Gabrielle Bonheur Coco Chanel was a pioneering French couturier the most important figure in the history of 20th-century fashion design. She borrowed ideas from men’s clothes and created clothes for modern women. She made fashion revolution. Nickname Coco she took after her perfomance of the song Qui qu�a vu Coco dans le Trocadero in 1905 in a small provincial town. She never married. For more than 30 years, Gabrielle Chanel made the H�tel Ritz in Paris her home. But spent her latter years in Lausanne, Switzerland. On Chanel bags, belts and clothes often surfaces camelia � according to mythology, the simbol of radiancy and purity.

1883 (19 august) � was born in the small city of Saumur, France, although she asserted she was born in 1893, in Auvergne.
1912 � helped out by a wealthy aristocrat, Arthur Capel.
1913 � opened hat shop, money injected Arthur Capel.
1916 � introduced jersey suits.
1920s � time of the Great Depression, but Chanel opens (with the financial help of Capel) shop at 31 rue (this shop became historically famous).
The middle of 1920s – Chanel No. 5, the first designer’s brand perfume.
1923 – Chanel suit – an elegant suit comprising a knee-length skirt and trim, boxy jacket, traditionally made of woven wool with black trim and gold buttons and worn with large costume-pearl necklaces.
1931 – was hired by Samuel Goldwin for one million dollars to dress his stars, including Kathrine Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Gloria Swanson.
1939 � World War 2, Paris felt. Coco Chanel had to close her boutiques.
1954 � returned to her work after 15 years which were spended living in Switzerland with Nazi officer � Chanels great love.
50s-60s � Chanel was working on some Hollywood studios wearing stars.
1971 � Coco Chanel died.
Early 80s – designer Karl Lagerfeld took over the Chanel design house. Double C logo, for the first time was seen on Chanel No. 5 perfume packaging is still exclusive and belongs to Chanel Fashion House.
Official Chanel site