In The Lead

The House of Chanel today embodies innovation, simplicity and timelessness—three principles that its founder, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel lived by. Here, we trace the story of the founder and her impression on the world of fashion.
By Veyoleen Mehrotra

It was on August 19, 1883 that Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel was born to Jeanne Devolle, the companion of a small-wares peddler, Albert Chanel. Married a year later, Albert officially acknowledged Gabrielle and her sister as his children.

Gabrielle’s early childhood was spent in the public markets, in the midst of fairs, religious festivals and peasant gatherings. However, Jeanne’s death in 1895 caused Albert to abandon his daughters in an orphanage. Although she left the orphanage in 1900, Gabrielle spent her whole life trying to conceal the details of her origin and childhood.

The Grand Ascent
“Fashion does not only exist in dresses; fashion is in the air, it is brought in by the wind, one feels it coming, breathes it in, it is in the sky and on the pavement, it depends on ideas, customs, and happening.”
— Coco Chanel

Gabrielle was 25 years old when she met Étienne Balsan and moved in with him. Surrounded by horses, Gabrielle established a sense of style—white collars, neckties and boaters—that would become a way of life for women 20 years later. It was during this phase that Gabrielle also met Boy Capel, who not only understood her inclination to work but also encouraged her dream to be a milliner. In spite of several reservations, Balsan set her up at his bachelor’s chambers, where she proceeded to establish a studio.

In stark contrast to the lace and feathers favoured by most women at the time, Gabrielle’s creations were simple in design and material. Her aversion to corsets and ostentation was combined with a need to design clothing that didn’t restrict movement, yet appeared feminine. She would often rummage through the wardrobes of her male friends as inspiration for some of her androgynous designs. In 1910, Gabrielle moved to Rue Cambon in Paris where she set up shop. About 10 months before World War I broke out, Gabrielle opened her boutique in Deauville and offered hats, jumpers, jackets and the ‘sailor blouse’ that became the wartime staple of all well-turned out ladies.

Over the next few years, Gabrielle’s ideas altered the way women dressed. Up until then, women were outfitted in clothing that accentuated their physical charms. Freedom, simplicity and innovation formed the premise of her art. She dared to design garments that hinted at, rather than emphasised a female silhouette. In fact, during World War I, Gabrielle incorporated the jersey fabric to make dresses for women. By 1916, she was overseeing almost 300 employees.

Signature Scent
“I want to give women an artificial fragrance. I say artificial because it will be fabricated. I want a fragrance that is composed.”
— Coco Chanel

It was during the summer of 1921 that Coco and the Great Duke Dimitri of Russia travelled to Monte Carlo to meet her friends. By this time, she had captured the imagination of the world with her hats, dresses and prêt-à-porter clothing. Her unconventional approach to fashion made it almost natural for Coco to conceive of an idea that was out of bounds for many. While speaking to her friends, Coco decided to launch a fragrance at a time when couturiers and perfumers practised very separate arts.

An outcome of this idea was the No. 5 perfume—a mixture of around 80 ingredients, blended by an eminent chemist, Ernest Beaux. Born in Moscow to French parents, Beaux moved to France after the Russian Revolution of 1917, and set up his shop at La Bocca. Introduced to her by Dimitri, Coco met Beaux in his laboratory and described what she wanted. Guided by her specifications, Beaux proposed five different formulae and she chose the last. In contrast to the lyricism associated with fragrances, Coco opted for a simple stamp, akin to a registration number. As plain as a laboratory flask, with its stark lines and rounded angles, the bottle represented minimalism.

The allure of No. 5 first spread to America, then Japan, before becoming a leading fragrance worldwide. When Marilyn Monroe was asked about what she wore to bed, the actress replied, “Just a few drops of No. 5.” Today, it is widely believed that a bottle of the now iconic fragrance is sold every 30 seconds.

In the years 1920-24, Coco became an international figure—sought after and invited everywhere. In 1924, she enlisted Étienne de Beaumont as Director of Design for her new line of jewellery.

Uniform of the Modern Woman
“Women think about all colours, except the absence of colour. I said that black holds everything. White as well. They are of an absolute beauty. It’s the perfect match. Put women in white or black at a ball: you will see only them.”
— Quoted in ‘Chanel’ by Jean Leymarie (Skira, 1987)

In November 1926, a magazine presented a sketch of what it termed as the new ‘uniform of the modern woman’. Coco had created a simple crepe gown, cut above the knee with a high neckline and long fitted sleeves. Its unadorned form compelled a publication to dub the outfit as Chanel’s ‘Ford’. It was a reference to the standardisation in the automobile industry and Henry Ford’s stipulation: “Make me cars in any colour as long as they are black.” Despite some criticism that the dress lacked vitality, Chanel’s ‘little black dress’ revolutionised the world of fashion.

Soon after this in 1928, Chanel set up her business over three floors at 31 rue Cambon, where it remained for the rest of her life.

A Girl’s Best Friend
“If I chose the diamond, it is because it represents the highest value in the most compressed form. I used my love of everything which glitters in an attempt to combine finery, elegance, and fashion.”
— Coco Chanel

Mademoiselle Chanel’s creations were often a reflection of her lifestyle. During her involvement with the Duke of Westminster in the late 1920s, Coco adopted a distinctively English approach to dressing. She would accessorise her ensembles with the sort of jewellery that no lady of English society would wear, except with a ball gown. Pearls over tweed jackets and on the beret, a cluster of stones, were just some of the styles that soon became a dominant theme in her collections. Each of her outfits exuded a sense of sumptuous elegance. She always felt that the purpose of luxury was to make simplicity appear remarkable.

Of all her jewellery—costume and precious—Coco preferred the elegant pearls that became her trademark. In November 1932, Mademoiselle hosted a showing in her apartment on the ground floor of the Hotel Pillet-Will to present Bijoux de Diamants, her first jewellery collection. Designed by her, all the ornaments were showcased on female dummy busts made of polished wax. Appearing almost lifelike, each mannequin was dressed up in a style reminiscent of the 1930s.

The exhibition came as a surprise since Mademoiselle’s penchant for costume jewellery was well known. Also, just like with perfumes, it was unheard of for someone without experience in jewellery design to work with real gems. In spite of this, Mademoiselle’s jewellery reflected elegance in its settings. Based on the three themes—the bow, the star, and the feather—diamond brooches, necklaces, bandeaux, and tiaras were designed. Each piece could be worn in three different ways. For instance, a necklace could be separated and worn into a brooch and as bracelets, making it the first time that anyone had ever treated gemstones so casually.

The Legacy Lives on
“I don’t like people talking about the Chanel fashion; Chanel—above all else, is a style. Fashion, you see, goes out of fashion. Style, never.”
— Coco Chanel