TĂtulo, enunciado o cita aquĂ
was a French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand. Along with Paul Poiret, Chanel was credited with liberating women from the constraints of the "corseted silhouette" and popularizing a sportive, casual chic as the feminine standard of style in the post-World War I era. A prolific fashion creator, Chanel's influence extended beyond couture clothing.
Chanel was known for her lifelong determination, ambition, and energy which she applied to her professional and social life. She achieved both success as a business woman and social prominence thanks to the connections she made through her work. These included many artists and craftspeople to whom she became a patron.
Having learned the art of sewing during her six years at Aubazine, Chanel was able to find employment as a seamstress. When not plying her needle, she sang in a cabaret frequented by cavalry officers. Chanel made her stage debut singing at a cafĂŠ-concert (a popular entertainment venue of the era) in a Moulins pavilion, "La Rotonde". She was among other girls dubbed poseuses, the performers who entertained the crowd between star turns. The money earned was what they managed to accumulate when the plate was passed among the audience in appreciation of their performance. It was at this time that Gabrielle acquired the name "Coco",
In 1918, Chanel was able to acquire the entire building at 31 rue Cambon situated in one of the most fashionable districts of Paris. In 1921, she opened what may be considered an early incarnation of the fashion boutique, featuring clothing, hats, and accessories later expanded to offer jewellery and fragrance. By 1927, Chanel owned an expanse of five properties on the rue Cambon, encompassing buildings numbered 23 through 31
In 1939, at the beginning of World War II, Chanel closed her shops, maintaining her apartment situated above the couture house at 31 Rue de Cambon. She claimed that it was not a time for fashion[33] and 3,000 female employees lost their jobs.[67] The advent of war had given Chanel the opportunity to retaliate against those workers who, lobbying for fair wages and work hours, had closed her business operation during a general labor strike in France in 1936. In closing her couture house, Chanel made a definitive statement of her political views.
declassified, archival documents unearthed by Hal Vaughan reveal that the French PrĂŠfecture de Police had a document on Chanel in which she was described as "Couturier and perfumer. Pseudonym: Westminster. Agent reference: F 7124. Signalled as suspect in the file" (Pseudonyme: Westminster. Indicatif d'agent: F 7124. SignalĂŠe comme suspecte au fichier).[76][77] For Vaughan, this was a piece of revelatory information linking Chanel to German intelligence operations. Anti-Nazi activist Serge Klarsfeld thus declared that "It is not because Chanel had a spy number that she was necessarily personally implicated. Some informers had numbers without being aware of it.
n September 1944, Chanel was called in to be interrogated by the Free French Purge Committee, the épuration. The committee, whichwas hadcalled no documented evidence of n September 1944, Chanel in to be interrogated byher the Free French Purge collaboration activity, which was obliged release Committee, the épuration. The committee, had notodocumented evidence of her her. According to Chanel's grand-niece, collaboration activity, was obliged to release her. According to Chanel's grand-niece, Gabrielle Palasse Gabrielle Palasse Labrunie, when ChanelLabrunie, returnedwhen homeChanel she said, "Churchill had me returned home she said, "Churchill had me freed".[85] freed".[85] A previously unpublished interview exists dating from September, 1944 when Malcolm A previouslyagent unpublished exists Muggeridge, then an intelligence with theinterview British MI6, interviewed Chanel after dating from September, 1944 when Malcolm her appearance before the Free French investigators. Muggeridge pointedly questioned Muggeridge, then anactivities. intelligence Chanel about her allegiances and wartime As agent to herwith feelings of being the the British MI6, interviewed Chanel after her subject of a recent investigation of collaborators, Chanel had this to say of her appearance beforehave the Free French interrogators: "It is odd how my feelings evolved. At first, their conduct incensed investigators. Muggeridge pointedly me. Now, I feel almost sorry for those ruffians. One should refrain from contempt for the questioned Chanel about her allegiances and baser specimens of humanity…" wartime activities. As to her feelings of being the subject of a recent investigation of collaborators, Chanel had this to say of her interrogators: "It is odd how my feelings have evolved. At first, their conduct incensed me. Now, I feel almost sorry for those ruffians. One should refrain from contempt for the baser specimens of humanity…"
In 1945, Chanel moved to Switzerland, eventually returning to Paris in 1954. In 1953 she sold her villa La Pausa on the French Riviera to the publisher and translator Emery Reves. Five rooms from La Pausa have been replicated at the Dallas Museum of Art, to house the Reves's art collection as well as pieces of furniture belonging to Chanel
Chanel's designs: "The woman who hasn't at least one Chanel is hopelessly out of fashion … This season the name Chanel is on the lips of every buyer."[100] Chanel's ascendancy was the official deathblow to the corseted female silhouette. The frills, fuss, and constraints endured by earlier generations of women were now passé; under her influence—gone were the "aigrettes, long hair, hobble skirts".[101] Her design aesthetic redefined the fashionable woman for the post WWI era. The Chanel trademark was a look of youthful ease, a liberated physicality, and unencumbered sportive confidence.