CRAZY ABOUT COCO

WHERE would we be without the influence of haute couture legend Coco Chanel? Perhaps tottering around in uncomfortable heels, trussed up in corsets, never knowing the simple elegance of a little black dress or a pair of trousers. 'Dress shabbily, they notice the dress. Dress impeccably, they notice the woman,' said the designer who has been credited with creating the modern woman's wardrobe.

 

Chanel was the queen of understated elegance and, when it came to fashion, she broke all the rules, creating her own unique look. Mischievous and always out to shock, Chanel revolutionised the way women dressed in the 1920s -- by ignoring what they thought they wanted and giving them what she knew they should have: a new style based on the clean lines of men's dress, thus liberating them from restrictive corsets.

 Chanel's glamorous friends included Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso and Charlie Chaplin, and she had a love affair with Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. So it's no surprise Chanel is the muse for the coolest names in fashion to this day, from Kate Moss to Nicole Kidman. Her styles began with simple jersey dresses and black fabric. In her small shop, Chanel offered a different mode of dress: men's pullover sweaters, sailor jackets, and straight skirts. She believed that women should be able dress simply and be comfortable.

Today, her enduring influence on what we all wear is undeniable -- hallmarks of her elegance can be glimpsed in the chic tailoring, pretty party dresses and glamorous knitwear found in all the big stores. While the name 'Chanel' is synonymous with fashion, she also had a massive influence on the world of beauty. She developed a world class cosmetic range and created the best selling perfume of all time. A bottle of Chanel No. 5 is sold worldwide every 55 seconds. In 1953, when asked what she wore in bed, Marilyn Monroe famously replied, 'Why, Chanel No. 5, of course.'

Arguably considered the original investment piece, the Chanel suit--based on the boxy cardigan jacket and straight skirt cut in the signature tweed that Coco Chanel made famous in 1954--is constantly evolving. With higher hemlines, intricate detailing and innovative fabrics and patterns, it's an ideal purchase, no matter which collection you choose from In the end, attitude's what carries off the Chanel look

"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

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