Coco Chanel
Born 1883 · Age 142
French fashion designer and businesswoman; founder of the House of Chanel. Revolutionized women's fashion (sporty chic, little black dress, Chanel suit), created Chanel No.5 and the interlocked-CC logo; controversial wartime activities and later a 1954 comeback.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth in Saumur, France
Born Gabrielle Bonheur Chasnel (later Chanel) in the House of Charity in Saumur to Eugénie Jeanne Devolle and Albert Chanel.
Mother's death and placement in orphanage (Aubazine)
After her mother's death, Gabrielle was sent to the convent-run orphanage at Aubazine where she learned to sew; formative to her later career.
Began work as a seamstress
Struck out on her own and worked as a seamstress after leaving the convent/boarding school in Moulins.
Worked in Vichy and sang in cabarets (nickname 'Coco')
Tried a stage career in spa town Vichy, worked dispensing mineral water and sang in café-concerts where 'Coco' nickname originated.
Became mistress of Étienne Balsan
Entered a relationship with textile heir Étienne Balsan; lived at his château and began designing hats and clothes for his social set.
Began relationship with Arthur 'Boy' Capel (patron)
Met and began a long affair with Arthur Capel who financed her early shops and influenced her style and packaging ideas.
Opened first millinery boutique 'Chanel Modes' at 21 Rue Cambon
Became a licensed milliner and opened a hat shop in Paris—Chanel Modes—selling hats to actresses and society women.
Opened Deauville boutique and introduced sportswear
With financing from Capel opened a boutique in Deauville selling relaxed sportswear (jersey, sailor blouses, yachting pants), pioneering casual women's fashion.
Opened Biarritz establishment (villa opposite casino)
Expanded to Biarritz (villa location) catering to wealthy and exiled wartime clientele; business became lucrative enough to reimburse Capel.
Business growth — ~300 seamstresses employed
By 1916 the couture operation had grown substantially; sources cite about 300 seamstresses working for Chanel.
Purchased 31 Rue Cambon (Paris) — future maison de couture HQ
Purchased the building at 31 Rue Cambon in a fashionable Paris quarter; the address became the center of Chanel's business.
Death of Arthur 'Boy' Capel (car crash, 22 Dec 1919)
Capel died in a car accident; his death was a personal and financial blow—Chanel commissioned a roadside memorial.
Established maison de couture at 31 Rue Cambon
By 1919 Chanel was registered as a couturière and opened her couture house at 31 Rue Cambon, expanding beyond millinery into clothing.
Guaranteed 300,000 francs for Ballets Russes Le Sacre du Printemps
Provided a large anonymous gift (reported ~300,000 francs) to Diaghilev to help finance a Ballets Russes production; actively involved in costume design collaborations.
Hosted Igor Stravinsky and family at Bel Respiro
Invited the Stravinsky family to stay at her home Bel Respiro (Sept 1920–May 1921); brief romantic liaison with Igor Stravinsky.
Launched Chanel No. 5 perfume (with Ernest Beaux)
Introduced Chanel No.5, an iconic multi-ingredient perfume (reportedly chosen as 'sample number 5'); success became financial base of the brand.
Introduced to Pierre Wertheimer and Théophile Bader
Met the businessmen who would finance and distribute Chanel No.5 and later form Parfums Chanel with her name licensed.
Founded Parfums Chanel (corporate agreement)
Parfums Chanel created with the Wertheimer brothers (Bourjois) and Théophile Bader; Wertheimers financed production and distribution in return for majority profits.
Parfums Chanel profit/share arrangement (70/20/10)
Under the 1924 contract: Wertheimers 70% of profits, Théophile Bader 20%, and Chanel 10% (licence/stock) — Chanel later contested these terms for decades.
Introduced tweed suit inspiration and first make-up line
Drew inspiration from tweed (Duke of Westminster) leading to the signature collarless tweed suit; also launched makeup (lipsticks, powders) around this period.
Introduced the 'Little Black Dress' (LBD)
Unveiled a simple black dress that Vogue called the 'Ford of Fashion'—it became an enduring fashion staple.
Owned multiple properties on Rue Cambon and received Roquebrune land gift
By 1927 Chanel owned five properties on Rue Cambon (23–31). The Duke of Westminster gifted land at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on which she built villa La Pausa.
