The Philippine Online Chronicles

The little black dress. The drop waist. The cashmere cardigan. The tweed suit. The jersey dresses.  Quilted leather handbags. Minimalist dressing. Costume jewelry. These ideas of modern chic enjoyed by countless of women from all over the world mostly originated in the 1920s, as popularized by the genius of Coco Chanel.  Though trends come and go, these classic ideals have endured and changed little, if at all.

Prior to this era, women were heavily encased in Edwardian opulence—layers of petticoats, bustles and trains to emphasize (or exaggerate) women’s curves, hats dripping with feathers, jewels and beaded accents, endless frills and lace and corsets that force-molded shapes into what Chanel thought of as an oppressive ideal.  It was Coco Chanel who was the first to thumb her nose at this ideal and introduced elegant simplicity that eventually made the previous fashion look ridiculous in the war-torn, revolutionary times.  At her lead, women kicked up their heels, broke free of restricting garments, bobbed their hair, and embraced a more spirited aesthetic that women of today still possess. Love her or hate her, this controversial woman and legendary designer is the acknowledged pioneer of modern fashion.

As the young Gabrielle

Though Chanel is a brand known today as a fashion house specializing in haute couture and luxury goods, its founder was of humble origins.  Born on the 19^th of August 1883 to market stallholder Albert Chanel and a laundrywoman named Jeanne Devolle, Gabrielle Chanel was the second daughter in a brood of five.  When she was 12, her mother died of tuberculosis.  Burdened by the prospect of raising his children alone, her father left them at an orphanage where Gabrielle stayed until she was 18.

Despite of her childhood or because of it, Chanel grew up a determined and ambitious young woman.  She left the orphanage as soon as she was of age, and concocted elaborate stories to hide her true heritage and gain the sympathy, if not understanding, of society.  She later claimed to have been born in 1893 (instead of 1883) to wealthy parents, her mother dying when she was two years old, and her father leaving her to the care of two wicked spinster aunts while sailing off to America.

She tried her luck as a cabaret singer while working at a tailoring shop by day.  As an entertainer, she adopted the nickname “Coco” which some say was taken from one of the songs she often performed.  It was then that she met the rich, textile heir named Étienne Balsan, to whom she eventually became a mistress.  Balsan gave her a taste of the moneyed life, exposing her to a number of high-profile acquaintances, while indulging her in her hobbies, which, at the time, was designing hats.

Dabbling in millinery and getting her start

In 1909, when she settled in Paris, Balsan allowed her to turn the ground floor of his home into a boutique.  Balsan was an accomplished polo player and hunter, and his home was a frequent meeting place for the affluent French who shared his interests and who brought along their fashionable mistresses.  Chanel was then able to sell her hats, and often wore her own designs wherever she went with Balsan.  As a result, the elite took notice of her simple and unique creations, and her business attained rapid success—especially when popular theater actress Gabrielle Dorizat started modeling her designs.

Launching her career as a designer

Chanel then became involved with another of Balsan’s friends, Arthur “Boy” Capel.  With his help, Chanel was able to open her first few shops.  By 1913, she had boutiques in Deauville and Biarritz that were selling luxe casual clothes and women’s sportswear, the antithesis of the impractical clothes she detested, which were worn by the rich women who came to resorts at these seaside towns.  The clothes that she designed were built for a lifestyle that was adapting to the changing time.

Chanel was inspired by Capel’s clothes: his sweaters, jackets and most notably, his blazers.  Her designs were in stark contrast to the excessive plumage of the previous era, emphasizing simple silhouettes.  It was a changing time for women—there was war, coal was scarce, and females started taking on factory jobs.  She was often quoted as saying, “Fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”  Thus, the style that Chanel reflected was that of elegant practicality, but with a hint of rebellion.  Many of her clothes were inspired by menswear, and created from fabrics that had never been used to fashion women’s garments at the time.  She favored jersey, an inexpensive fabric that fell and draped exactly to her liking, but was usually just used for making men’s undergarments.  Apart from borrowing Capel’s (as well as other male friends’) blazers and sweaters for herself, she sold women’s jersey dresses, flannel blazers, boxy jackets, sailor tops, linen skirts and suits.

The famous Chanel tweed suits in modern times have changed little, but are still fashionable.

She introduced the little black dress, something versatile whose function could vary depending on one’s accessories.  It was appealing to both ends of the market: the high class perceived simple elegance as a mark of being smart and independent, fast becoming fashionable and desirable traits, while the less affluent middle class saw sophistication that was easily achieved.

Iconic Chanel looks that have endured throughout the years. Anna Wintour is almost never seen without Chanel shades; the black quilted 2.55 handbag remains one of the most coveted bags in the world; the little black dress is every woman's perfect canvas; Chanel introduced faux pearls and mixed it with real jewelry; boxy cardigans; metallic chain jewelry is also a well-known Chanel signature look; and ballet flats.

