Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel

Gabrielle Chanel is born

Aug 19, 1883

Mother dies

Feb 8, 1895

At the age of 31 Gabrielle's mother dies, Coco was 12 at the time of her death.

Coco and her 5 siblings are sent to an orphanage

Feb 26, 1895

She was sent to a Catholic orphanage because you father was unable to care for his children after her mother died. The orphange only allowed you to stay there until you were 13.

Coco gets a starting job as a seamstress

Sep 16, 1895

After she was evicted fromt the orphanage, she was forced to find a job to provide for herself.

Coco begins making straw hats

Jun 13, 1901

Coco begins making straw hats, but putting a chic twist on them.

Coco meets a French soldier named Etienne Balsan

Oct 9, 1901

Etienne Balsan was able tow in the heart of Coco, he was a very flirtatious man and was kown to have many girls at the same time. Within three weeks of dating they moved in together.

Coco meets Boy Capel

Mar 20, 1902

While living with Balsan, she met a rich steel tycoon named Boy Capel, and soon fell in love with him. Boy saw the businesswoman in Coco and encouraged her to open her own shop selling straw hats made with style, quality, and simplicity.

Coco breaks up with Etienne

Mar 28, 1902

Coco breaks up with Etienna after she meets Boy Capel

Boy Capel wants Coco and himself to go into business together

Jul 13, 1910

Boy wanted to venture into the hat business with Coco, her making the hats and him covering all expenses.

Coco opens her first hat shop

Apr 19, 1913

Coco opens her first shop with Boy Capel making hats

Coco becomes interested in the clothing industry

Jan 13, 1914

She was bored just making hats and wanted to revolutionize the fashion industry.

Coco opens a clothing boutique with her cousin Adrian

Jul 23, 1915

Coco opens a clothing boutique with her cousin Adrian in Deauville.

Coco shuts down her business

Aug 10, 1915

With WWI becoming intense Gabrielle felt that it was an unneccessary time to be making clothing in time of such despair, and Boy was fighting in the war causing her great stress.

Coco got her own perfume named after her lucky number #5

Jun 16, 1920

Coco finally developed her own perfume called "Chanel #5" by mid-1920

Her love Boy Capel is killed in a car accident

Sep 29, 1920

Killed instantly, Boy Capel was killed in a tragic car accident, breaking Chanel's heart.

Coco creates "Little Black Dress"

Oct 4, 1920

After her love Boy Capel died, she wanted to make a mourning garment. This is when she came up with "Little Black Dress"

Chanel went international

May 25, 1955

Now not only selling her works in Paris, they were to sold around world to millions of women.

Coco recieves the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award

Nov 14, 1957

Coco was rising to fame, so inevitability she was to win some fashion award for her hard work.

Coco created the “COCO” musical

Dec 22, 1969

Coco created the "COCO" musical which later became a book

Gabrielle Chanel dies

Jan 10, 1971

At the age of 87 she died from a heart attack and old age at the Ritz Hotel.

Karl Legerfeld became the new "CHANEL" Manager

Feb 6, 1983

Karl Legerfeld became the new manager at the House of Chanel.