| Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was considered the most important figure in the history of 20th-century fashion and named on TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people of the century. She was born the second illegitimate daughter of a traveling salesman Albert Chanel and Jeanne Devolle. Her parents soon married in 1883. After her mother had passed away, her father left her and her siblings to find fortune in America. It was in the Catholic monastery of Aubazine that Chanel spent seven years while learning the trade of a seamstress. She founded The House of Chanel, commonly known as Chanel. She revolutionized haute couture fashion by designing casual and elegant suits and dresses that replaced traditional corsets. Chanel because well-known among the Elite women, the name synonymous with elegance and wealth. Chanel is also known for its quilted fabric. The brand is now lead by German-born designer Karl Lagerfeld who had previously designed for the House of Fendi. He changed Chanel's predictable styles to funky cuts and designs since 1983. |