The Elegant Life of a Legend: Mademoiselle Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born August 19, 1883 to Albert Chanel and Jeanne Devolle, a stallholder and a laundrywoman at the time of her birth. Gabrielle was the second daughter born to the Chanel’s. She had five siblings, her two sisters Julie and Antoinette, and her 3 brothers Alphonse, Lucien, and Augustin. "Chanel rarely talked about the circumstances of her birth, but she did occasionally mention a train journey that her mother had undertaken just before, in search of the elusive Albert." (Picardie 15). Chanel claimed that her mother was dressed were no one could determine if her mother was pregnant or not. When the passengers acknowledged the fact that she was pregnant they took her into their home and sent for a doctor. When the doctor arrived they took Devolle to the hospital were later Chanel was born. At her birth she was baptized and given the name Gabrielle Bonheur. The name was given from a nun that worked in the hospital and became her godmother as well. At the age of 5 Chanel's mother became ill and she and her sisters were taken to her uncle's house to stay. Chanel explained too many that her mother died of tuberculosis but Devolle actually died of poverty, pregnancy, and pneumonia. Chanel was put into a Roman Catholic orphanage by her father who later left the family behind. She was raised by nuns who taught her how to sew and would later lead to her life’s work. There was no future; for a poor girl being brought up in an orphanage but the dream was established at an early age. She began working with her sister in a milliner in Deauville. Throughout her glamorous and luxurious life she never mentioned to the world her upbringing and the trials life brought her. She repeatedly erased all of the saddened traces of...

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...on of the spring collection. She died on Sunday 10 January, at the Hotel Ritz where she had resided for more than thirty years. She had gone for a long drive that afternoon and, not feeling well, had retired early to bed. Today her elegance and confidence still lives on through her collections. Her elegance continues in Paris as well as the United States. Chanel’s style will forever be celebrated throughout the world; she was a fashion icon, lady of luxury, and a goddess of fashion.

Works Cited

Notes

1. Justine Picardie, “CoCo Chanel: The Legend and the Life” (2010)

2. Karen Karbo, “The Gospel According to Coco Chanel” (2009)

3. A&E Television Networks (2008)

4. Pierre Galante “Les Annees Chanel” (1972)

5. Samuel Goldwyn interview in The New York Times (1932)

6. Samuel Goldwyn interview in Colliers magazine (1931)

7. Life Magazine (1954)