Gabrielle Bonheur(her real name) was born on 19 August 1883, in a small town in France, Saumur.She was the second daughter out of the six siblings.When she was 12 years old her mother died and her father left the family, so Gabrielle spent 6 years in the orphanage of the Roman Catholic monastery of Aubazine, where she became a seamstress.When she became an adult, she left the orphanage, in order to become a cabaret singer, in the town of Mulins.While Gabrielle performed in clubs in Vichy and Mulins, she was named "Coco", because she used to sing a song with this name.Coco after failing in singing, she met a young French rich Étienne Balsan, and they made a relationship, while she was working in a tailoring shop.
Coco was living a very rich life with Balsan, full of expensive presents like diamonds, jeweleries and dresses.So, she starting designing hats, as a hobby at start, and then as a real interest.Then, Coco left Balsan, she became a licensed modiste and in 1910 she opened a boutique at 21 rue Cambon, Paris named Chanel Modes.She started her career by designing hats for the actress Gabrielle Dorizat and in 1913 she opened a second boutique in the fashionable seaside town Deauville, where she designed luxe casual and sport clothes.The next boutique was opened in 1915, was named "Chanel-Biarritz" and she created loose casual clothes made out of jersey, which was a fabric that was used for men's underwear.By 1919, Chanel was registered as a couturiere and established her maison de couture at 31 rue cambon.In 1925, Vera Bate Lombardi, the illegitimate daughter of the Marquess of Cambridge, became Coco's muse and Vera introduced her in many aristocratic families.
In 1939, when the World War II started, Chanel closed her shops because she believed that it was not time for fashion.But in 1953 she was prompted into a comeback by her distaste to postwar fashion. In opposition to the cinch-waisted, full-skirted styles being presented by Dior and other designers, she reintroduced her simple, comfortable shapes.By 1959, her famous Chanel Suit had become the "uniform" of well dressed women all over the world.
Chanel died in 1971 at the age of 88, but under the talented designer Philipppe Guiborge, her business continued producing clothes which reflect the classic look of Chanel.The famous numbered Chanel fragrances also continue to be produced, including the legendary No.5, named by Chanel for her lucky number.