Fashionable Woman: Coco Chanel

“It can only be the work of a clever woman.” Coco Chanel, who creates designs you can say; made fashion not only stylish but also comfortable for women. Coco Chanel realized that women were not comfortable in corsets and balloon skirts, so she designed her designs to meet her own comfort. It made women's dresses simpler and more elegant, painted with the image of feathers, flowers and the obligation to wear all jewellery. This woman, who changed the course of fashion, had become one of the most popular women of that time. Although she had to keep up with certain situations, she seems to have changed the notion of richness in her perspective at that time. She was one of the women who destroyed the perception that women should not work and that there are men who should work for them.

Let's get to know Coco Chanel better, who is on Time's "100 Most Important People of the Century" list. Gabrielle “Coco” Bonheur Chanel was born on August 19, 1983 in Saumu, France. After the death of her mother, she was left with her sister in the Aubazine orphanage at the age of 12 by their father. By learning to sew during her stay at the orphanage, she took a very important step for the rest of her life.

While she was sewing during the day, Chanel used to do a side job singing in the evenings at the so-called "cabaret" entertainment venue. Aside from those who claim that this is his nickname because of a dog named “Coco” mentioned in the song he sings, there is also the claim that this nickname was used because he was called that way by his father. Although she preferred to continue her singing career, she gave up on this goal because of those who thought she was not suitable for the stage.

The desperation behind his success enabled him to take great strides. What he did for the sake of getting along, maybe what he didn't want to do, opened the doors that made him a good fashion designer. Fashionable Coco Chanel opened her first boutique with the financial help of two men close to her at the time.

She started living in the same house with Etienne Balsan, a rich man she met while singing in the cabaret. Their relationship lasted about 3 years. We wouldn't be wrong if we say that Coco Chanel spent some time with fashion icons during this process. Because the parties of Balsan, who is a well-known person, were full of famous names. This must have become a sufficient circumstance for Chanel to observe in the name of fashion. The ostentatiousness of this luxurious life was reflected enough on the clothes.

The exaggerated patterns on the clothes, the big feathered hats, the jewelery that will make their necks almost invisible, and of course the corseted dresses that were tightened as if you weren't breathing became a sufficient reason for a woman of that period to be uncomfortable with this. She started to sew comfortable and elegant dresses for herself, taking care to keep this show simple, which she did not like.

Later, she started a relationship with Captain Arthur Edward "Boy" Capel, one of Balsan's colleagues, and with the financial and moral support of Boy, she opened her first boutique on Rue Cambon in Paris in 1910. She managed to come to the forefront with her hat designs first. Gabrielle Dorziat, who is a frequent participant in Balsan's parties, helped Coco Chanel move up the career ladder by wearing the hats specially designed by Chanel for her in theater plays.

In 1918, Chanel had many fashion houses and close to 400 tailors. Chanel designs were on everyone's lips everywhere. Especially the short black dress model was a revolutionary design for women. Reflecting the nobility of black in her designs, Chanel created the indispensable dress of the period. It revealed the style of modernism.

Aiming to be comfortable and stylish at all times, Chanel interprets men's clothing and transforms them into new designs, and also became the pioneer of sportswear. By designing trousers for women, she took a step on a great journey in this regard. She added she to her designs by improving the horizontal striped outfit on her sailors during their cruises. Presenting the jersey fabric used in men's underwear with outerwear such as skirts, jackets and cardigans, Chanel has succeeded in this as well by making jersey sets practical for those who spend their lives active and active.

The Chanel suits, which were introduced to the market in 1923, also fully met the needs of the customers. Because of her comfortable cut, she could move as she wanted and had a stylish look.

After a while, Chanel decided to use jewelery to decorate clothes. The jewelery and jewelery series, which can keep up with the luxurious life and can be bought by everyone, brought a change that will be mentioned frequently in the future.

As if you don't need to carry the bag by hand anymore, he created a wonder again with the bag consisting of a thin shoulder strap inspired by the bags of the soldiers in 1929. Eller declared her freedom in this way.

Chanel, which maintains a popularity in shoes until today, created a trendy product by creating a difference with the shoe color of the toe tip of the shoe design; two-tone shoes.

This woman, who has achieved so much success in the field of fashion and has designs with revolutionary changes, is undoubtedly the most important woman in the fashion world. Coco Chanel, the woman who changed the way of fashion, died on Sunday, January 10, 1971, at the age of 88, at the Hotel Ritz, where she has lived for more than 30 years.