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Chanel was one of the most influential fashion designers of the twentieth century, a peasant girl from the Auvergne who rose from milliner to mistress of haute couture. "In 1919," she said, "I woke up famous." That fame lives on today as the basics of modern fashion follow lines laid down by Coco Chanel.
Between the wars she popularized clothes that were simple and elegant, contouring the natural shape of the body, and she often borrowed ideas from workclothes. The classic chic of tweed suits, cardigans and jerseys, the little black dress, and costume jewelery became her hallmark. There is also the flamboyant Chanel; her Twenties' evening wear and exotic motifs inspired by the Surrealists endeared her work to the theatre of Diaghilev and Cocteau, and to Hollywood. In 1954, at the age of seventy-one, she made an astonishing comeback, increasing the momentum and influence of the Chanel name which now flourishes under Karl Lagerfeld and the continuing success of "Chanel No. 5."
Many contemporary photographs and drawings - several in color - show how the simplicity of her design and quality of her craft have had a major impact on the ready-to-wear industry as well as on haute couture throughout the century.
