COCO CHANEL
Credited with inventing everything from the suntan to the little black dress, “Coco” Chanel (1883-1971) was one of a number of designers, including Jean Patou, who set the tone for informal womenswear.
She was a towering fashion figure, expertly anticipating the post-World War I spirit, representing the modernist woman, and adding weight to many trends.
Her 1920s and 30s women’s wear developed a cleverly “simple” look that chimed with the sober functionalism of wartime clothes.
It embraced relaxed Chanel suits in jersey and tweed, as well as streamlined shift chemises and the LBD (little Black Dress), costume jewelry, wide-bottomed trousers, and signature accessories.
MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS
After a hard start in life, support form wealthy male admirers helped Chanel establish a Parisian millinery business in 1910, followed by shops in the fashionable beach resorts of Deauville and Biarritz.
She began experimenting with menswear styles and making women’s garments from jersey, a soft, easily draped fabric.
By 1919 she had a booming business in Paris.
REINVENTING THE LOOK — LAGERFELD
Chanel was still overseeing her collections when she died, in her 80s, in 1971.
The couture house continued and in 1978 the first pret-a-porter (ready-to-wear) line was launched.
In 1983 Karl Lagerfeld became head of design, raising the brand’s profile globally.
That he has found so many fresh ways to mine Chanel concepts proves that Coco had tapped into a timeless purism.
設計師
可可 香奈兒
憑借將小黑裙帶進人們視野，可可 香奈兒（1883-1971）是那個年代，包括讓 巴度在內的，為非正式女裝奠定基調的幾位設計師之壹。
她是壹位站在塔尖的時尚人物，特別在預測壹次大戰精神，代表現代女性，流行趨勢增加方面有特殊的作用。
在她手下的二十世紀20與30年代的女性著裝，發展出壹種巧妙“簡潔”的外觀造型，並能與當時的戰時服裝嚴肅功能主義相結合。
它信奉輕松的針織與斜紋軟呢香奈兒套裝，以及流線型化妝品與小黑裙，服飾珠寶，寬腿褲以及簽名配飾。
走上正軌
在艱難的開始之後，富裕的男性崇拜者幫助香奈兒在1910年建立了巴黎女帽生意，其次是多維爾河比亞裏茨海邊度假村的時尚店鋪。
她開始嘗試男裝風格，並將運動衫制成女裝，利用壹種柔軟容易裁剪的布料。
到1919年，她在巴黎的生意蓬勃發展。
品牌重塑 — 拉格菲爾德
1971年，80歲的香奈兒在臨終之前還在監督她的時裝系列。
她的高級時裝屋仍然繼續運營，1978年第壹條成衣線正式開始工作。
1983年，卡爾 拉格菲爾德成為設計負責人，負責提升品牌在全球的地位。
他發現了許多新鮮的方法來挖掘香奈兒的概念，證明可可香奈兒已經陷入了永恒的純粹主義。