ENTREPRENEURS

INSPIRIN
G 
 ENTRRE
NEURS
STORY
COCO CHANEL
FASHION ENTREPRENEUR 

                EARLY LIFE 

Gabrielle Bonheur ''Coco'' Chanel a French fashion designer and businesswoman was born on
August 19 1883 in Saumur France to Eugenie Devolle Chanel also known as Jeanne. She was a
laundry woman. Gabrielle was the second born of Jeanne with Albert Chanel. Albert Chanel was
an itinerant street vendor who peddled work cloths living a type of a nomadic life. They were a
family of 6 living in one room apartment. The family inhabited in run-down lodgings. 
Her mother died when she was 12 and she did not attend school and she was sent to the orphanage
with her sister and her brothers to work on a farm. The orphanage contributed  to her future
career because she learned to sew there. 
                        
 
                 
                EDUCATION 
Not having the opportunity to attend school during her younger age. At eighteen years of ager Chanel went to
live in a boarding house for Catholic girls in the town of Moulins as she was too old to stay at the orphanage. 

               EARLY CAREER

Having learned to sew during her six years at , now at eighteen Chanel found employment as a seamstress.
When she is not sewing she sings in a cabaret frequented by cavalry officers. Chanel made her stage debut
singing at a café concert. She was a poseuse, a performer who entertained the crowd. It was the money she
earned there she used for making a living. It was during this time Gabrielle acquired the name "Coco" where
she spent her night singing the song WHO HAS SEEN COCO?. 

In 1906 Chanel worked in the spa resort town of vichy. 

Vichy hosts a profusion of concert halls, theatres and cafes where she hoped to achieve success as a performer. Her
youth and physical charms impressed those whom she auditioned but her voice was marginal and she failed to find
stage work. Chanel returned to Moulins and realized that a serious stage career was not in her future. 

                RELATIONSHIP LIFE

At Moulins Chanel met a young Balsan a French ex-cavalry officer and who also was a textile heir. At twenty-three of
age, Chanel was Balsan's mistress. Chanel began an affair with one of Balsans friend's, Arthur Edward 'Boy' Capel a
wealthy member of English upper class.  Capel installed an apartment in Paris for Chanel and financed her first shop. It
was believed Capel's sartorial style influenced the conception of Chanel look. They spent time together and Chanel
hopes they will settle together but Capel was not faithful to her. Their relationship lasted for nine years even after
marring an English aristocrat Lady Diana Wyndham in 1918 he did not completely break off with Chanel. He died in a
car accident on 22 December 1919. Twenty-five years later after his death Chanel residing I Switzerland told her friend
Paul Morand "Hid death was a terrible blow to me". In losing Capel I lost everything and what followed was not a life
of happiness. 
 CAREER 
 In 1913 before the death of Capel, Chanel opened a boutique in Deauville, financed by Arthur
Capel where she introduce