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Birth of Gabrielle Chanel
She was born in Saumar, France. -
Her Mother Dies
Coco Chanel's mother dies at the age of 27. Her mother dies of tuberculosis. Her fatherwasn't able to take care of his five children so she was sent to the orphanage of the Catholic monastery of Aubazine. Coco Chanel was 12 when her mother died. -
Took the Name Coco
When Gabrielle was about 20, she took work as a café singer, she took the stage name of Coco, and later became a mistress of several wealthy men. It was through these contacts that she was able to start up her own shop in France. -
Coco starts her first job
Coco Chanel started seamstressing at a tailoring store. She enjoyed seeing the expressions on the customers faces when they were buying products. That is when she first found out that she wanted to go into design. -
Chanel opens her first shop
She opens her first shop on 12 Rue Cambon in Paris. Here, she created hats under the name "Chanel Modes". Her hats were favoured by famous actresses and this helped establish her reputation. Here she also started creating her first dresses. -
Deauville Boutique
She opened another boutique in Deauville France. Here she introduced her new line of sportswear. Her clothing was made from jersey and were simple and easy to wear for woman of the era. -
Biarritz
Her stores and reputation were now firmly established. This was when she opened her first Couture in Biarritz, France. Here she had many customers who loved her clothing lines. -
Chanel No. 5
Chanel reveals her first fragnance. It was created by Ernest Beaux. Ernest Beaux actually made more than 20 fragrances for her and it was the fifth one that Coco liked. Today, Chanel No. 5 still remainds one of the most famous and liked perfumes for woman. -
Chanel No. 22
Her second perfume was launched and was named after the year it was created in. This perfume has a floral scent and it was went very viral. It is stilll created today. -
Creation of Her frist line of Makeup
Chanel presents her first line of makeup inclusing lip colours and powers for woman. Many people purchased her produced and she became more well known. -
Gardenia Perfume
This new scnet was a strong and intence scent. This happened to be Chanels favourite perfume. The scent resembles her favourite flower, the camellia. -
Bijoux De Diamants
Gabrielle Chanel represents "Bijoux De Diamants". This was her first line of jewlery. She first placed the jewlery in her private residance in Paris. -
Peak of Fame
Here she was at the highest point of her career. She employed 4000 workers to help her with her designs. She bought more stores on Rue Cambon in Paris for this very exciting event. -
Period: to
During World War II
During World War II, Chanel was a nurse, although her post-war popularity was greatly diminished by her affair with a Nazi officer during the conflict and she moved to Switzerland to escape the controversy. -
Shops Close
When World War II broke out, it had a huge impact on Chanel's stores. This outbreak caused a closing of the House of Chanel. Amoung the five boutiques on Rue Cambon, only one remained. This shop was number 31. Here, she continued to sell perfumes and accessories. -
Re-opens her House of Couture
At the age of 71, Gabrielle Chanel re-opens her House of Couture. She decided that the fashions of the time were getting old so she created a new and improved line. Her customers loved her creations. -
The 2.55 Bag
Gabrielle Chanel launches her first quilted handbag. She names it after the date of its creation. She put leather and a gold chain together to make a combination everyone went crazy for. This bag had a shoulder strap which allowed woman's hands to remain free. -
Celebrities in Chanel
As Chanel accessories and clothing lines become more famous, there are more celebrities that are seen in her designs. Some of the celebrities are Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda, Jackie Kennedy, and Grace Kelly. -
Broadway
A Broadway musical of her life opened in 1969, with Katharine Hepburn taking the role of Chanel. This was a hit and many people loved the musical comedy. -
Chanels Death
Coco Chanel died in France; several of her assistants continued the business. She spent her last moments in style. -
Creation of Ready-To-Wear
The House of Chanel expands their collection with the Ready-To-Wear Line. This line went worldwide as well as accessories to go with each outfit. -
Karl Lagerfeld
In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld took over as chief designer of Chanel’s fashion house.
