Chanel is one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world. What do you see looking at Chanel? Mostly tweed jackets, overpriced quilted handbags or luxurious perfumes. And it is also known by the name of Karl Lagerfeld.
Yet if you look keenly enough, it is radical feminism, elegance, and women empowerment, and the mind behind this masterpiece is Ms Coco Chanel. The clothing and mindset that Ms Chanel chose for herself were liberating and courageous. Women around her praised the designs, which allowed them to breathe in the patriarchal structure of society. Coco introduced simplicity in fashion and revolutionized it. Let's explore her journey and contributions here.
Coco Chanel was one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. She founded the House of Chanel, a leading fashion house today. Chanel's designs were unique and elegant, and she is credited with popularising the little black dress. Her legacy continues to inspire fashion designers all over the world.
She grew a passion for designing from a young age and worked as a seamstress and poseuse. Yet she worked her way up, determined to build her life by her own hands. Today she is remembered for the revolution she started by teaching women to empower themselves using fashion.
Coco Chanel showed the world that women can be beautiful and powerful simultaneously. She empowered women to be confident and to embrace their femininity. This empowered generation of women changed the world in many ways. They broke down barriers and fought for equality. Coco Chanel's legacy continues to inspire women worldwide to be confident and strong.
In 1908, when she first opened her clothing boutique, her fashion sense and clothes were criticized as too simple, as the style at those times was more about packing the women in corsets, and uncomfortable dressing style was considered beautiful. She used the opportunity to introduce simple and practical clothing during war times, and her skills in incorporating her brand into multiple events were exceptional.
During WWI, Chanel used the restrictions imposed by the war to promote her simple and practical clothing designs. Chanel's career as a major fashion designer began during the war years. The socialites and celebrities became her audiences as they were already on this subject. Yet Chanel was the woman who strategized this idea in her business to liberate women and design suits and jackets for women. Her clothing was popular among the influencing and leading women of the time.
She decorated simple hats, which got quite famous among men and women, and her signature jersey jackets were a new silhouette in women's clothing. After the war, it was available at a cheaper price, and she marketed the idea. The iconic Chanel 05 perfume was different from the natural scents of the time, and later it was implied as a sign of freedom and power for women. Coco truly created a unique identity making Chanel a brand of the time and achieving a position among the 100 most influential fashion designers of the 20th century.
Chanel built her brand on the ideas she observed popping in the minds of women at that age; it is due to her business and influencing tactics that the fashion industry is shaped today. She influenced many brands, and the women looked at themselves differently from the perspective Chanel presented by her brand.
Her career is criticized to this day, declaring she used powerful men to build her identity. Yet, the courage, talent, and determination she put into "Chanel" has nothing to do with her personal affairs as a woman of a constricted era. Her skills at utilizing an opportunity and expertise in marketing were remarkable. Most of her signature ideas are inspired by the women she met who were innovating different ways to express themselves in the social paradigm. She had to do everything in her power. What matters is the legacy and influence she left behind her.