Chanel creating a style

The brand Chanel perfectly represents the style of the Parisian, with a look that is both sophisticated and casual chic. Like its founder Gabrielle Chanel, with a determined temperament, the brand still imposes its own luxury codes today. Let's discover the history of the brand to better understand its iconic creations.

From her beginnings as a milliner to sports outfits

Gabrielle Chanel, born in Saumur, moved to Paris in 1910, rue Cambon as a milliner. From the summer, thanks to her mentors and lovers (the Frenchman and horse breeder Etienne Balsan and the English polo player, Boy Capel), she opened boutiques in Deauville and Biarritz, offering her first sports outfits borrowed from the world equestrian. In particular, its famous quilted pattern is inspired by lads' outfits and horse saddle pads. With her sassy nickname, Coco Chanel shortens skirts and frees women's bodies. She made dresses from stable boys' jersey jerseys which quickly became her favorite material. With her flapper hairstyle, she breaks the rules by playing on a masculine-feminine style with tweed and jacquard patterns borrowed from the British style. This jacquard pattern and quilting are reinterpreted today in a stylized way with the new collection Coco Crush particularly iconic.

The camellia as an emblem

In 1923, Gabrielle Chanel chose the camellia as its emblem, borrowing this flower from Parisian dandies, such as Marcel Proust wearing it in his buttonhole. She pins this winter flower, native to Asia, on a first muslin dress. This flower also reminds her of the Lady of the Camellias, played with talent by Sarah Bernhardt whom she had admired at the theater during her childhood. A true iconic flower of the brand, the camellia is reinterpreted today in multiple materials: tweed, feathers or satin. In jewelry, the sculpture of stones called glyptics allows you to create precious flowers in onyx or white agate, without forgetting white pearls to honor this delicate flower.

The creation of a jewelry workshop

From 1924, Gabrielle Chanel opens a costume jewelry workshop. If her toiletries are sober, she wants to embellish them with opulent jewelry. She thus mixes rhinestones, fake or real pearls with fine stones. She surrounded herself with talented designers like Etienne de Beaumont and Paul Iribe. But it was above all the Italian jeweler Fulco di Verdura, whom she met in Venice, who created her emblematic pieces such as the Maltese cross bracelet with multicolored fine stones or the brand's iconic chain. Chanel.In 1926, she also created her famous “little black dress”, a color traditionally reserved for mourning, but enhanced with necklaces of white pearls providing a beautiful shine. These pearls transformed into long necklaces bring movement to a silhouette or are transformed into elegant drop earrings or imposing baroque rings. 

The Diamond Jewelry collection of 1932

Unique jewelry collection, created by Gabrielle Chanel, The Bijoux de Diamants collection pays homage to the brilliance of this precious stone under the watchful eye of a seamstress. The necklaces are transformed into fringes reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties or into precious ribbons evoking the wise Claudine collars of her childhood at boarding school. Believing in celestial magic, Miss Chanel had seen a shooting star above the Tuileries Gardens bringing him luck. She decides to create a Shooting Star necklace and a brooch Comète. Most of the pieces are transformable, already designed for free and emancipated women. The exhibition in 1932 of his collection in his private mansion, Faubourg Saint Honoré, was a real success. “I want the jewel to be on the woman’s fingers like a ribbon. I wanted to cover women with constellations,” she explains during the launch. But this free woman offering a modern interpretation of the diamond encountered opposition from the jewelers of Place Vendôme who demanded that the diamond dealers dismantle the pieces. Fortunately, since 1993 when it set up its jewelry store on Place Vendôme, the brand Chanel has relaunched this legendary collection and brings numerous variations each year.

Ceramic revolutionary material

In the year 2000, the brand Chanel unveiled its first ceramic watch J12 which revolutionized the world of watchmaking. This high-tech material, six times harder than steel, is suitable for this sporty watch, available in white and black or titanium ceramic. L'second-hand was too beautiful to also revisit her jewelry collection Ultra with ceramic links interspersed with rows of white gold and sometimes enhanced with diamonds. Miss Chanel liked to say: “Black holds everything. White too. They are absolutely beautiful, it’s the perfect match.” The House Chanel knew how to create not only a style, but always knew how to reinvent himself!