Coco Chanel – A Legacy of Power, Beauty, and Iconic Style
Coco Chanel stands as one of the most powerful, influential, and iconic names in high jewelry, fragrance, and luxury fashion.
The brand revolutionized women's fashion, reshaping how jewelry was perceived and worn. Before Chanel's influence, wealthy and influential women rarely considered jewelry as an essential part of their attire.
Moreover, Coco Chanel redefined ready-to-wear and haute couture by replacing rigid, corseted designs with more practical yet attractive clothing.
This shift not only liberated women’s wardrobes but also cemented Chanel's reputation as a revolutionary force in fashion.
Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel is celebrated as one of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th century, standing alongside luminaries such as Paul Poiret, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Guy Laroche, Nina Ricci, and Hubert de Givenchy.
Born into humble beginnings, Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel faced significant hardships. Her father, Albert Chanel, was a traveling fabric salesman, while her mother, Jeanne Devolle, worked as a seamstress.
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel via Wikimedia Commons
After her mother’s death, Coco Chanel spent six years in the orphanage of the Catholic church at Abbaye d'Aubazine, where she learned discipline and developed her sewing skills.
She continued her education for two years at Notre Dame College in Moulins, further honing her craft. At 18, she began her first public exposure as a singer at the "Moulins La Rotonde" café. Around this time, she also worked at Maison Grampayre, a fabric shop, while continuing to perform at the café.
Her admirers affectionately nicknamed her "Coco," a moniker inspired, some say, by the songs she sang, such as "Qui a vu Coco?" and "Ko-Ko-Ri-Ri-Ko."
In 1904, at the age of 25, Chanel’s life took a transformative turn when she met Baron Étienne Balsan, heir to a textile dynasty. Chanel became Balsan's official companion and moved to the luxurious chateau Royallieu, near Compiègne.
Immersed in the French aristocracy, Chanel's passion for fashion blossomed. She began designing hats for herself, a creative hobby that soon attracted admiration from high society.
By 1908, Chanel had entered the fashion industry professionally as a hat designer, demonstrating her talent for understanding the needs and tastes of modern women. This marked the beginning of her extraordinary journey to redefine elegance and revolutionize women’s wardrobes.
Dmitriy Pavlovich of Russia and Coco Chanel - via Wikimedia Commons
The House of Chanel
The foundation of the House of Chanel dates back to 1909 when Gabrielle Chanel opened a millinery boutique in the Paris apartment of Étienne Balsan, located at 160 Boulevard Malesherbes. This space became a creative and social hub, frequented by members of the French elite and their fashionable companions.
These connections provided Chanel with invaluable exposure to high society and its influence on style. World War I (1914–1918) significantly impacted fashion, introducing a need for practical, streamlined designs.
At her boutique at 31 Rue Cambon, near the Hôtel Ritz in Paris, Chanel capitalized on this demand, introducing garments made from jersey—a material traditionally used for men’s underwear.
Her designs included sailor blouses, straight-line skirts, and versatile suits, setting new standards for comfort and sophistication. Military uniforms of the era also inspired her, influencing the tailored structure and clean lines of her collections.
By 1915, the House of Chanel was renowned throughout France. In Biarritz, she opened her first couture house, employing 300 people and launching her Haute Couture collection.
Chanel’s designs gained immense popularity, especially in the 1920s when she embraced the flapper aesthetic, creating beaded dresses that symbolized freedom and modernity.
These garments broke away from the restrictive hourglass silhouettes of previous decades, offering women a "flat-chested" style that celebrated simplicity and strength.
Chanel further revolutionized fashion by introducing masculine-inspired colors like gray and navy blue into women’s wardrobes. Her use of leather trims and quilted fabrics, which added both durability and elegance, became hallmarks of her brand.
These innovations elevated Chanel's reputation as a visionary who could blend practicality with timeless allure.
Winston Churchill & Coco Chanel - http://origin.anothermag.com/loves/, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In 1921, Chanel collaborated with perfumer Ernest Beaux to create her first fragrance, the now-iconic Chanel No. 5. The perfume, named after her favorite sample, was initially distributed as gifts for clients but quickly became a commercial success after its official launch in 1922.
