COCO CHANEL
1883–1971
Born into poverty, Coco Chanel was a seamstress and bar singer before setting up a small hat store in Paris. Business savvy, with an innate sense of style and an independent spirit, Chanel grew her clothing brand into a fashion empire that survived two world wars and revolutionized womenswear with its perfect balance of elegance and comfort.
The daughter of a laundrywoman and an itinerant salesman, Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel was born in 1883 in a poorhouse in Saumur, France. Sent to a convent orphanage at 11, after the death of her mother, Chanel was taught to sew by ...
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