Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in Saumur, France on August 19, 1883.

Or, thats at least what the biographies say, she was known to lie about her age frequently. When her mother died she was moved into an orphanage that was ran by nuns because her father didnt want to take care of her. The nuns who were there taught her how to do basic housewife things- cook, clean and the thing that would make the biggest impact on her life, she was taught to sew. She worked with her sister while at this orphanage at a milliner in Deauville. When she was older she started working in nightclubs and performing. She received the nickname Coco from the songs that she performed. Coco is a short version of cocette which means, Kept woman. Chanel was known to move from man to man and to use them for their money. When she was twenty years old she started dating Etienne Balsan but then moved on to his friends known as Arthure Capel who was even richer than Balsan. Capel helped her launch her fashion career. When she began her fashion career she sold hats in her first shop that she opened in 1910. She started opening stores elsewhere and began making clothes. One of the first dresses she made would make her famous; it was made from an old jersey and was asked by many women if she would make them one. In 1920 she came out with her famous fragrance, Chanel No. 5, which many people still wear today. The 1920s were a huge time for women, we were finally being liberated. Chanel wanted to elaborate on this, so she created the suit we all want today, the Chanel suit without collars and a tight skirt- the most sought after suit of all time. She wanted to use parts of menswear in her designs

to show that women were being liberated. During this time she also came out with the legendary black dress, which many women didnt take to at first but then learned to love. Chanel was also involved with making costumes for ballets and plays. During the 1930s Chanels business took a turn for the worst when the depression was in full swing. She thought she could pull through but when World War II started she closed down all of her shops. Many men pursued Chanel but she had her way with them for a little while and then moved on, Chanel was once involved with the Duke of Westminster but moved on when he proposed. During the war she was involved with a German military officer during the time that Germany was invading France, because of this she was allowed to stay in her apartment in the Ritz Hotel. After the war she was questioned endlessly on her betrayal of her country so she left France and moved to Switzerland where she lived for many years. She came back to the fashion world when she was seventy years old where her designs were better than ever.

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