On August 19th, 1883, Gabrielle Chanel was born in Saumur, France. Growing up, she was very poor but quickly made a name for herself. In 1910, ‘Coco’ opened a hat boutique at 21 rue Cambon located in Paris under the name Chanel Modes. During that time period, her hats were worn by many prominent French socialites and actresses, which helped build her reputation. Fast forward two years – Chanel opened her first boutique in Deauville. From 1913 and onward, she began to sell her own sportswear line made of jersey material, which previously was only used to make men’s underwear. Only a few years into the fashion industry, and Chanel was already making history.
In 1915, Chanel opened her first Couture House in Biarritz, France. She employed 300 workers and designed her first couture collection. For most of the 1920’s, Chanel focused on producing perfumes, makeup, and eventually skin care. 1921 was the debut of the infamous Chanel No. 5 perfume, soon after adding makeup (1924) and skincare (1927) to her product line. Having much success for the next two decades, during the 40’s, Chanel had to close her Couture House as a result of WWII, but years later reopened it at the age of 71.
It wasn't until February of 1955 that Chanel debuted her first ever shoulder-carry bag, which she called the ‘2.55.’ The bag included a quilted leather design, one that is a signature staple to the brand today, with a gold chain to rest on a woman’s shoulder. Shoulder bags weren’t the only fashion trails Chanel blazed, as she introduced two-tone pumps in the late 50’s. During the 60’s, some of the most prominent women of the time, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda, and Jackie Kennedy, dressed in Chanel multiple times.
Having transformed the fashion industry for more than 50 years, Coco Chanel left a large impact on women’s fashion, and greatly influenced what it is today. She passed away in 1971 at the age of 88.
With Chanel being one of our favorite brands at appreciate, we want to share Chanel’s best 10 and 10 – the top 10 trendiest bags, in addition to 10 facts we love about the brand. We hope you enjoy this one!
According to Who What Wear:. the most iconic/trendiest Chanel bags are the Classic Flap, the Boy Bag, the 2.55, the Grand Shopping Tote, the Gabrielle, the Gabrielle Backpack, the WOC, the N5 Bag, the Art School Backpack, and the Camera Case.
10 Things We Love About Them
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She was born in an orphanage where she learned how to sew and embroider. The chain-link handle on Chanel bags is one of the most recognizable design elements. It was inspired by the chain belts and rosaries of the nuns who ran the orphanage where Coco grew up.
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Chanel created the Little Black Dress in 1926, which is ubiquitous in fashion. It was an innovative design that was comfortable, yet perfect for any occasion. She completely revolutionized the color black, which, at the time, was largely associated with mourning.
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Coco Chanel introduced menswear into women’s outfits by way of the Chanel suit.
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The House of Chanel is the oldest active haute couture house.
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Chanel was the first brand to have a waiting list for nail polish.
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Coco Chanel initially built her reputation in Paris with her hats.
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The 2.55 bag is named for the date it was first released - February 1955.
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She lived in the Hotel Ritz in Paris, France for more than 30 years.
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Chanel No. 5 is considered the best-selling perfume of all time. In 1952, Marilyn Monroe was asked by Life Magazine what she usually wore to bed, and she famously responded “Nothing but the Chanel No. 5 fragrance.”
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Each Chanel bag contains a discreet zippered compartment, hidden away near the back. This was created as a place to hide secret love notes, rumored to have been inspired by Coco’s own love life.
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The interlocking ‘C’ logo is instantly recognizable, but wasn’t a part of the original design. It wasn’t added until the 1980’s when Karl Lagerfeld created a Chanel tribute handbag.
