GabrielleChanelwasbornAugust18,1883andwas

oneofsixchildrenfromherparentsAlbertandJeanneChanel.AuvergneFrancewashometo
theChanel'sforgenerations,eventhoughCoco(Gabrielle)Chanelwasborninthenorthwest
LoireValleytownofSaumursheliedandsaidliketherestofherfamilyshewasbornin
Auvergne.Herfather,AlbertChanel,wasapeddlerlikethemostofthemeninhisfamilybefore
himandwasacharmingnaturalshowman(probablywhereCocogothersalesmanshipfrom).
WithhischarismaticpersonalityheeasilyseducedCoco'smother,Jeanne,andimpregnated
herat19yearsold.Hesoonafterabandonedher.BrokenheartedandaloneJeanne'sUncle
tooksympathyonherandmadeithismissiontotrackAlbertdowntodefendJeanne'shonor.
ForawhilehehadnoluckbutthenfoundAlbert'sparentswhohelpedthemfindhimandwhen
theydidhimherefusedtomarryJeanne(whichwouldrestoreJeanne'sFamilyname).Asa
compromisetheyfakedtheweddingcertificateandafterthatJeannetaggedalongwithhim
travelingaroundFrance.Cocowasthesecondbabyoffiveandasatoddlergrewupinfestivals
andmarketplaces.WhenJeannebecamepregnantathirdtimetheylegalizedtheirmarriage
butnotmuchchargedfromthis.By1889Jeanne'shealthwasfailingandshesentthechildren
togolivewithheruncle,whileshestayedwithAlbert.Thisonlylastedtwoyearsandthenthe
childrenwerebackwiththeirparents.SoonafterJeanne'ssixthchildthatdiedmonthslater,she
toalsodiedfromherhealthissuesonFebruary16,1895.OutofthefiveChanelchildrenthree
weregirls(Julia,Gabrielle,Antoinette)andtheothertwowereboys(Lucier,Alphonse).After
theirmother'sdeaththeboysweresenttoworkonfarmsandthegirlstooneofthelargest
orphanagesinFrancerunbynuns.Coconeversawherfatheragainafterthis.

Lateronalotoftheinfluencesofthenunsstylewasrepresentedinherwork,the
whiteheaddressesandtheblackpleatedskirtsbecamehersignaturecolors,Takingorders
fromthemothersuperiorofthechurchwasherfirstexampleofafemalebossor"business
women",whichwasveryrareconsideringthetimeperiod.Growingupasateenagerwithlittle
entertainmentsheturnedtobooksandwasfondofwriterssuchasPierreDecourcellewho
wrotebooksandplaysaboutgirlswhohadnothingandrosetofameandfortuneorvice
versa.Cocosawherselfinoneofthesestoriesandaspiredtorisethroughthesocialclasses

andbecomeasuccessfulindependentwomen.GrowingupCoco'sAuntAdriennewasmore
likehersisterandtheyresembledeachotherssomuchtheywereoftenmistakenfortwins.
Ascloseastheyweretheywereverydifferent,Adriennewascalmandsoftspokenwereas
Cocowasedgywithabadtemper.Louise,Adrienne'soldersister,tookthetwogirlson
weekendsfromtheconvent(whichtheyhadgrownintoafterbeingtoooldfortheorphanage)
andwasaamateurfashiondesignerwhoCocolearnedalotfromabouttechniqueandstyle.
Intheconventshehadlearnedpracticalsewingbutthisopenedherimaginationofwhatshe
couldaccomplish.Cocowasknownbymanyforhercharismaandoddlooks.Flatchested,
tall,skinnyandwithalongneckCocowasn'tconsideredtraditionallyprettyforhertime(more
voluptuous,fullerfacedwomenwereadmired).Forgettingthataspectshewasalsoknownfor
captivatingpeopleandthisiswhatmadeherunforgettableandchasedafterbymyadmirers.
It'sspeculatedGabrielleearnedthenameCocobysinging,forashorttimeasaperformer,
"KoRiKo"and"Quiqu'avuCoco"whichtotheFrenchearstranslatestoCoco.After
performancesaudienceswouldchantthisnicknameanditeventuallystuck.Age23Coco
andAdriennelefttheconventandrentedasmallroominVichyFrance.Cocotriedherbestto
makeitasasingerandeventhoughshehadthe"itfactor"tocontrolandcaptivatea
audienceshedidn'thavethevoice.NotmakingitasanentertainerCocotooktooddjobslike
beingawatergirlanddoingsomeseamstresswork.

