Coco Chanel - biography and personal life
Celebrity biographies
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19.01.15 13:19
Fashion from Chanel is timeless: elegant stylish classics are always relevant! If there was a revolutionary in the fashion of the twentieth century, then this is Coco Chanel. The biography of this woman is amazing: her authority for a long time was indisputable. And the personal life of Coco Chanel, as well as her inspired work, became the plot for several full-length biopics.
Biography of Coco Chanel
Orphanage pupil
Mademoiselle was sometimes cunning, shifting the date of birth a decade later and naming the year 1893. But in fact, Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born on August 19, 1883. The story of Coco Chanel begins rather sadly: her mother gave birth to her out of wedlock, and so that the girl would not die of hunger, she handed over the baby to an orphanage. After the death of her mother, her father took care of the fate of her daughter, who sent 12-year-old Gabrielle to a monastery, and then to a boarding school. Is it any wonder that, accustomed to wearing a discreet mouse-colored uniform every morning, the girl dreamed of completely different outfits?
When the whole world opened up before a beautiful young lady, she decided to become a singer. In the cabaret, where she performed in the evenings, they fell in love with Gabrielle (although her voice left much to be desired). And she received the nickname "Coco" thanks to the name of two songs that were in her repertoire. This sweet name was assigned to the Frenchwoman, and even in extreme old age she proudly wore it. Koko also had another job - a saleswoman in a clothing store, but she dreamed of her own business.
Revolutionary from the Parisian bohemia
Soon Chanel became a part of Parisian bohemia, made useful contacts: painters Auguste Renoir, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, musician Stravinsky. The biography of Coco Chanel changed dramatically after meeting with a wealthy officer and then businessman Etienne Balzan. He noticed that the girl had impeccable taste: she made her own hats, inventing the most bizarre forms and favorably differed from the pompously but vulgarly dressed kept women. Etienne bought a shop for his protege, in which Chanel put up models of hats for sale.
Soon this shop became a place of pilgrimage for many fashionistas. Coco has expanded the range, creating simple but very elegant models. She abandoned long puffy skirts and bustles, squeezing corsets, luxurious boas and frilly jewelry. But I borrowed something from the men's wardrobe. Pants, waistcoats, fitted jackets, shirt-cut blouses - all this was met by Parisians with a bang, the number of clients at Mademoiselle Coco grew.
Indisputable authority!
Having opened her own Fashion House (it is still located opposite the legendary Ritz Hotel), the great Coco Chanel became an indisputable authority. They say that a short haircut became wildly popular among Parisians when Mademoiselle accidentally set her hair on fire and cut it herself - fortunately, scissors were always at hand, and the fashion designer was late for the Opera.
Another legend is associated with the "little black dress". Wearing mourning for a stranger (not a relative and not a husband) was considered the height of indecency. And Gabrielle's lover died. She dressed in black, though, using some tricks and adding her favorite strand of pearls as an adornment. Seeing how deftly this outfit sits on Coco's figure, the Parisians could not resist the temptation to buy the same one for themselves, and the dress went down in history.
When Chanel accidentally “tanned” and appeared in society as a kind of dark-skinned woman, everyone picked up the fashion for a tan (it used to be customary to remain pale), and when she got tired of the reticule that needs to be carried in her hands, she came up with the idea of putting a handbag on her shoulder using a long chain.
Legendary fragrance
The great Coco Chanel owns one of the most famous perfume brands. It was she who, having chosen the fifth vial from several options for the so far unnamed perfume, “invented” “Chanel No. 5”. The composition was invented by Russian emigrant Ernest Bo.
This sophisticated classic (a fragrance for a "real woman") was advertised by top stars - from Catherine Deneuve to Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tautou and Brad Pitt. The number "5" was generally a little secret of success from the fashion designer. All collection shows were held in her House only on the fifth day.
sad pages
When World War II began, Chanel's very successful business seemed to come to an end. She closed boutiques and shops and lost interest in creativity. These pages of the biography of Coco Chanel have become the saddest. Evil tongues claimed that she was tired of confrontation with her eternal rival, designer Elsa Schiaparelli, and someone decided that Mademoiselle considered it sacrilege to create beauty when shells were exploding in her homeland.
When Koko's nephew was captured, she was forced to ask for indulgence for a relative from high-ranking Germans. Chanel's connections with the German embassy attache von Dinklage and Walter Schellenberg were not forgiven by many. And after her death, information about her alleged “spy network” was even made public, the couturier was accused of collaborating with fascist intelligence.
Strong competitors
She even had to survive the arrest and accusation of collaborationism, however, Churchill himself stood up for her, and in 1944 Koko was released, but exiled to Switzerland.
After the war, the great Coco Chanel failed to reach the previous heights. Christian Dior has already appeared on the horizon. The era of male couturier was coming. The caustic mademoiselle made fun of the new trend of "hyperfemininity" and could not stand the Dior and Givenchy collections. At the age of 70, she returned to the “arena”, putting rivals on the shoulder blades with her ageless simplicity, purity of line and unique style.
An unhealed wound
The very first patron, Balzan, was disappointed when the "fledged" Coco left her lover's mansion - went to his friend, the Englishman Arthur Capel. He dearly loved his Coco Chanel, whose personal life practically ended with this novel. Beloved was the victim of a car accident when the fashion designer was only 30 years old.
Of course, many great people of this world looked after Mademoiselle, who appreciated her intelligence, elegance and beauty. But she did not want to get married. To the Duke of Westminster, Coco simply answered his claims: there are enough duchesses in the world, but Coco Chanel is alone.
"Married" to their own creativity
Having briefly become interested in Grand Duke Dmitry, the designer looked at the details of the Russian national costume and borrowed something for one of her own collections.
More often she made acquaintances "for business." Such were the relations with Hans von Dinklage and Schellenberg. But the main love of life was, of course, creativity, and she considered the Ritz her home, where she lived until her death. It is noteworthy that the income from her Fashion House exceeded $ 150 million annually, but the greatest Coco Chanel had only three outfits in use. She lived to the age of 87 and died of a heart attack on January 10, 1971. The story of Coco Chanel did not end there, it continues, and her fashion empire is flourishing.
