Iconic Innovations Of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel
Gabrielle is the creator and founder of ‘Chanel’. She was on born on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France. She was raised in an orphanage and had to be taught how to sew. Something unique that no one ever thinks about Gabrielle is that she had a brief singing career before she opened her first clothing store. She first opened her store in Paris on 21 Rue Cambon, where she created hats that was named under ‘Chanel Modes’. As many french actresses found her design incredible, her reputation was at a higher honor.
Chanel has an elegant and simple style that Paris has admired and incorporated in their daily routine. A few years later, she decided to open another boutique in Deauville, France where she first came up with the idea of a sportswear collection. Her Jersey line changed women’s relationships with their bodies and their way of living. It then became a huge success. That’s when in 1915, her reputation has established immensely. Soon after, Chanel opened her first couture house in Biarritz, France, which then led her to open another house in Paris on 31 Rue Cambon. Gabrielle Chanel has finally come out with her very first iconic fragrance N°5. It was created by Ernest Beaux. He was born and trained in Russia and was a former performer to the tsars. Chanel named this fragrance as so because it was the fifth scent that was presented to her. In 1922, N°22 was launched and was named after the year it was created. It has a unique blend of audacity and delicacy. Two years later, she launched her first makeup collection, which featured different lip colours and face powders. Additionally, she created costumes for a few shows and plays, such as ‘Le Train Bleu’ which was performed at the Teatre des Champs Elysees in Paris which was created by Serge Diaghilev. As she made constant trips to Scotland with the Duke of Westminster, she discovered Tweed. It a masculine fabric which then inspired her women’s suits.
A new scent was introduced to Chanel, named Gardenia. It is described as a voluptuous and intense fragrance which expresses a vision of absolute femininity. Ernest Beaux designed an effective composition to the purity of the camel, which is Gabrielle’s favourite unscented flower. Bois des Iles was then created and has a scent of sandalwood and exotic lands with notes of Ylang-Ylang. This was the first oriental (Asian) fragrance to be created for women. One of Chanel’s iconic creations has been ‘The Little Black Dress’. It has a simple and revolutionary style. The American vogue described this iconic piece as ‘The Chanel ‘ford’ dress, The frock that all the world will wear’. This shows how much of a classic piece this was for many women in the world. Ernest Beaux created ‘Cuir de Russie’ in 1927. This oriental fragrance has been inspired by the Russian history and evokes equestrian culture with a tint of tobacco and leather. During the same year, the first skincare line was launched. They believed that luxury begins with perfect skin. Chanel created the first fifteen revolutionary skincare products, which reflected Gabrielle’s spirit of vision.
In 1931, Chanel went to Hollywood to create different outfits for celebrities of the silver screen as per requested by Samuel Goldwyn. In 1935, Gabrielle Chanel is at her highest peak of her fame. She employed 4, 000 workers and owns five different boutiques all around France; mostly in Paris. As World War II broke out in 1945, the house of Chanel has been closed. Among five of her boutiques, only one remained open. This was the only boutique where perfumes and accessories continue being asked by Parisian and Americans soldiers. At the age of 71, Gabrielle Chanel staged her grand re-opening of her couture house in 1954. Almost ten years later, she launched the iconic 2. 55 quilted handbag. She named the style after the date of its creation. The bag is a combination of leather and a golden chain. She invented a supple new style of shoulder strap, which was strong and light, which allowed women’s hands to be free. The same year, she launched the first men’s fragrance ‘Pour Monsieur’, which was created by Henri Robert. The fragrance is of a discrete, refinement, spirit and woody smell.
