Around the age of 20, Chanel opened her first shop, on Paris’ Rue Cambon in 1910, and started out by selling hats. The shop was financed by Chanel’s first love Arthur Capel “Boy”, who became her business partner. Their romantic relationship continued until his tragic death in 1919. Her emotional loss spurred Chanel on, gorwing the business and buying stores in Deauville and Biarritz. It was around this time that Chanel began making clothes. Her first taste of clothing success came from a dress she fashioned out of an old jersey on a chilly day. In response to the many people who asked about where she got the dress, she offered to make one for them. “My fortune is built on that old jersey that I’d put on because it was cold in Deauville,” she once said.
Chanel soon became a popular figure in the literary and artistic worlds. She designed costumes for the Ballets Russes and counted artists such as Pablo Picasso among her friends. In 1921, Chanel launched her first perfume, Chanel No.5, the first to feature a designer’s name. Perfume, Chanel explained “is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure.” The only way Chanel could get her perfume produced however, was ultimately by negotiating a deal where she only received 10% of the profits. Over the years, as No.5 became a massive source of revenue, she repeatedly sued to have the terms of the deal renegotiated.
She had a huge impact on fashion.
She really was remarkable, thanks for reading!