Chanel History & Timeline :


1883: August 19 Gabrielle Chanel is born
in Saumur / France into a poor family.
Her father Albert Chanel was in intinerant street vendor.
Her mother was Jeanne Devolle.

1895: At age 12 Gabrielle and her two sisters (Julia Berthe and Antoinette),
were sent to a catholic convent of the
Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Mary at the Abbaye d' Aubazine in Corrèze, France.
The nuns teached her sewing.

Later Coco Chanel was able to find employment as a shop assistant and seamstress
in a drapers store on rue Saint Horloré Paris 8eme.
She also neede to earn her living beeing a cafe singer.
Her nickname "Coco" might be a deviation from "Cocotte",
in French an affective expression for a lovely girl or woman.
Also one of her songs was "Ko Ko Ri Ko" and soon her audiance greeted her as Coco.

1909: Coco Chanel founds her company
and opens a hat store in Paris at 160 boulevard Malesherbes.
The capital is given to her by her lover Etienne Balsan,
a textile businessman and socialite.


1910: with the help of her boyfriend Arthur Boy Chapel,
Coco establishes Chanel Mode on 21 rue Cambon


1913: opening of the shop in Deauville outside Hotel Normandy
just behind the Casino

1915: opening of a boutique and couture salon in Biarritz.
Coco Chanel has her own house but she is frequently at the Hotel du Palais.

1916: Chanel suits appear in the American Vogue for the first time


1918: Coco Chanel meets the
Russian Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich Romanov in Biarritz.
Like other exiled aristocrats Dimitri, a direct cousin of the Zar Nicolas II,
tries to find a job in the fashion industry
and he is interested by Coco Chanel's activities.


1919: opening of a new larger Paris store on 31 rue Cambon
(photo taken around 1960 by Douglas Kirkland).


1919: Coco Chanel discovers the Cremerie de Paris,
a cheese store on 15 rue des Halles, not very far from rue Cambon.
One day she notices the historic courtyard of the shop
with a magnificient staircase including a "5" symbol.
The staircase fascinates her ....


1920: Grand Duke Dimitri Romanov introduces Coco Chanel
to the Russian / French perfumer Ernest Beaux in Cannes.
They stay at the Hotel Carlton.


1920: Coco Chanel is thinking about a Monogram matching her initials CC.
There are different theories about the birth of the Logo.


1921: the first version of Chanel N°5 comes alive,
Chanel offers small samples to her Boutique clients.
Her clients love the perfume but Coco Chanel doesn't have the knowhow
to produce larger quantities. The perfume comes in a bottle designed
by Coco Chanel including for the first time the iconic double C logo.


1924: at the racetracks of Longchamps Coco Chanel is introduced
to Pierre Wertheimer by Theophile Bader.
Pierre and his brother Paul Wertheimer own of the perfume house Bourgeois,
Theophile Bader is the founder of the Galeries Lafayette Department store.




1924: is established "Parfums Chanel".
Ernest Beaux brews the perfume,
one of the first ones to mix natural and artificial essences.
Coco Chanel designes the bottle,
the octagonal cap recalls the geometry and proportions of the place Vendôme.
The jewish businessman, Pierre Wertheimer provides the financing and
gets a 70% interest in the Chanel Perfume business.
20 % are hold by Théophile Bader.
Coco Chanel licenses her name and expertise for 10%.
Parfums Chanel are a different company seperate from the fashion house.

Later the terms of the agreement create major conflicts between Coco Chanel and Wertheimer, as Coco feels having blindly signed an unfair deal.

Chanel N°5 becomes a world success.
Until today it is the best selling perfume worldwide.

Later the Perfume is represented in many iconic commercials.



1925: Coco Chanel meets the Duke of Westminster in Monte Carlo.
They fall in live.
Their life in Monaco is between the yacht of the duke "The Flying Cloud",
the Hotel de Paris, the Hotel Hermitage and a little later Chanel's "Villa La Pausa".