Another one of Chanel’s iconic innovation was the slingback shoes. It was created in 1957 and was of a beige tint with a contrasting black toe cap. This unique shoe had a unique effect which shortened the food and lengthened the leg. In the 1960s, Chanel was one of the most celebrated stars of the time. In the early 1970s, Chanel created Chanel°19 and named it after her date of birth. Henri Robert invented this one. It is of a floral scent infused with iris flowers and a rich blend of green and wood tints. A year later, Gabrielle passed away and wanted to honour her company as ‘May my legend prosper and thrive. I wish it a long and happy life’. In 1983, the director for Chanel fashion designer of all haute couture, Karl Lagerfield has come in. Four years later, the first watch line has launched. The first watch was designed by Jacques Helleu. The watch’s dial recalls the shape of the place vendome (where she owned a boutique) and the stopper of the iconic N°5 fragrance bottle. In 1993, Chanel finally launched their first jewellery line. In the early 2000s, Chanel obtained different Parisian ateliers to establish excellence. The ateliers were Desrues, Lemarie, Maison Michel, Lesage, Massaro, Goossens, Guillet and Montex. The Museum of Art in New York honoured Chanel with a grand exhibition dedicated to the house of Chanel in 2005.
The following year, Chanel launched the new lipstick ‘Rouge Allure’ with luminous and intense shades. One of its unique compartment is the one lick which reveals the lip colour and it is inscribed with the name of the house ‘Chanel’. In 2007, they celebrated Chanel as ‘Art as universe’ at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts’ exhibition in Moscow. Zaha Hadid Architecture, presented a traveling exhibition called ‘Mobile Art Chanel Contemporary Art Contained by Zaha Hadid’, which featured unique masterpieces inspired by the iconic quilted handbag. The exhibition was created by twenty different artists. Following the shows, they toured around big cities, such as Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York City. In 2011, Chanel was honoured by the international art as the ‘Culture Chanel’ at NAMOC (National Art Museum of China) in Beijing.
In the early 2010s, they launched the iconic black jacket and celebrated it with the book and photo exhibit titled ‘The Little Black Jacket’. This classic jacket was re-examined by Karl Lagerfield and Carine Roitfeld. The Foundation of Chanel is mobilising with employees to benefit different partnerships to improve the company. It leverages diverse skills of its different employees to support non-profit and beneficiaries partnerships. As they offer their different competencies as savoir-faire (being able to speak in social situations) in different fields, Chanel employees can support many projects and participate in being able to build non-profit partnersgips. The Foundation also informs their employees about their different projects and mobilise expert technical support to meet their non-profit partners’ needs around the world. The Foundation of Chanel has mobilising links. Meaning, it is an independent and private organization that is organized into two branches (Paris and New York). They have a team of 10 employees in France and the United States that work closely together in offices all around the world. Its goal is to provide a collaborative and customised approach by promoting different and new strategies for women’s rights and empowerment.
In conclusion, Chanel has become one of the best selling luxurious beauty and fashion company in the world, with designers like Karl Lagerfeld, who remained with Chanel ever since, to this day as an 83 year old fashion icon. Chanel ranks as the most luxurious brand for Chinese consumers. In 2017, China ranked the second biggest market after the United States, for Chanel’s beauty business. The United States, China and France represent most of Chanel’s sales as a whole. Alain Wertheimer is the chairman of Chanel. He owns the company with his brother Gerard, who works in the watch division. Alain’s grandfather, Pierre Wertheimer founded Chanel with Gabrielle back in the days. Surprisingly, Alain was the one who hired Karl as the public face of Chanel. Chanel was able to work with many different designers to innovate iconic perfumes, fashion, skincare products, and even a makeup line. Celebrities like Vanessa Paradis, Cara Delevingne, Kristen Stewart and many more have worn Chanel and modelled out to the public. Its luxurious touch has transformed the company with a whole new level of beauty. Chanel decided one of the most inspirational value of beauty. They believed that beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself and being able to stay unique ‘Beauty begins with self’-confidence. Chanel, where beauty begins’. Karl Lagerfeld and all other designers and employees have accomplished to show the public what Gabrielle Chanel’s vision was her whole life. ‘In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different’ Gabrielle Chanel.
