Coco Chanel

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Coco Chanel

Q: When was Coco Chanel born, and when did she die?

Coco Chanel was born on August 19, 1883, in Saumur, France, and she died on January 10, 1971, in Paris, at the age of 87.

Q: What is Coco Chanel known for?

Coco Chanel was a fashion designer known for such now-classic innovations as the woman’s suit, the quilted purse, costume jewelry, and the “little black dress.” She also introduced the phenomenally successful perfume Chanel No. 5.

Q: How did Coco Chanel become famous?

Coco Chanel was a seamstress who became associated with several wealthy men, one of whom, Arthur (“Boy”) Capel, provided her with financial assistance to open a millinery shop in Paris in 1910. Chanel’s minimalist designs were immediately successful, and within 10 years she was the head of a thriving Parisian couturier.

Q: What was Coco Chanel’s family like?

Coco Chanel was born into an impoverished family. Her father abandoned her and her two sisters to an orphanage and her two brothers to a local family after their mother died. Chanel never married and had no known children, but she looked after her elder sister’s son, André Palasse, following her sister’s suicide.

French designer

Also known as: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jan 23, 2024 • Article History

Coco Chanel

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Category: Arts & Culture

Byname of:: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel

Born:: August 19, 1883, Saumur, France

Died:: January 10, 1971, Paris (aged 87)

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Jan. 23, 2024, 5:16 PM ET (AP)

Chanel's spring couture show is a button-inspired ballet on the Paris runway

When was Coco Chanel born, and when did she die?

What is Coco Chanel known for?

How did Coco Chanel become famous?

What was Coco Chanel’s family like?

Coco Chanel (born August 19, 1883, Saumur, France—died January 10, 1971, Paris) French fashion designer who ruled Parisian haute couture for almost six decades. Her elegantly casual designs inspired women of fashion to abandon the complicated, uncomfortable clothes—such as petticoats and corsets—that were prevalent in 19th-century dress. Among her now-classic innovations were the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, costume jewelry, and the “little black dress.” Chanel was born into poverty in the French countryside; her mother died, and her father abandoned her to an orphanage. After a brief stint as a shopgirl, Chanel worked for a few years as a ...(100 of 572 words)

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