In 1915, she was named by Harper Bazaar as the designer whose name was on the list of every buyer. Her success and connections continued to grow, even at the death of on-and-off lover and dearest friend Boy Capel who had helped her get her start in business.  By the time the early 1920s came in, Coco Chanel was the most in-demand designer in France.  She produced beaded dresses and introduced costume jewelry to her steadily increasing clientele.

Beyond haute couture

The year 1921 saw the birth of what is still described as the world’s best-selling perfume of all time and the most legendary fragrance: the Chanel Nº 5, named after Coco Chanel’s lucky number.  Ironically, Chanel used to dislike perfumes, and was once reported to have said that “[w]omen perfume themselves only to hide bad smells.”   However, in the late 1920, her then-lover the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia introduced her to Ernest Beaux.  Beaux showed the couple his laboratory and perfume creations.  From these, Chanel chose the vial labeled no. 5, with the intent of giving her loyal clients an exclusive Christmas gift.  Later on, she decided to launch it as her own fragrance, giving it the name Chanel Nº 5, and explaining that “I always launch my collection on the 5th day of the 5th month, so the number 5 seems to bring me luck – therefore, I will name it Nº 5.”

The perfume has gone on to be iconic.  Chanel had in mind an artificial scent that was a composition, much like a dress that women could wear.  She wanted it to be the scent of a woman, rather than resembling the fragrance of a flower bouquet.  It was famous for its overdose of synthetic perfumery materials, as per Chanel’s liking.  Marilyn Monroe was once quoted to have said, “What do I wear to bed?  Why, Chanel Nº 5 of course!”

Wane of popularity and rise back to fame

Coco Chanel’s popularity faded during World War II.  In 1939, she closed her shops and moved into the Hôtel Ritz Paris where she took up with a German Nazi officer 13 years her junior named Hans Gunther von Dincklage.  On seemingly good terms with the Germans, she won no sympathy from her countrymen.

Channel was also reported to have been deeply embroiled in the politics of the time. Her biographer Edmonde Charles-Roux said that German intelligence sent her to visit Winston Churchill as a part of a secret peace mission dubbed “Operation Modelhut.”  When the Germans left the country, Chanel was arrested as a German agent and a spy but eventually released upon the intervention of Churchill.  Nevertheless, she went into exile in Switzerland for a decade, leaving behind the countrymen who harbored suspicions of her as a traitor.  For 15 years, she lived off the royalties of her perfume, as it continued to be sold during the German occupation.

Even her perfume Chanel Nº 5 was knee-deep in controversy, as she and her partner in the business, Pierre Wertheimer, argued about her share in the product. Chanel lobbied for a larger portion of the profits than the 10 percent she was receiving, but initially failed to do so when the Wertheimers fled to America.  The Wertheimers, being French Jewish, were banned by German laws from owning companies, but the family had already installed an Aryan counterpart to see to their business before Chanel could do as she wished.  While in Switzerland, Chanel created her own collection of perfumes.  Wertheimer felt that this was infringing on his legal rights, so he settled it out of court by giving her USD400 thousand, two percent royalty from all Chanel products, and limited rights to sell her own perfumes in Switzerland.  When both parties came to an agreement, Chanel stopped making perfumes and sold the complete rights to the use of her name in exchange for a monthly stipend from the Wertheimers.

Coco Chanel made a comeback in 1954, but by then the French were still an unforgiving lot.  European fashion critics panned her as being the same old Chanel and called her a wash-up.  The designer not only had to face a bitter market with a good memory, she also had to deal with the competition.  Christian Dior was occupying what was once her place at the helm of European fashion, and was responsible for bringing the “New Look,” which was then considered a marked departure from the '20s style and somewhat reflective of an era that saw the end of the war.

However, Chanel took on the challenge and relaunched her signature pieces, including the Chanel suit and the quilted handbags with metal straps that even up to now have never really fallen out of fashion.  She introduced the bell-bottom pants and the pea coat as well.  She revived collaborations and made new ones while making an impact on the American market.  The latter welcomed her designs with open arms and wave after wave of positive reviews, eventually restoring her brand to its glory days and going further beyond its past achievements.

Coco Chanel died on January 1971 at the age of 87, and was said to have been working and designing up to her very last day on earth.  She left behind the legacy of her brand, still prominent today, and a fashion style with what seems to be the longest staying power in the business.  She devoted her life to fashion, and in turn, it has kept her legend alive.

Despite being linked to several powerful men in her lifetime, she had never married.  Once, she was asked why she didn’t marry one of her influential lovers, the Duke of Westminster. She answered, “There have been several Duchesses of Westminister.  But there is only one Chanel.”

Photos taken from:

FAME '10 Decades Project - 1920's; Chanel Nº 5; Polyvore