COCO CHANEL

Above, Chanel wearing perhaps one of her first jersey cardigan jackets

"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different" COCO CHANEL. My number 1 innovator. Not only was she different but also unique, tenacious; a revolutionary. Thanks to her, women were liberated from the stiffness of corsets. Her determination and tenacity made her go against all of the fashion standards of her time with her trendy "little boy" look. She introduced comfortable-relaxed yet sophisticated couture clothes made out of Jersey, a material until then only used in France to make mens underwear. Her iconic black dress made a color associated with mourning, into something chic. Still, until today, it is a must-have in every fashionable woman's wardrobe. “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.” she said. She certainly did what she preached. Her innovation was also seen in the way she made use of overlapping pearl necklaces as a Chanel-fashion statement.

Chanel started with a millinery shop in 1912. By 1920’s, Coco Chanel was one of the premier fashion designers in Paris. Her many lovers influenced her career tremendously. She never married. It’s reported that she replied to a marriage proposition by the duke of Westminster by saying. “There have been several Duchesses of Westminster—but there is only one Chanel!”
Born in 1883 in Saumur, France, Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel became orphan at a very young age then abandoned by her father and sent to the orphanage of the Catholic monastery of Aubazine. There she learned how to be a seamstress.

Hello pretty

Perfume “is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion. . . . that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure,” Chanel. In the 1920s, a designer’s name featured a Perfume for the first time. Chanel No. 5 is still a profitable asset for the Chanel house. Most of her fabulous fashion haven't changed much in generations.

An innovator capable of creating classics. I RAISE MY GLASS TO YOU CHANEL!!