Coco Chanel and Fashion Essay

There have been and still are hundreds of fashion designers in the world. But only a few of them have had any major impact on fashion industry today. And even fewer have revolutionised the fashion industry completely. One of these revolutionaries is the renowned Christian Dior. He reestablished Paris as the centre of the fashion world, and created his name as a symbol of elegance, quality, and modernity. I will be looking into how Dior’s context informed his practice, by using three of his most iconic and popular designs; The Bar Suit, Venus Dress and the Cygne Noir dress. And how these were a direct representation of 1945-1950 France.

Chanel is one of the most prominent fashion brands, their cosmetic line is one that follows the brands positioning in the market, due to this it associated with being high end and luxury. This positioning has been influenced by the associations that consumers make between the brand and the founder Coco Chanel as well as drawing associations from haute-couture fashion as well as aligning the brand with the likes of the fashion scene (Chanel 2013). This brand has been positioned to exude luxury, perfection and quality and with associated high prices and simplistic but sophisticated packaging this has enabled the brand to be positioned as a high-end luxury brand (Chanel 2013).

After the War Chanel returned to Paris in 1953 to find that Parisian women were obsessed with Christian Dior and the “New Look”, which is a very feminine

The 1950s clothing contributed so much to modern-day fashion. The prettier the clothes are, the more beautiful the person is. The main theme for beauty in the 1950s was femininity and refinement. During the 1950s, the runway became an important way of showing fashion. The younger buyers bought the "beat look" with flat pedal pusher shoes and the pumpkin skirt. This shows that younger people in the 1950s bought these types of clothes. Chanel made a come back in the 1950s with her cardigan jacket suits. Chanel is still worn today in the world. Chanel makes the gilt chain quilted leather handbag in 1957. Also, she made the

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was a very determined and passionate designer, who wanted to make women feel more proud about themselves. Chanel was born in 1883, but she did not take up designing until after World War 1 (Heilbrunn Timeline N.P.). Christian Dior designed a post-war women’s clothing line that Chanel felt was unworthy of the new feminist mindset (Heilbrunn Timeline N.P.). She accomplished so much with her new determination, so much that she was obsessed with the thought of giving the female population a new-found self-esteem. Chanel’s best artices were handbags, jewelry, shoes, and the Chanel Suit (Heilbrunn Timeline N.P.).

Coco Chanel left a mark in our history that greatly contributed to what our societies’ ideals are today. In spite of enduring traumatic periods in her life, she was able to change ideals of women for the better, invent several fashion pieces, and change society

Coco Chanel was an independent strong women that created the greatest fashion line in history. Even though she was an orphan she created “the little black dress” which is worn now by everyone through the ages.

Many women from around the world have influenced the way we look at women today, but one woman in particular took the fashion industry under her belt. Coco Chanel became the first designer of her time to create a loose womens jersey in the 1920s. She helped women say goodbye to the modern restricting garments and hello to comfy and classy wear. Not only was Chanel known for her comfy attire, but also for her unique bob haircut and sunkissed skin. THESIS STATEMENT Coco Chanel, originally born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, was born on August 19th, 1883 in Saumur, France.

Coco Chanel“Fashion has become a joke. The designers have forgotten that there are women inside the dresses. Most women dress for men and want to be admired. But they must also be able to move, to get in a car without bursting at their seams! Clothes must have a natural shape.” Coco Chanel. Coco Chanel was born on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France. Throughout her career she faced many hardships, she went above everything and created her own success. To this day, Coco Chanel is a beloved brand, creating astonishing looks in the fashion world.Challenges she faced Coco was born into a family that was in poverty. When she was young her mother passed and she was left by her father in a convent-orphanage with her sisters. There, she was taught to sew and that is what opened the doors to what later became a highly successful fashion career.

To what extent did Coco Chanel change the way in woman’s society? Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was one of the most influential fashion designers of the twentieth century. She was the founder and creator of the House of Chanel and is famous for creating designs such as the Chanel suit, the “little black dress” and famous perfume Chanel No. 5. The clothes and perfumes Coco created changed the way woman looked and the way they looked at themselves, turning ordinary men’s fabrics, into comfortable and affordable clothing for all women to wear.

Not only were Chanel’s designs different from others, her appearance also differed from other women as well. She had a bobbed haircut and wore bright red lipstick. Chanel’s designs also stood out from others as well. Her designs were new, creative styles that most people would have never thought of creating. One of her most famous, unique designs was her line of men’s-wear for women. Chanel’s purpose of designing men’s-wear for women was because she knew that the clothes for women back then were very uncomfortable, so she decided to change things up. Men’s-wear was very loose and comfortable, which got the attention from many women. Her line of men’s-wear is still very popular among women all over the world today. (Savio Dsilva “Coco Chanel biography and life story”)

Less than a decade after the death of Miss Coco, the famous designer Karl Lagerfeld took the reins in order to continue the Chanel legacy. The Chanel House is today earned by the Wertheimer family and continues to generate hundreds of millions in sales each year.

In Chanel’s early 20s, she got into a relationship with a French, ex-cavalry officer, and wealthy textile Étienne Balsan. He assisted her in making her dream come true by helping her open her first fashion shop on Paris’s Rue Cambon in 1910 followed by another in the resort town of Deauville. She started selling stylish hats in her shop. Balsan financially allowed Coco to start to follow her dreams. With Balsan’s financial aid Coco

August 19, 1883, Saumur, France (“Coco Chanel”): this is the date of when Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born. While Chanel’s aesthetic in her later years was glamour, glitz, and glam, her early years were not the same. Chanel's mother died when she was twelve, and due to her peddling father, she and her two other sisters went into foster care (Collage). There she was raised by nuns who taught her how to sew (“Coco Chanel”), a skill that will benefit her later in life. Before Chanel entered the fashion world, she was briefly a nightclub singer. This is where she coined the nickname “Coco” and met a very important man to her career (“Coco Chanel”). This man was the wealthy business man Arthur “boy” Cape, and

It has been over a century since Mademoiselle Chanel, determined to reform the concept of femininity as much in style as in the essence, commissioned the chemist Ernest Beaux to develop what will become the symbol of international perfumery. Chanel No. 5 is unquestionably the most legendary ever made fragrance, described as an opera of olfactory art. Independent, unconventional, and provocative, Coco Chanel transformed her unfamiliar name into an obligatory reference point for fashion design of the twentieth. As an icon of female strength, she translates the complexity and elegance that characterize the woman, with the creation of what would become the scent par excellence. Her way of conceiving the perfume is peculiar. When asked where to put the perfume she replies: “A woman should wear a fragrance wherever she expects to be kissed” (“A Woman”). Coco also launches what turned out, according to the instructions of the designer, had to embody a concept of femininity timeless, unique, and fascinating. The avant-garde idea of Chanel breaks every scheme imagining her fragrance for a modern and independent woman, far from the stereotype that envisages she should perfume of roses. Hence, Chanel No. 5 is the first perfume that rejects the convention and symbolizes the technological and cultural innovation, furthering the women 's empowerment.