Brief Bio of Coco Chanel

The Unforgettable Mademoiselle, Gabriel Chanel Through out the course of history, there have been only but a few artists who have successfully torn down the traditions of society to create an innovative path towards an everlasting legacy. Some artists, such as Vincent Van Gough, did not even live to see a day of fame or recognition. One such artist, however, was able to rise above the devastations of her past and hone those negativities into diligence that pushed her into creating luxurious garments that not only changed the way women dressed, but also the way women conceptualized fashion. This women, who literally started with nothing, built an empire that after decades, still stands profoundly embodying the renowned logo of the double c’s. This women revolutionized fashion, challenged societal standards, and made an everlasting name for herself. This influential woman is Mademoiselle Gabrielle Chanel. Even before her conception, Chanel was destined to be born into a world of an unstable life full of unfortunate events. According to Francois Baudot, the author of the autobiography, Chanel, “Chanel came into the world by accident on 19 August 1883” (Baudot 4). There was no preparation for a family, not even a secure place to call home and raise a family in. Her father, Albert Chanel, was a pedlar who was consistently traveling and had no intentions of marrying her mother Eugenie Devolle until Devolle’s family paid him off too (Chanley). When Chanel was roughly six years old, her mother passed away from an illness and her father abandoned the family shortly afterwards (Charles-Roux 5). Because of this, Chanel was forced to spend the rest of her adolescent life in a Catholic orphanage (Charles- Roux 5). As explained by the French author of Chanel and Her World, Edmonde Charles-Roux, “Gabrielle the child suffered all the harshness of convent life, by which we do not mean misery and maltreatment but, rather, strictness, solitude, and mental anguish.” But even with