These attributes enabled her to survive a childhood of deprivation and neglect and to re-invent herself to become one of the most influential women of her century.
At age twenty, she was apprenticed to a tailor and also worked as a dance singer at night.
In 1910, a well to do lover set her up in a millinery business. Three years later, Chanel opened her first boutique, in Deauville, France.
Beginning 1914, Chanel designed a line of clothing – usually in black, gray and beige - that eventually included short skirt and tailored suits.
She worked with chemist Ernest Beaux refuge from Russia, who created a rich floral scent combined sharp synthetic aldehydes with expensive natural oils such as jasmine.
In 1932, Chanel introduced a diamond jewelry collection, sponsored by the International Diamond Guild.
Gabrielle Chanel died at age eighty-eight on a January Sunday evening while working on a new collection.
After her death the company flourished with continued commitment to its perfume line. Chanel No. 5 was reestablished as the exclusive fragrance for the fashion savvy.
The House of Chanel has continued with a succession of designers directing it. Karl Lagerfeld took over designing the couture line in 1983 and the ready to wear collections the next year.
Lagerfeld has continued to exploit the Chanel look to the present day, sometimes paying homage to her classic styles and at other times parodying them mercilessly.
History of Chanel
