“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening“
– Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel was one of the most famous and influential fashion designers during the 20th century. She is a prominent role model in fashion history, well known for her signature style of simple elegance and comfort that still captivates the hearts of many people today. I choose Chanel as my favourite fashion brand because it embraces the simplicity of fashion while still being stylish and embodies a strong feminine flair with masculine accents.
Chanel was founded in 1910 when women’s clothes weren’t designed to be practical and consisted of extravagant dresses and tight corsets. Chanel was not a fan of this style as it restricted the movement of women and therefore introduced the jersey material in 1913. Jersey is a stretchy fabric that was commonly used for men’s underwear and hence was far from the norm of the 1900s as it was viewed to be cheap masculine material. Despite this, Chanel’s daring confidence allowed her to be the first to incorporate both comfort and style into women’s fashion by creating sportswear, changing the trends of that era.
Furthermore, when I discovered Chanel I believed it to be a very sophisticated brand due to its use of high-quality and durable fibres such as tweed and yarn. Tweed especially reinforces the luxurious aesthetic of Chanel as it is an expensive rich material. Surprisingly at that time, tweed was a traditional masculine fabric, however in 1924 when she proposed her classic tweed suits, it offered a new style of attire for women. Additionally, the little black dress was popularised in 1926 and was only available in black so being stylish was easier and simpler.
I particularly adore the spring 1993 collection which I think perfectly portrays the minimal yet chic elegance that is associated with Chanel. I appreciate that she accompanies the outfits with many accessories, such as grand hats, gloves, bows and gold chains that re-establish femininity in her work.
Her success continues to flourish throughout her fragrance line with Chanel no.5 being the signature scent worldwide. I admire this aspect of Chanel where she broadens her beautiful designs to other industries such as beauty, fragrance and fine jewellery. Therefore, I look up to her not only as a respected fashion designer but also as a respected businesswoman. I believe Chanel to be such a classic luxury brand that has influenced many people and trends to this day and its timeless designs will never be out of style.
Citations
- Trochu, Eugénie. “Gabrielle Chanel’s signature pieces, explained by a specialist.” Vogue, 21 October 2020, https://www.vogue.fr/fashion/article/gabrielle-chanel-signature-pieces-history-anecdotes Accessed 4 October 2022.
- Sert, José Maria. “Gabrielle Chanel, the founder of CHANEL | CHANEL.” Chanel, https://www.chanel.com/gb/about-chanel/the-founder Accessed 4 October 2022.
- McDowell, Colin. “Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883-1971) | BoF.” The Business of Fashion, 27 November 2015, https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/gabrielle-coco-chanel-1883-1971/ Accessed 5 October 2022.
- Krick, Jessa. “Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883–1971) and the House of Chanel.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2004, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chnl/hd_chnl.htm Accessed 5 October 2022.
