On August 19, French fashion icon Coco Chanel would have celebrated her 130th birthday. Born in 1883 in Saumur, France, Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel – later known as “Coco” – grew up in an orphanage where she first learned to sew. At age 18, Chanel left the orphanage and had a brief singing career before opening her first clothing shop in 1910. A decade later in 1920, Chanel launched her first perfume and two of her most influential and timeless clothing designs – the tailored tweed suit and the little black dress. When Chanel died in 1971, she not only left behind her fashion legacy of classic, wearable pieces, but her essence of poingant quotes related to style and sophistication, including:
Fashion changes; style remains
Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.
Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside.
Nature gives you the face you have at 20. It is up to you to merit the face you have at 50.
A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.
Learn more about the extraordinary life of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel.
