Coco Chanel: Rebel in a black dress

  As head designer and creative director Karl Lagerfeld took his bow at the end of the Chanel fashion show in Paris last month, he paid tribute to the legacy of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, which opened its first branch 100 years ago.

Many celebrations will take place this year, as a film directed by Lagerfeld and starring unlikely Keira Knightley as Madame herself.

Even if you have anything with a lock 'C' (bar maybe a nail polish), it is worth to try, many happy returns to make, especially for the fact that Coco - how she wanted to be called (it was a nickname its short career as a singer) - has changed the way women dress forever changed. It has us believe from the constricting corset S-curve and made us, we could find business empires.

She refused to change for dinner, wearing the same clothes she had the whole day, maybe with another scarf. You would not be embellished over-represented the day like a hat shaped meringue dominant modes. She cut her long hair, refused to get married and never had children.

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They invented many things: minimalism, simple tweed cardigan jacket, the little black dress, sportswear worn as daywear, androgynous fashion, jersey, quilting and jewelry.

In fact, it is almost impossible to list all the things that Coco Chanel made fashionable list.

Born in 1883, Chanel started her career in 1910 as a milliner in Paris, and was soon so great financial success on April 11.1913, she was able to start his own fashion house. The store was not in the chic streets of Paris, but only 500 meters from the beach in the French Riviera resort of Deauville fashion.

Chanel was a feminist before the word could really believe was fashion free women from the constraints of convention.

She has even changed the way we feel by introducing her perfume No. 5 in 1921. It was the first perfume to bear the name of a fashion designer on the label, and sold 10 million bottles worldwide last year, it remains the best-selling fragrance ever created.

Coco understand what was going to carry the masses, and that "it is to be for low mode, it must be first.

Chanel: More importantly, it was an empire that still bears his name forged. Coco worked hard all his life, often six days a week, immersed himself in his career. She died in his apartment in the Hotel Ritz in Paris in 1971, at the age of 87, after he designed almost to the end.

Lagerfeld, who took over the house in 1983, a silly vain man can be considered, but he has a new life in a house that had been languishing is undeniable. Under his leadership, Chanel was a fashion event.

The passport must often be demonstrated that the doorman black suit, as if you are about to enter another country - in a way that you are. His sets are strange: a huge iceberg in ready-to-wear show in 2010/11 and the collection presents fashion show last year was in an airplane. Lagerfeld made some mistakes: Fanny and fingerless gloves, for example. But like Chanel defied two world wars and a recession, this is also the case Lagerfeld flies in the face of decency saw its brand rise where others have failed.

His show last month showed that there is nothing new to discover fashion: he had waders on the knee, go to Coco Chanel for fishing in Scotland with the Duke of Westminster. Wire Tweed come to life - as it had in the thirties.

A huge world hovers over the bridge, with small flags showing the location of each memory Chanel covered the globe - in the Far East region, by far the most densely spotted.

When I was an editor, I was once up to the stairs to the office of Ms. Chanel creep - not that positively reeked of Chanel 5, but the loneliness and her couch giant deer.

At that time I also had a dive '2 .55 'black bag with a gold chain, I retreated quickly to PAO. All promotional gifts showered on me, that's the only point I wish I had kept. You know that if you own a piece of Chanel - is only part of the reason why the brand has remained both symbolic and actual.

Lagerfeld could add bling, but what remains are easily man that women of every age and shape can wear lines - but unfortunately not every bank balance.

If you want to immerse themselves in the spirit of Chanel, visit the shop on Rue Cambon in Paris. It opened on 31 square meters in 1919 his first boutique in Paris 21 and just behind the Ritz. A business dedicated to accessories, perfumes and beauty products was soon at his side.

Check out the final six minutes of the film Coco avant Chanel for a parade of the biggest hits of the fashion house downstairs reflection of his fashion house.

You can also watch the black trouser suit in 1937 because of the fish-scale sequins, paired with a chiffon blouse with pearl buttons, currently on display at Badger & A.

Like Chanel herself said: "I gave women the ability to laugh and without a violation to eat.

Oh, were that the current designers so handy so concerned about our comfort, our comfort and happiness!