Chanel
Chanel, or The House of Chanel, was founded in 1910 by Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, also known as simply, Coco Chanel, or Coco . Even now, almost a century later, Chanel is known as one of the top fashion designs in the world, and its designs and creations, are still regarded as fresh and innovative as the day they were introduced. Within merely a few years, Chanel had already gained a name for itself, with its infamous perfume, Chanel No. 5, and the classic “little black dress”. She led the transition from corsets to comfortable yet elegant suits and dresses, all of which changed haute couture immensely. In 1939, she closed down her couture house and reported that she was retiring, news that brought upon protestations to Parisian society as well as the elitist society in New York . She returned to fashion design however, and in 1957, won a Fashion Oscar in Dallas . She passed away in 1971, and several years later, in 1983, Karl Lagerfeld was appointed as the Artistic Director, who until today remains in control of Chanel. Chanel’s fragrances were probably the most popular of all of her other lines, including women’s fashion. Her influential and popular perfumes include: Chanel No. 5, Chanel No. 19, and several others, which were launched after her death, including: Coco , (which was in dedication to Coco Chanel), Egoiste for men, Platinum Egoiste, Antaeus, Allure, Allure Homme, Allure Homme Sport, Allure Sensuelle, Coco Mademoiselle, Cristalle, and Chance. Although not as popular as her perfumes or women’s clothing line, Chanel handbags are becoming increasingly popular, especially amongst the younger crowd of customers. One style that is extremely popular now is the handbag in different, contrasting colors like black and white with the Chanel logo in big print on the front of the bag. Chanel has extended to lines in not only fragrance and clothing, but even makeup, jewelry, eyewear, and skin care. Coco Chanel’s influence on the fashion world as well as her influence on women is so great, that one can see remnants of her style and creativity in the designs of famous contemporary designers. Her designs represented courage in artistic __expression, sophistication, and femininity.