This collaboration marked the beginning of Parfums Chanel, established in 1924 by Pierre Wertheimer to oversee the brand's cosmetics and fragrances—a venture that became the most profitable branch of the company.
By the 1930s, Chanel’s style evolved to include more feminine elements. Her summer dresses featured rhinestone straps and silver accents, while evening gowns displayed a Renaissance-inspired elegance.
Chanel’s prêt-à-porter line expanded further in 1937, offering tailored clothing for petite women, and rivaling the innovative designs of Elsa Schiaparelli.
Restarting the Business
In 1939, as World War II began, Coco Chanel made the difficult decision to close her workshop on Rue Cambon, dismissing all employees and shutting down most of her operations. The only branch of the business she kept alive was the perfume division.
After the war, Chanel faced allegations of collaborating with the Nazis. This controversy prompted her to retreat to Switzerland, where she chose to live in relative seclusion. During this period, she sold all rights to the Chanel brand to Pierre Wertheimer, ensuring the continued success of her perfume empire.
In 1953, at the age of 70, Coco Chanel decided to relaunch her business. Upon her return to France from Switzerland, she encountered a fashion world captivated by Christian Dior's "New Look" of 1947.
This post-war style, characterized by full, mid-calf skirts, cinched waists, and pronounced bustlines, stood in stark contrast to the minimalism Chanel had championed in earlier decades.
Dior’s designs also symbolized a rejection of wartime fabric rationing, using up to 20 yards of fabric for a single outfit.
The Passing
Coco Chanel passed away on January 10, 1971, at the age of 87. Even in her final years, she remained dedicated to her craft.
Between 1966 and 1969, she designed uniforms for Olympic Airways' air hostesses, demonstrating her enduring influence on fashion. After her passing, the torch was passed to designer Pierre Cardin.
Following her death, Alain Wertheimer, the son of Jacques Wertheimer, took control of Chanel S.A. in 1974. Under his leadership, the brand underwent significant expansion and modernization.
Although Alain Wertheimer remained chairman, Françoise Montenay assumed the role of president and CEO.
Today, Chanel’s cosmetics are among its most widely available products.
The brand has established a global presence with beauty boutiques and counters in prestigious department stores, including Harrods, Galeries Lafayette, Bergdorf Goodman, Selfridges, and John Lewis.
The Chanel Logo
The Chanel logo features two interlaced and opposing "C" letters, with one facing right and the other left. This iconic design, widely interpreted as a representation of "Coco Chanel," has become synonymous with class, luxury, and grandeur.
Although Chanel reportedly derived the logo from the Château de Crémat in Nice, it wasn't trademarked until the first Chanel stores were established.
Today, it remains one of the most recognizable logos worldwide, symbolizing elegance and timeless sophistication.
The Jewelry
Before Coco Chanel’s influence, jewelry was exclusively crafted from precious stones and fine metals, making it accessible only to the wealthy. Women could typically afford to own and wear only one or two pieces of jewelry due to their high cost.
At the time, costume jewelry was deemed a fashion faux pas, often associated with financial inability. Coco Chanel, however, disrupted this norm.
While she possessed a vast collection of exquisite jewelry gifted by her admirers, she famously paired these with costume pieces, elevating their status and redefining their role in fashion.
Chanel Maison Gripoix Byzantine Belt - DSF Antique Jewelry
Her love for mixing imitation pearls with fine jewelry challenged conventions and expanded the possibilities of accessorizing. For classic dressers, Chanel designs are seen as ageless, exuding understated elegance. However, her approach to jewelry often took a more daring route.
Chanel runway collections are adorned with statement pieces such as long dangling earrings, bold bracelet cuffs, and layered necklaces. These pieces, composed of metals, glass, leather, and imitation pearls, demonstrate Chanel’s vision of integrating costume jewelry with high fashion.
Chanel collaborated with Duke Fulco di Verdura, whom she initially employed as a textile designer in 1927. Recognizing his artistic talent, Chanel tasked him with revamping her personal collection of jewelry.
