed to have her talent.

 

 

 

Domitille B. Aurore C. Anne-lise G. Laure S.