The History of Chanel

Coco Chanel made the little black dress chic, epitomised the tweed suit and has ensured that through designer Karl Largefeld her interlinked double 'C' monogram remain a mark of high quality fashion even into the 21st Century The very word chanel instantly conjures up images of timeless glamour and enviable elegance so its not surprising that after ninety years it still reigns as the world's most famous fashion label. Its founder: the petite yet diminutive Parisian Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel started out designing hats for the fashionable ladies of Paris, Deauville and Biarritz in 1909.A decade later 'CoCo' , as she was affectionately known, had branched out into couture and was revolutionising the female wardrobe creating clothes from jersey - up until then a material that was unheard of in women's fashion - and coaxing her customers out of stuffy dresses and into relaxed trousers. It was Coco who transformed the nautical look from plain old sailor wear to stylish leisure attire and it was she who brought us the now ubiquitous little black dress as well as androgynous and sporting chic.

Chanel's global image is one of class, sophistication and timeless elegance.