Intro:

The majority of our wardrobe consists of flattering black clothes that we adore. The color that was once
linked with death and grief has now become one of our favorites. But who shifted your black dress from
the back to the front of your closet? And who is responsible for our obsession with black dresses?

“When I find a color darker than black, I’ll wear it. But until then, I’m wearing black!” were the words of the
most iconic fashion designer, Coco Chanel.

The fashion industry at the time was based on tight corsets and oversized hats. All of that changed in
1926 when Coco Chanel appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine wearing a short, basic black dress.
Even today, the little black dress is one of the most iconic outfits.

But how did Coco Chanel rise from a rough childhood to become one of the world's greatest fashion
houses? What's the history behind the brand's 112-year existence?

Hello and welcome back. Today we will answer all these questions about how the iconic fashion house of
Chanel was created by an orphan and a potential Nazi agent. But first, make sure you like and subscribe
so that you can be notified of future uploads. Now, without further ado, let's get started.

Body:

When you think of Chanel, you think of a high-end, luxurious brand. Chanel has taken over the world with
high-end products such as fashion, cosmetics, fragrances, and jewelry.

But do you know how this luxury brand became what it is today?

The 'House of Chanel' was established in 1909. However, the tale of Chanel began in 1883, when
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was born.

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born on August 19th, 1883, in Saumur, France, to Jeanne DeVolle and
Albert Chanel. Though we today know Chanel as an iconic luxury brand, the designer's roots may be
traced back to a sad and orphaned childhood. Her mother died when she was 11, her father, Albert
Chanel, a street seller, abandoned her, and she spent years in the care of the Sisters of the Sacred
Heart in Aubazine. She was surrounded by women who taught her how to sew while wearing only
austere garments that were white and black. The journey of Gabrielle to become Chanel started right
here. The opposing colors of Black and white, are what later became her creative hallmark.

All of this began when Gabrielle Chanel left the orphanage at the age of 18 and went to work as a sales
assistant in the Maison Grampayre shop in Moulins, while also singing in a cafe. One of her songs, Qui
qu'a vu Coco?, got her legendary nickname, Coco. Moving forward, she met a notable fashion
executive, Etienne Balsan, a son of textile industrialists, at the same café. Etienne became not just her
boyfriend, but also her first investor for her first store in Europe, after a six-year relationship.

While seeing Chanel's amazing hat design, the women at Balsan's workplace began to notice and
became interested in her designs. Her works immediately became well-known, prompting her to travel to
Paris in 1908. While in Paris, Chanel began an affair with Captain Arthur Capel, one of Etienne's friends.
Capel, a wealthy English upper-class man, assisted Chanel in establishing herself in Paris and financed
her stores. Capel's style is thought to have had a big influence on Chanel's design. The iconic Chanel
No. 5 bottle design is thought to have been inspired by the whiskey decanter Capel used. She adored it
so much that she wanted to make a replica of it out of "exquisite, costly, fine glass." Not only that, but the
Chanel logo suggests that the C's stand for Chanel and Capel, symbolizing their love.

Chanel opened her second boutique in Deauville, a coastal resort in Normandy, in 1913, and expanded
her line to include superior casual clothes perfect for leisure and sport. They were an instant hit,
increasing Chanel's fame across the country by giving women a new way to present and appreciate their
bodies. Chanel sold hats, coats, sweaters, and sailor blouses, from this store. Her sister, Antoinette, and
her paternal aunt Adrienne were hired to model Chanel's designs, and they paraded through town and
along the town's boardwalks, promoting Chanel's creations.

Chanel built a boutique in a mansion opposite a casino in Biarritz in 1915, determined to replicate her
Deauville success by establishing it close to wealthy Spanish clients. The business proved to be so
profitable after just one year that Chanel was able to pay back Capel's initial investment in 1916.

The iconic Chanel boutique opened in Paris in 1918, and it is still the brand's headquarters today.
Although the outbreak of the First World War had a severe impact on European fashion. As men went to
war, women were forced to work in factories, and clothing had to be practical enough to offer women the
physical freedom they needed to execute their jobs. Skirts and dresses were no longer suitable for
factory work for women. Chanel took advantage of the opportunity to expand her dress business near the
Hôtel Ritz. Her designs, which were inspired by military uniforms in some cases, quickly became well-
known throughout France. There were flannel blazers, linen and jersey straight-line skirts, skirt-and-
jacket outfits, turtlenecks, and pullover sweaters on display. Women's trousers were considered a risky
step at the time, yet they revolutionized French fashion.

Coco ran into a snag in 1921 when she wanted to sell fashion products and perfume throughout Europe
but not in North America, as her ambitions grew. Coco resorted to venturing into capitalist Pierre
Wertheimer, the head of an international corporation that supplied fragrances and cosmetics in America
and Europe because the capital required to develop a global supply chain and distribution network was
beyond the means of even her wealthy admirers. Together, they founded Parfums Chanel, a firm that
would make Coco one of the world's wealthiest women in ten years, even though she only owned 10% of
the company.

With the launch of its first costume jewelry in 1924 — a pair of black and white pearl earrings – the
company continued to flourish over the years. She revolutionized women's fashion by developing the
Chanel suit, which consisted of a collarless jacket and a well-fitted skirt, just over ten years later in 1925,
bringing comfort to women's apparel.

Chanel unveiled her famous little black dress in 1926, a style that was ahead of its time. The tiny black
dress, which was made of traditionally exquisite fabrics like lace and light weightless silk, made ladies
feel fashionably overdressed. Before Chanel popularised black as a fashionable evening dress, it was
associated with grief and death.

Everything went well for Chanel, and Coco even made outfits for Hollywood movie stars in the 1930s.
She owned five stores and employed roughly 4.000 people in 1935. But, with the outbreak of World War
II in 1939, things only became worse. Chanel was obliged to close its stores and fire all of its staff, and
she moved to the Hotel Ritz. Her reason behind staying there was to get in touch with all the high-ranking
German officials, by making a network in government and influencing laws that can get Pierre out of the
company and get 100% hold of her company.

Interestingly, while she was going through this, Chanel was exposed to the Nazi war effort by a German
diplomat named von Dincklage. In 1941, she declared her affiliation to the German cause. In fact,
because of her former involvement with the Duke of Westminster, she was given the code name
'Westminster' and became Agent F-7124. Unfortunately for her, Pierre left the company in the hands of a
Christian friend and fled to America. Coco fought for several years to regain her business by gathering
intelligence for the Nazis, but her efforts were eventually useless. After the war, Chanel was questioned
about her relationship with von Dincklage, but she was saved by Winston Churchill, the British Prime
Minister. She relocated to Switzerland, however, for safety reasons.

Chanel attempted to sue Pierre after the war in the last bid to regain her firm. Ultimately they made a
deal and reduced her stake in the company to 2% and combined her perfume and fashion businesses.
Pierre paid for all of Coco's costs for the remainder of her life, as well as her return to the fashion industry
a decade later, in 1954. Chanel, at 71 years old, was still shunned because of her ties to a Nazi
commander. However, when Chanel launched her knitted suit, it was an instant hit with women, and
many people still wear it today.

This legendary talent died in her apartment at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris on January 10, 1971, at the age of
87. After she died in 1971, the Wertheimers took full ownership of the company, which they still own
today through Pierre's grandsons, and made it a 15.6 billion-dollar company.

Gabrielle Chanel was a fascinating figure in general. Although Chanel is reputed to have built a fashion
empire with the money of her lovers. Do you think this is correct? Leave your thoughts in the comments
section below, and remember to like and subscribe so we may keep bringing you more fashion stories in
the future! Until then, goodbye!