COCO CHANEL - The Most Influential Era on Today's Fashion Designers and Communicators

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VINTAGE CHANEL AD

Within this essay, I will be discussing the iconic era of Coco Chanel – the era that I believe is the most influential throughout the fashion industry as a whole, as well as being the era that in my opinion has had the most influence on today’s communicators and designers. The main elements of the Coco Chanel legacy era will include the iconic ‘Little Black Dress’, the infamous Coco Chanel Number 5 fragrance and the designer’s ability to influence and have an impact on the fashion industry of today.

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KATE MOSS

CONTENTS

PAGE 10-11

INTRODUCTION

PAGE 12-21

LITTLE BLACK DRESS AND POP CULTURE

PAGE 22-27

CHANEL N0 5 PERFUME

PAGE 28-32

INTRODUCING THE COLOUR BLACK

PAGE 33-34

CONCLUSION

PAGE 35-37

REFERENCES AND IMAGE REFERENCES

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VINTAGE CHANEL AD

INTRODUCTION The era that I believe was the most influential within the fashion industry and had the most influence on today’s designers and communicators is the Coco Chanel era. This era has been labelled ‘iconic’ and ‘legendary’ by many key figures and notable publications within the fashion industry, such as Vogue Magazine and Elle Magazine; and the brand’s status and image has been successfully maintained throughout its many years of success, still remaining true to the brand’s unique origins and elements from its start. Most notably, the Chanel era has transformed the fashion industry by allowing women, no matter what market level they buy into, to be able to access and involve themselves with their signature style and look by influencing a variety of market levels into designing and communicating signature elements of the Chanel brand and then incorporating these elements into their own brand – further illustrating the brand’s level of desirability and ability to influence.

The fashion brand shows evidence of influencing not only clothing, garments and accessories, but also influencing the style of brand themselves through package design, marketing and branding.

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LITTLE BLACK DRESS Possibly the most impactful and influential addition that Coco Chanel brought to the fashion industry during the early 1920s was the iconic ‘Little Black Dress’, which in itself created a notable name and presence within the fashion industry – which has successfully resulted in creating a status of being a piece of desirability and necessity in today’s modern woman’s wardrobe. The classic black dress, suitable for evening, event or cocktail dressing, most often cut simply and worn in a short length was just the beginning of the ‘LBD’ legacy that Coco Chanel brought to life in the world of fashion. Firstly illustrated in Vogue Fashion Magazine in 1926, the ‘Little Black Dress’ was described to be “a sort of uniform for all women of taste” (Goldstone, P. 2017), and the statement piece of clothing has successfully maintained this label for modern women to the present day.

The main element and service to the consumer provided by Chanel’s ‘Little Black Dress’ was the intended function of affordability, being widely-accessible and versatile in the way that your dress can be fit to be worn for almost any occasion. Unknowingly to the high end fashion brand, this dress was about to make history and become one of the most wellknown garments within fashion history.

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THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS

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LBD

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LBD

For decades after its initial debut during the 1920s, Chanel’s ‘Little Black Dress’ has been identified to be a necessity to any modern day women’s wardrobe, as well as the iconic look and timeless silhouette to be red carpet staple for many celebrities, such as supermodels Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid (Schuessler, B. 2019).

On today’s celebrities and red carpets, we can see how many other high fashion brands, such as Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang and Christian Dior, have created their own personal versions of a “Little Black Dress”, taking new styles, designs and shapes to create and distinguish their own unique interpretation of the iconic and influential origi-

nal short and simple design.

This citation reference to Chanel’s 1926 ‘Little Black Dress’ rose to fame in celebrity and pop-culture after Audrey Hepburn’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” film featured an iconic little black dress and created such a large impact within the fashion industry.

This effectively illustrates Coco Chanel and the Chanel era having the most influence and impact on today’s designers and communicators as the classic and timeless look is still very popular within the present day media; still having the ability to influence the modern day woman’s style and create a current impact on popular fashion trends.

