She freed women from corset and introduced comfortable yet chic styling. She converted lean man's wear into curvy woman's sovereign statement. In her words, 'If there's no comfort, there's no luxury'! For her, simple elegance blended with perky accessories has Up street panache than vexatiously overly done corsetty frills.
A
creative combatant whose envisage turned the winds of industry ruled by
man and compelled them to resort in her artistry. Her life was no
different than any other name amongst social architects! Born on August
19, 1883 in France, was put in an orphanage by her peddler father after
her mother's death. She learned sewing in orphanage.
Chanel's nickname Coco came from the clubs she sang in during her struggle to fit in the basics of life! People called her Coco there. She came in close contact with Etienne Balsan who offered to help her start a Hat business in
Paris and then much wealthier Arthur Capel, who also instrumented her fashion career.
Coco's clothing career
reached peaks in 1910 with an old jersey she was wearing on a very cold
day. People asked and she offered to make for them. An old jersey
changed her life forever! She became an iconic fashion stylist.
In 1920, she exhilarated world with the launch of her perfume Chanel no.5, biggest feather in her crown. The signature perfume was made by french Jasmine and being sold in its original fragrance even after 10's of decades, and still the best seller! Those days also major part of her earnings were coming from Chanel no. 5 despite the fact that she had just 10% hold on perfume's profits! 90% was owned by Wertheimers who gave her platform to produce and sell in large quantities and maintained its original identity throughout.
At the same time, this powerpuff girl with creative brilliance introduced stunning Little Black Dress that created tantalizing rage in women's fashion industry! History was changed
and remade that day. The color of mourn became preferred fete fashion!
Another milestone achieved in 1925 when she designed formal wear for
women. Inspired by men's military and formal wear, Fitted Skirts and Collarless/Collar Jackets, Pocketed Skirts and dresses with leather belts smashed boring ritualistic image to commence modish cosmos for women.
Like
other stories of legends in making, there too were years of gaffe and atrophy!
During world war-II, Chanel fell in love with a German military officer
and enjoyed lavished life while whole France was wretched by Hitler's
barbarism! After war, she had to shut down the business and lived in
exile in Switzerland.
Nevertheless
Chanel was forgiven for her luxuriously trimmed ingenious designs in
her 70's. She consummately buckled down herself for more avant-garde
designs and magnum opus perfume under Wertheimers banner who now owned
her clothing brand Chanel as well! She was paid a million $ a year (25
million $ today) and continued to work until her last breath. She left
this world on January 10, 1971.
Her
cutting edge thinking is all we women wear today! What if she never
ushered The little Black Dress, and The V/A Skirts, and
The Vivacious Accessories, we were not fearless ritzy today but dame
dolls caged in corsets!
An eccentric endeavor was this, an old jersey concocted Chanel no. 5!
Thank you Coco Chanel for creating today's woman of substance.
- Sumitra Puri.