Shortly after, Fulco became Chanel’s head jewelry designer, a position he held for eight years. Together, they created the Maltese Cross design, inspired by the Knights of Malta's star symbol.
The Maltese cross bracelets, crafted with white enamel and encrusted with vibrant semiprecious stones, became a personal favorite of Coco Chanel and an enduring staple of Chanel's jewelry collections since their introduction in 1930.
Duke Fulco di Verdura via Wikimedia Commons
The Bijoux de Diamants
In 1932, Coco Chanel ventured into fine jewelry with her first and only high jewelry collection, Bijoux de Diamants.
While her designs showcased her innovative spirit, the collection was met with skepticism from traditional jewelers, who dismissed her as merely a dressmaker and costume jewelry designer.
Despite this criticism, Bijoux de Diamants has remained an iconic part of Chanel's history.
Chanel returned to fine jewelry in 1993, opening a jewelry and watch boutique at Paris’s Place Vendôme. To commemorate the occasion, the brand reintroduced elements of the original Bijoux de Diamants collection alongside modern creations.
After reopening her boutique in 1954, Chanel partnered with couture jewelry designer Richard Goossens. Together, they pioneered the combination of real and imitation gemstones—a hallmark of Chanel jewelry that persists today.
This collaboration ensured that Chanel's jewelry maintained its accessibility while remaining bold and luxurious.
Today, Chanel continues to offer jewelry that balances affordability and extravagance. The brand’s pieces, crafted from a mix of fine and imitation materials, are designed to complement and elevate any outfit without imposing the high costs typically associated with fine jewelry.
Coco Chanel’s jewelry designs were deeply personal, drawing inspiration from her life and social interactions. Her models adorned themselves with layers of brooches, bracelets, and necklaces, echoing Chanel’s own penchant for accessorizing.
She believed that jewelry had the power to transform an outfit entirely and sought to democratize its use in fashion.
Chanel Byzantine Brooch
Karl Lagerfeld upheld Chanel’s costume jewelry legacy after Coco Chanel’s passing. The iconic double C logo has remained a central motif, appearing as charms, pendants, and adornments in each season’s collections, ensuring the continuity of Chanel’s distinct jewelry aesthetic.
Chanel Wristwatch
The Chanel wristwatch division was established in 1987, marking the brand’s entry into the luxury timepiece market.
In 1995, the division introduced the Matelassé, following the success of its debut wristwatch, the Première. Both designs reflected Chanel’s signature blend of sophistication and practicality.
In 2000, Chanel launched the J12 series, a groundbreaking line of unisex wristwatches crafted from high-tech ceramic materials. The J12 series solidified Chanel’s reputation in horology, offering a modern, sleek aesthetic that appealed to both men and women.
The collection features four dial-face sizes: 33mm, 38mm, 41mm, and 42mm, ensuring versatility and wide appeal.
Chanel’s commitment to innovation was further demonstrated in 2008 with the creation of the Chanel AP-3125 clockwork, developed in collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. This ceramic timepiece represents a blend of technical precision and timeless design and is exclusively available at the House of Chanel.
The Present
Today, Chanel S.A. operates approximately 310 boutiques worldwide, spanning six continents.
The distribution includes:
- Asia: 94 locations
- Europe: 70 locations
- North America: 128 locations
- Middle East: 10 locations
- Oceania: 6 locations
- South America: 2 locations
- Central America: 1 location
Chanel stores are typically situated in affluent neighborhoods, high-end shopping districts, and airports, as well as inside prestigious department stores such as Harrods, Selfridges, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
While the Chanel brand has diversified, it continues to honor its roots in costume jewelry. True to Coco Chanel’s philosophy, Chanel maintains a balance between fine and costume jewelry, allowing wearers to curate versatile collections that complement their wardrobes.
Chanel was a pioneer of the costume jewelry movement, and its designs remain as celebrated today as when they first debuted. The brand’s legacy endures as a beacon of luxury, innovation, and artistry.
Chanel continues to captivate jewelry enthusiasts and collectors worldwide, blending tradition with modernity to deliver timeless creations.
Cover Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times via Wikimedia Commons
