Fashion designer Coco Chanel was born on August 19, 1883, and died on January 10, 1971. She was born in Saumur, Auvergne, France. Her real name was Gabrielle Chanel.
Born into a rural family, she grew up as an orphan at a convent school from the age of 12. At 18, she was hired as a dressmaking assistant and also worked as a cafe singer. She aspired to a career in showbiz, but failed. However, her hat designs gained popularity, and in 1910, with the support of her lover, Arthur Capel, she opened a millinery shop on Rue Cambon. In 1913, she opened an haute couture boutique in Deauville, and later in the Piarritz. She introduced jersey dresses, liberating women from the corseted style that had been mainstream up until then.
She was also passionate about developing cosmetics, and in 1921, she released her first perfume, "Chanel No. 5," which became a worldwide hit. She also had a deep appreciation for art, and interacted with Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, and Igor Stravinsky, among others, and was their patron. In 1924, she met the Duke of Westminster, and was inspired by his fashion to create the prototype for the Chanel suit. A strike by Chanel workers prompted her to close her store in 1939 and temporarily withdraw from the fashion world. After World War II, Chanel returned to the fashion industry in 1954 and reopened her store on Rue Cambon. Her haute couture collections were not well-received in France, but they garnered support in the United States. The following year, she introduced the Chanel suit, a classic to this day. She died in 1971 at the age of 87. Her life has been adapted into films and novels. The brand's popularity declined after her death, but it regained momentum when Karl Lagerfeld took over as designer in 1983. Hit perfumes such as "Allure," "Coco Mademoiselle," and "Chance" were released one after another.