Coco chanel

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Coco Chanel realized that to win any war you needed a « first-class uniform » : functionnal clothing. She instinctively understood one of the most important principles of modern life : flexibility is power. So, she tried to highlight it in her design. She wanted clothes that fitted so well that one could forget all about them and concentrate on the society. It seems to her that all she designed found it proper purpose when it was worn.

She stuck to her belief that the primary purpose of fashion is to be of the service of the wearer. On this war period she wanted to make something new and practical, something simple, but still glamourous and feminin.

She wanted to give society women’s a new feeling.

It was about ideals rather than outiftis. What has made her style last is the fact that it is functional. She thought about everything when she designed clothes : shape, lenght, material…

What Coco chanel proposed were different outfits that were intended to serve woman. She put women’s needs, enjoyement, independance and active life at the forefront of fashion design.

[pic 4]One of her best invention was the « black little dress » (see picture on the left), that showed a great mix between functionality and beauty. American Vogue called it the « Ford of fashion » for its functionality.

Chanel designed the black dress during the time in between World War I and World War II. Contrasting greatly with other designs full of embroidery, the little black dress became a symbol of chic and sophisticated simplicity. The dress was made out of wool for day and out of crepe, satin, or velvet for night. The dress could be found in short and long lengths, with or without sleeves, in lace or chiffon. Chanel created a piece of clothing that any woman could wear. This simple black dress had the ability to be a lasting success.

Chanel stated that “Women think about all colors except the absence of color. I have already said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute.”.Chanel saw the possibilities for lasting perfection.

One of her saying about love, life and fashion was : « If you were born without wings, then don’t do anything to stop them growing. », that also describes well the way she wants her clothes to be : don’t make clothes that will prevent womens for doing what they want.

Her collection was composed of simple pull overs, plain pleated skirts, straight cut dresses, sporty suits made from jersey or tweed.

She used herself as a model, « I invented sportwear for myself » she said. Everything she designed was something that she would put on herself and use. Her easy-fitting flowing design could be worn everyday, but also for a special occasion.

The perfect fit, the simplicity, the outstanding finish and the soft, smooth material made movement easier and gave more comfort. Coco Chanel clearly instaured the principle of functionalism in fashion design.

In addition of pure functionalism, Chanel clothing also had a social functionality that the fashion design did not have before. In fact, by creating this look, Coco chanel made much more womens identifying to her look. She was reaching to much more social classes. Because, even if Chanel clothes were expensive, the Chanel look itself could still be accessible to anyone.

The impact that Chanel had on fashion design was really important. She showed that clothes had also a social function and launched the idea of trend.

Chanel contributed to change the idea of ladies fashion, and move it out of it elitist tower and back to real life.

Chanel was not only interested in doing away with new lines, she also wanted to create timeless wardrobe that would last not only through the next seasons but for many years because of the simple functionality of the clothes. She successfully established functionalism in her brand building, something that nobody had done yet. Shed id practical clothing and trends accessible to everyone.

Coco Chanel characterized history of fashion design, and this is also why nowadays people still adopte the Chanel look.