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Coco Chanel and the Chanel era as a whole further illustrates their large fashion forward influence on today’s modern designers and communicators through the demand and desirability throughout multiple market levels – whether this be within the high fashion or fast fashion market level. Still to the present day, Chanel’s original short, minimalistic ‘Little Black Dress’ with a simplistic shape and silhouette can be found and accessible to women of all market levels – enhancing Chanel’s initial 1920’s focus of accessibility and availability for all women interested in having their own ‘Little Black Dress’. Many popular fast fashion labels such as Pretty Little Thing and Missguided expand their designs heavily on Coco Chanel’s ability to influence the modern day designers and communicators. The influence of the iconic dress style can be found almost anywhere for the modern day women, found in a large variety of styles, cuts, aesthetics and shapes at a wide range of pricing; from as little as £10 within the fast fashion market level, to high end pricing that can be found within the luxury and haute couture fashion market level. Elements of citations and references to Coco Chanel’s original designs and styles can still be found and identified within many of these modern day takes on the ‘Little Black Dress’.

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LILY-ROSE DEPP MET GALA

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PRINCESS DIANA

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Known for creating and influencing change, the Chanel brand has influenced today’s fashion designers and fashion communicators in terms of celebrity and pop culture. Elements of citation and referencing to Chanel’s “Little Black Dress” can be found today, whether the present day citations are paralleled and found within street style looks, red carpet looks or celebrity social media posts – Chanel’s ‘Little Black Dress’ is still a functioning, fit and suitable clothing garment for any occasion, as originally intended. Many A-List celebrities and public figures can be seen wearing the monochromatic, simple silhouette that is the ‘Little Black Dress’, showing that the trend is still relevant to modern day trends and preferences.

The fashion industry is forever continuing to grow, whether this be through changing trends or new brands being introduced into the world of fashion; therefore the impact of celebrities continuing to publicly wear and show off the “Little Black Dress” trend display’s Chanel’s influence on creating a trend and unique style of dress that unknowingly was to become one of the most iconic and popular trends for many years to come – thus influencing today’s fashion designers and fashion communicators to continue to develop their own personal and unique take on the statement piece.

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CHANEL N0 5 FIGURE 11 VINTAGE N0 5 AD

A key staple accessory to every modern day women is of course a signature scent – and Coco Chanel’s ‘Chanel Number 5’ perfume has proven historically to be a very popular choice of fragrance. Chanel’s iconic status has proven to be influential in multiple ways, and the brand’s distinctive elements of elegance, class and desirability are extended further within the brand, within their accessories and fragrances, not just their clothing garments alone.

In 1921, Chanel introduced her first fragrance, ‘Chanel Number 5’ into the growing world of fashion, and the

scent hasn’t stopped being a staple accessory ever since. This iconic fragrance further demonstrates the Chanel era’s ability to influence the fashion industry and today’s designers and communicators because the fragrance is still classed to be an ‘essential’ part of the modern day woman’s wardrobe, much like the origins of the signature scent during the early era of its release.

Leading Fashion magazine, “Who What Wear” quotes the Chanel ‘Number 5’ perfume to be “An instant success and one that has endured.

Today, a bottle of Chanel No.5 is sold worldwide every 30 seconds”, which is telling of the fragrance’s elevated success and the fragrance’s strong ability to maintain its relevancy to the present day (Eggenberger, 2020).

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Chanel’s ability to influence the fashion industry and today’s designers and communicators is demonstrated further through the design of the bottle of the popular ‘Number 5’ perfume, which is identified by the transparency of the bottle and its sleek and simplistic logo. To this present day, many other high fashion designer brands who have released perfumes and fragrances have been influenced from a designer’s and communicator’s point of view by the packaging, design and silhouette of the original and impactful ‘Chanel Number 5’ perfume.