Accepted MGM offer to design for Hollywood (US$1,000,000 deal)
Samuel Goldwyn offered a reported $1,000,000 to bring Chanel to Hollywood twice a year to design costumes for stars; she worked for a period but disliked film culture.
Designed costumes for films and dressed Hollywood stars
Designed costumes for films (e.g., Tonight or Never, 1931) and counted Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and Gloria Swanson among private clients.
Peak pre-war business size — ~4,000 employees
By the mid-1930s Chanel's couture business employed about 4,000 people and had major influence in fashion.
Closed couture house with outbreak of World War II
Chanel closed her couture operations in 1939 citing wartime conditions; closure left thousands unemployed and marked end of an era until a postwar comeback.
Resided at the Ritz Paris during Nazi occupation; liaison with Hans Günther von Dincklage
Lived at the Ritz (used by German staff) and began a romantic/liaison relationship with Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, a German diplomat/intelligence operative.
Petitioned German authorities to seize control of Parfums Chanel
Wrote to occupation administrators arguing Parfums Chanel was 'property of Jews' and petitioned for proprietary control during Nazi expropriations (unsuccessful long-term attempt).
Operation Modellhut / Madrid mission and contacts with RSHA (German intelligence)
According to declassified documents and later research, Chanel was involved with German intelligence (SD/Abwehr) schemes including a 1943 trip to Madrid and a proposed peace overture to Churchill (Operation Modellhut).
Interrogated by French Purge Committee (épuration) and released
Was questioned after Liberation about collaboration; committee released her for lack of documentary evidence; she later claimed Churchill intervened on her behalf.
Moved to Switzerland after the war
Left France and lived in Switzerland for several years (part of the time with Dincklage), avoiding further legal jeopardy in France.
Renegotiated settlement with Wertheimers — wartime profits payment
On 17 May 1947 the Wertheimers paid Chanel wartime profits (reported equivalent to about US$12 million in 2022 dollars), agreed to pay all her living expenses for life and granted her a 2% share of future Chanel No.5 sales worldwide.
Returned to Paris to confront wartime testimony
Asked to appear and did confront testimony given against her at a war-crime trial (Baron Louis de Vaufreland) and denied accusations; asserted connections (Duff Cooper) in her defense.
Sold villa La Pausa to Emery Reves
Sold her Roquebrune villa La Pausa (built from the gift by the Duke of Westminster) to publisher/collector Emery Reves.
Returned to Paris and revived couture house (comeback)
Came back to Paris and relaunched her couture house in 1954 (financed by Pierre Wertheimer); staged first show in ~15 years, initially criticized in France but popular in the U.S.
Introduced the modern Chanel suit (collarless tweed jacket)
Reintroduced and popularized the collarless, braid-trimmed tweed jacket with a matching skirt, reestablishing Chanel as a leading designer internationally.
Introduced the quilted 2.55 handbag (chain-strap bag)
Launched the iconic 2.55 quilted handbag with chain strap (February 1955), revolutionizing women's bags with hands-free convenience.
Awarded the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
Received the prestigious Neiman Marcus Fashion Award (recognition of contributions to fashion).
Little Black Dress gains pop-culture fame (Audrey Hepburn/B. Tiffany's)
Although created in 1926, the LBD attained renewed iconic status in popular culture (e.g., Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961) cementing Chanel's cultural influence.
Established Fondation CoGa (Liechtenstein) — heir/foundation
Set up Fondation CoGa in Liechtenstein, later to become the primary heir/vehicle for her estate and intellectual property arrangements.
Death at the Ritz, Paris
Died on 10 January 1971 in her suite at the Ritz Paris; left the House of Chanel legacy and foundation arrangements.
House of Chanel expanded into ready-to-wear (posthumous brand milestone)
After Chanel's death, the House expanded into broader prêt-à-porter offerings (1978) — part of the brand's continuing evolution under later creative directors.
Karl Lagerfeld appointed artistic director (posthumous brand milestone)
Karl Lagerfeld took over as creative director of Chanel in 1983, an era that massively increased Chanel's global profile and commercial expansion.
Listed as one of Time's 100 most influential people of the 20th century (only fashion designer)
Coco Chanel is the only fashion designer included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century (list published by Time, late 1990s).
Declassified documents publicized alleging Nazi intelligence collaboration
Publication of Hal Vaughan's research and declassified French/ Allied intelligence documents (2011) revived controversy over Chanel's wartime role as an agent/ collaborator.
Key Achievement Ages
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