HerlifeturnedaroundwhenshemetArthur"Boy"Capelherfirstreallove.From
19081918arewhatCococallsthe"boyyears"wereheinfluencedherstyleandwayoflife
greatlyandmorethemanyoneelse.Hefinancedherfirststoresandlivingsituationsformany
yearsuntilhediedandleftheragreatsumofmoney.Butbythistimeshehadalready
createdabrandandgrowingbusinessandwasfinallybecomingtheindependentsuccessful
businesswomenshealwayswantedtobe.ShecouldnevermarryBoybecauseoftheir
differentsocialclasses,himbeingmuchricherandcomingfromarespectablefamilyandher
(eventhoughshehadchangedthecourseofherlife)beingapoorpeasantgirl.Hemarried
anywaydespiteCocosandtheirrelationshipshewasnowconsideredhismistress.When
boydiedin1918Cocowasbrokenbutashisgifttoherhehadleftherwithanempirewhich
shenowhadcontrolof.OneofhermostpopularstoresinDeauvilleFrancewhichwas
locatedbytheoceanwasextremelyinfluencedbytheupandcomingChanelstyle.She
introducedmoremenswearwithatwisttohaveamorefemininetouchandthisbecameone

ofhermoresignaturelooks.PeoplewentcrazyoverherclothingandthewayCocopresented
herself(herbodytype,makeup,hairstyleetc).AsthewarwasreachingDeauvillewomenof
allsocialclasseswereofferingtohelpoutwithwoundedsoldiersandwiththisoutfits/uniforms
wereneeded,whichChaneldesignedperfectlytowhattheyneeded(crispwhiteblouses,
simpleskirtsandwhitehats).Theywereahitandsoldout.Chanelreinventedtheusefor
jerseyfabricandmadeitoneofhersignaturefabrics.Jerseyatthetimewasconsiderednot
toapresentablefabric,itwasn'tsupposedtobeworninpublicanditcameinhideouscolors
likegreyorbeige.Jerseywasaworkingclassfabricandwasveryhardtosewandshowed
everymistake.Chanelturnedthisturnedthisaroundwhenshedesignedtubularchemise
dressesandskirtsoutofjersey(theyhunglooseandstraight).Thiscreatedanewmorefree
flowingfemininesilhouette.Thesesgarmentsdidn'trequirecorsetsliberatingwoman'sbodies
tobemorefree.Thiswasdefiantlyabetteralternativethentowearingorgansquishing,bone
crushingcorsetsbuttheclothesonlysuitedcertainbodiestypeslikeCocos,thatwerevery
thinandboylikewithaflatchestandlongneck.Theeraoffullfigures,extremelysmall
waist'swascomingtoaendandtheskinnylimbsandlongwaistswerebeginning.Forthose
notbornwiththerareChanelbodytypemanywouldtrydietingandwiththeshortagesoffood
becauseofthewarmanyjustwouldn'teatatallanduseditasanexcuse.

Chanel'sproductsevenwhenshewasfirst
startingoutwerepricedveryhightogivetheairofluxuryandtotrytotrickpeopleintothe
mindsetofelegance,eventhoughtheywereallmadecheaplyoutoflowqualitymaterials.
ChanelspreadherbrandnamebyhavingBoyintroducehertofamousaristocratsand
socialitesanddressingtheminhergarments.Throughthisshestartedmovingupsocial
classesandtakingpersonalitytraitsfromwealthypeopletoearnrespectandestablish
connections(shehadalwaysbeengoodatpickingandchoosingpeople'scharacteristicsand
makingthemherown).WhenbombingsweregettingclosertoDeauvillemanypeople
stayinginhotelsinthatareawouldgodowntothesheltersin"publiclyunacceptablefashion"
soChaneltookthisasaopportunitybyrecreateinPajamasinrawsilkandadvertisingthem
asresortwearbuttheywerepopularlycalledbeachpajamas.Chanelhadaneyeforfinding
problemsandcreatingexpensivebutfashionablesolutions.Chanelhadthehabitoftaking
womenandturningthemintoacloneofherself.Shewouldfindthemwithsimilar
personalitiestoherselfandforceherimageontothem.Shechangedtheirfigure,theirhair
andmostimportanttheirwardrobe.AsCocoslitheredherwayintohighsocietyshefound

herselfdesigningcostumesforplaysbutinherownway.Insteadofdesigningtraditional
costumesshewouldinterpretcharactersandthemesadifferentwayanddesigninamore
modernway.Shealsousedthisopportunityforfreeadvertising.Lola