High fashion brands such as Dior, Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana have been influenced by Chanel’s sleek perfume bottle design – notably with Dior’s “Miss Dior” and Marc Jacob’s “Daisy” perfume ranges. These elements of citation and reference to present day newer released perfumes and fragrances illustrates that many high fashion brands of today have possibly taken inspiration from the brand’s original methods and styles of their design and creativity and have been influenced by Chanel’s legendary signature perfume, “Number 5”. For many, the bottle design is adored enough to act solely as a piece of decoration and to have as an accessory as well as being the most popular used fragrance in the world, showcasing the level of desirability and admiration that the Chanel brand holds as a reputation within the fashion industry. This shows that Chanel has created such a high level of desirability and appreciation surrounding the fragrance, that many other high fashion designers and brands are likely to want to also have – therefore illustrating their large ability to influence today’s designers and communicators into creating this desirability and iconic status for their own brands.

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B The Coco Chanel era initially created one of the first moments within the fashion industry in which the colour Black is now often used as a main colour and focal point of many designs and collections; something which was previously unheard of within the world of fashion.

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Before Chanel’s introduction of the colour Black into prominent use within the fashion industry, the colour was reserved and associated with mourning attire, as well as

L being considered seriously indecent to wear the colour during any other occasion.

Chanel created the Black and White colour palette combination – a perfect colour harmony for the iconic brand. This creation of a new colour palette created a new direction for fashion designers and communicators to use within their own collections and branding and this further signifies the Coco Chanel era having the abil-

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The colour Black is now referred to as being a ‘power’ colour, bold enough to create a statement look

K for any occasion, style or aesthetic of an outfit; whilst also introducing the monochromatic look and developing this into becoming a trend in itself. Chanel and the Coco Chanel era has proven to historically influence not only trends, styles and aesthetics of clothing and accessories within the fashion industry, but also have the ability to influence larger changes with a higher impact, such as introducing the colour Black into womenswear.

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In conclusion, I believe that Coco Chanel and the entire Coco Chanel era has been the most influential and impactful era within the fashion industry and the era that has had the most influence upon many of today’s top fashion designers and fashion communicators. The main element of the Chanel era that I find to be the most influential is the brand’s ability to create and enforce change within the fashion industry, most notably their ability to popularise and introduce new ways of designing and communicating as luxury high fashion brand to their audience. The iconic and arguably most impactful moment within the ever-growing Chanel era and legacy was the introduction of the “Little Black Dress”, which revolutionised and changed the dress scene within the fashion industry, and still to this day has remained as one of the most popular and current trends. The Chanel era has contributed the most when driving change within the fashion industry, such as through widening the accessibility and availability of high end fashion influences, styles, shapes and aesthetics and then incorporating these elements into fashion suitable for all – no matter which of the market levels that the consumer buys into.

Chanel’s ability to create such a high level of desirability and admiration for their own brand for their targeted consumer can be described as influential in itself, as many of today’s fashion designers and fashion communicators are likely to be influenced into creating desirability for their own brands – whether this be for their clothing, accessories or fragrances.

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Goldstone, P. (2017). History Of The Little Black Dress From Coco Chanel To Audrey Hepburn.

Retrieved 15 February 2021, from https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/little-black-dress-524293 Schuessler, B. (2019). Celebs Are All About Little Black Dresses Right Now; 7 Outfits to Prove It. Retrieved 15 February 2021, from https://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/celebrity-little-black-dresses/slide6 Barnett, L. 50 most iconic ‘Little Black Dress’ moments of all time. Retrieved 15 February 2021, from https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/most-iconic-lbd-moments-of-all-time Idacavage, S. (2016). Fashion History Lesson: The Truth Behind Chanel No. 5. Retrieved 16 February 2021, from https:// fashionista.com/2016/11/chanel-perfume-no-5-history Breward, C. (2003). Fashion (1st ed.). OUP Oxford; Illustrated edition.

Eggenberger, M. (2020). A Bottle of This Iconic Perfume Is Sold Every 30 Seconds—Here’s Why. Retrieved 16 February 2021, from https://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/chanel-no-5/slide2

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