The purpose of this slideshow is to

educate viewers about Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s

influential life. The life that through

fashion, changed the average 1920’s

woman forever. “How many cares one

loses when one decides not to be something, but to

become someone.”-Coco Chanel

Amanda mcfadden and rebecca gladstone

“Fashion is not something that

exists in dresses only. Fashion is in

the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is

happening.”

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel

• Born on August 19th, 1883• Born to Albert Chanel and

Jeanne Devolle• She had five siblings: Julie,

Antoinette, Alphonse, Lucien, and Augustin

• Her mother died when she was twelve years old, and her father abandoned the family to work

• She lived in an orphanage until she was eighteen years old

“Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.”

Why “Coco”?• Coco was a cabaret

singer at La Rotonde, a café

• She performed a song called "Qui qu'a vu Coco”

• Her audiences cried "Coco" when they wanted an encore

• It was then that Gabrielle Chanel became “Coco” Chanel

“There goes a woman who knows all the things that can be taught and none of the things that cannot be taught.”

About Miss Chanel• During her career, she lived

at the Hotel Ritz in Paris for over 30 years

• She maintained an apartment above her Rue Cambon shop

• She owned Villa La Pausa in the town of Roquebrune on the French Riviera.

• She never married, but was a mistress to many influential men who invested in her shops

“Fashion is made to become

unfashionabLe.”

The Little Black Dress• Coco Chanel was know for

the creation of the little black dress, whose blank-slate versatility allowed it to be worn for day and evening

• In 1923, she told Harper's Bazaar that: “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.“

• The “little black dress” is still popular today

“Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress.”

Chanel No. 5• Chanel No. 5 perfume

was introduced by Chanel in 1925

• The perfume was the first to be sold worldwide, and its bottle's straight lines stood out from the other perfume bottles of the time.

• Chanel No. 5 was named after her lucky number, 5

“Since everything is in our heads,

we had better not lose them.”

Chanel’s Legacy• Coco Chanel started her career with a small hat store

• Soon after she started making sweaters

• Coco introduced the tricot sailor frock

• The pullover sweater• Unearthed wool jersey

was made into a soft clinging dress

• Gypsy skirts• Embroidered silk

blouses and accompanying shawls

• Infamous box jacket• Costume jewelry

“Elegance is refusal.”

Leaving a legacy•Coco Chanel died in Switzerland in 1971. •Her company, Chanel, is known worldwide, and is one of the most popular names in fashion• Though she may not be here today, her clothes and impeccable taste live on today

Chanel 2008 Fall Collection

Fin.