Gabrielle Chanel, 31 rue Cambon, Paris, 1937 Photo: Roger Schall/Condé Nast/Shutterstock. Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
“Fashion is not an art, it is a job” – Coco Chanel
Only one name echoes in the fashion world, closely associated with jersey, the little black dress, N°5 scent, tweed, and the 2.55 handbag—Mademoiselle Gabrielle Bonheur ‘Coco’ Chanel.
As a visionary, she crafted her self-myth, laying the foundation for successful business branding long before the age of digital influencers.
Coco Chanel was a legend and the epitome of elegance. A byword for one of the most successful fashion houses ever, she is now celebrated in the first UK exhibition at the V&A museum in London, titled ‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’—an instant sold-out sensation!
Maze35 was on the scene, unravelling the mysteries of Gabrielle Chanel’s illustrious career spanning over six decades. Dive into the lesser-known facets of this fashion maven’s journey. How much do you already know?
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‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’ at the V&A © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Welcome Jersey: The New Elegance is Comfy
As a pioneer inspired by simplicity and practicality, Coco Chanel recognised the versatility of inexpensive utilitarian textiles like jersey, which was previously only used for men’s sportswear. With stretch propriety, jersey could be used for both formal and comfortable clothing while still looking fashionable.
“Chanel is a master of her art, and her art resides in jersey” (American Vogue,1914)
During World War I, Chanel’s early business acumen led her to move out of Paris to the elegant seaside resort of Deauville, where “one gets a bird’s-eye view of the new fashion” (The New York Times, 1913). The venture was successful, and Chanel’s name soon became associated with the fabric jersey.
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Gabrielle Chanel, Dress. 1935 © Palais Galliera, Paris / Photo: Nicholas Alan Cope / Gift of the heirs of Mr Henry Viguier. Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
An early iconic design was “reminiscent of the sailor blouse,” featuring a belted sweater in undyed wool jersey. Vogue noted it as “successfully launched,” stating, “to look once at a Chanel jersey costume is to desire ardently.” The new style was ideal for the leisurely wardrobe of the Parisian upper class and prospered the business at the end of the war, marking a new era of elegance made in Chanel’s style.
Just a Little Black Dress
After the war, life resumed at a frenetic pace in Paris. However, a shortage of resources prompted Chanel to rethink her style successfully.
It’s unclear why Chanel’s little black dress achieved so much fame in daywear. Rumours circulated that she created the Little Black Dress after her lover ‘Boy’ Capel’s death, but Coco Chanel deemed them ‘bad taste.’
In Vogue 1919, it was stated, “Almost entirely to black costumes for evening wear, and these items are short and round of corsage so that they might even be worn in the afternoon under a long manteau.”
As Vogue predicted, the little black dress, “the frock that all the world will wear,” continued as a staple in Chanel’s collection, standing out as an eye-catching piece among other colours.
Scent of a Legacy: Chanel N°5
Golden-tinted liquid encased in a rectangular glass bottle exudes simplicity with interlocked CCs—an “invisible accessory” as innovative as the scent it holds.
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Sem (Georges Goursat, dit). Album White Bottoms: N°5 Chanel Paris. 1927. Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris ©Paris Musées/Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris. Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
“I love flowers, but I do not want to smell like a rose or a gardenia. You really should not be able to define what the delicate fragrance truly is” – Coco Chanel, 1921
Chanel chose the No°5 scent from a selection proposed and numbered by Ernest Beaux, a master perfumer from Grasse experimenting with aldehydes to enhance and blend floral scents.
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Marilyn Monroe applying Chanel N°5 at the Ambassador Hotel, New York, 24 March 1955. Photograph by Ed Feingersh ©Ed Feingersh/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Chanel N°5 blended 80 ingredients, remarkably modern for its time, featuring top notes of Grasse jasmine, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, may rose, and neroli. The enduring success of the Chanel N°5 fragrance resulted from Chanel’s exclusive marketing strategy and chic packaging design choice.
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‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’ at the V&A © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
It Was a Passion for Tweed
Once, Chanel confidently claimed, “I was the one who introduced lightweight tweed to the Scots. I can assure you it was quite a challenge convincing them!” (Les années Chanel by Pierre Galante, 1972).
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‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’ at the V&A © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Was this assertion accurate? The British influence on Chanel’s designs deepened as she became part of the British aristocracy circle.
In her sportswear for the English countryside, Gabrielle Chanel often wore tailored riding breeches and skirts paired with an unstructured jersey jacket fastened with a belt.
While her designs were undoubtedly innovative, the tweed suit for women was not her invention. It had already been popular in British women’s fashion since the 19th century as tailor-made outdoor sportswear.
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Mounted print of Shauna Trabert modelling a Chanel suit, for Life magazine, September 1961. Paul Schutzer (1930 - 1967) © Paul Schutzer/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock. Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Coco Chanel’s contribution lay in refining and stylishly reviving tweed, making it a fashionable choice.
Accessorising Elegance: The Timeless Aura of the Chanel 2.55 Bag
“Accessories carry the mark of personality,” proclaimed French Vogue in 1927, lauding Chanel’s harmonious concept of pairing bags with shoes, jewellery, and gloves. Chanel’s distinctive style became an enduring, recognisable code of elegance.
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Marie-Hélène Arnaud in a tweed suit from Chanel’s Fall-Winter 1959 collection and Chanel shoes, carrying the 2.55 Chanel handbag © CHANEL / All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Consider the iconic Chanel 2.55 bag, launched in February 1955 and named after its date of creation. It stands as a modern classic, featuring a practical double chain-link strap, a quilted design inspired by equestrian equipment, and special details such as pockets and a lipstick compartment, as requested by Chanel.
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‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’ at the V&A © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Make a Statement with Bold Costume Jewellery
Chanel’s sleek style was incomplete without distinctive jewellery. Fine jewellery gave way to a bold and abundant style of costume jewellery.
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‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’ at the V&A © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Pairing multiple layers of faux gems and imitation stones popularised the “vogue for artificial pearls” (Washington Star, 1931).
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‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’ at the V&A © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
The jewellery at Chanel soon became the most celebrated pieces, along with buttons—another signature feature of Chanel.
Mystery of a Woman
“I find it truly remarkable how the most sophisticated people stand or sit open-mouthed and stare at Chanel as though she were some mysteries brought to life,” wrote a journalist in the 1930s in The Bystander, a British weekly tabloid magazine.
Chanel embraced notoriety shrouded in mystery, strategically perched on her salon staircase. From this vantage point, she used to keenly observe the press and audience reactions reflected in the mirrors.
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‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’ at the V&A © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
On the 5th of February 1956, a long queue of fashion journalists awaited the reopening of the Chanel couture house after the War. Great expectations filled the air at 31 rue Cambon in Paris. Some declared it a “flop,” discharging Chanel’s return to the fashion scene, while others predicted that Chanel’s designs were pioneers of fashion, “one step ahead... likely to influence much of what we shall wear in a year or so.”
“Always dress to make yourself feel young—this means being free and easy and unpretentious in your clothes. You have to breathe and move and sit without being conscious of what you’ve got on” – Coco Chanel
Her final collection was presented on January 26, 1971, two weeks after Coco Chanel passed away.
One thing is certain about Gabrielle Chanel’s legacy: in 60 years, both her work and her magnetic image were used to promote her designs—a timeless and coveted iconic women’s wardrobe that conquered international success.
Silvia De Vecchi
University Librarian, London