The Duke spoils Mademoiselle Chanel with valuable jewellry and other presents,
but in what concerns an eventual marriage Coco Chanel made the famous quote:
"There are many Duchesses of Westminster but only one Coco Chanel".
In the sentimental life of the Duke she is succeded by Aimée de Heeren.


1926: invention of the little black dress
praised by Vogue as "Chanel's Ford"
marketability and practicality.

1928: construction of the Villa La Pausa near Monaco.


Vintage Video of Chanel Fashion shows during the 1930s


1934: CC attends the Bal du Second Empire given by Prince de Faucigny-Lucinge
1935: CC attends the Grand Siècle costume Ball given by Count Etienne de Beaumont


1937: Coco Chanel is wealthy enough to move to the Hotel Ritz.
The Hotel and the place Vendome become a source of inspiration for her.
4,000 people work for Chanel.

1938: Coco Chanel becomes friends with Aimée de Heeren,
former secret first Lady of Brazil.


1939: July 1, Coco Chanel and Aimee de Heeren go to the Circus Ball given by Lady Mendl.
The Duke of Westminster falls in Love with Aimée de Heeren,
one of the World's most beautiful woman.
One day Chanel finds out and this ends her friendship with Aimée.

1939: September Chanel closes her shops after the declaration of World War II,
31 rue Cambon remains open for accessories & perfumes.

1940: Pierre Wertheimer emigrates to New York.
Without success Coco Chanel used her contacts with the German occupation forces
to get hold of the Wertheimer interests in her perfumes.
Anticipating Nazi mandates against Jews, he turns over his interests in Chanel
to Félix Amiot and thus avoids beeing seized.

1945-1953: Coco Chanel exiles to Lausanne where she stays at the Beaurivage Palace.


1947: Coco Chanel and Pierre Wertheimer meet and make peace
over their never ending fights around the distribution of the Perfume revenues.

1953: July 19, death of the Duke of Westminster.

1954: February 5, comeback to Paris and reopening of the fashion house
with financial backing of her old "business partner"
and former "worst ennemy" Pierre Wertheimer.
Coco Chanel is 71 years old .... and at this age sucessful "comebacks" are rare.

One day when asked why did you return ?
Coco answered "one night at diner Christian Dior said
a women could never be a creat couturier".


1955: Marilyn Monroe photo by Ed Feigersh

1955: Suzy Parker becoes the new Chanel model.
Moovie stars Liz Taylor, Grace Kelly and Rita Hayworth adopt Chanel dresses.

1955: Launch of the perfume "Pour Monsieur".

1956: Coco Chanel and her former rival Aimée de Heeren
both miss the Duke of Westminster and they reconsilate
as they have many souvenirs to share.

1957: Coco Chanel receives the Neiman Marcus Fashion award.


1957 / 1959: Coco Chanel with her models

1959: Chanel enters MoMA, the New York Museum of Modern Art.

1960s: Coco Chanel is getting old and she is very lonely.
Aimée de Heeren calls her to cheer her up.
They go on long evening walks through the city of Paris
... some take them back to the beautiful staircase with the 5 symbol
located at the Cremerie de Paris / Hotel de Villeroy.

40 years later,
Aimeé de Heeren returns to the Cremerie, in the meantime an Internet Cafe
where she takes web lessons.
Her teacher is the editor of VB.com and this article.

1962: Romy Schneider wears Chanel in a Luchino Visconti moovie.

1965: Pierre Wertheimer dies
and his son Jacques takes control of the company.
Jacques Wertheimer is more know for his horse breeding
activities that for his work for Chanel.


1966: Coco Chanel receiving Marie Helène et Nadine de Rothschild at home.

1968: Catherine Deneuve becomes the new face for the Chanel N°5 ads.


1970: Launch of Chanel N°19, the "19" stands for Coco's birthday.


1970: Interview with Jacques Chazot

1970: December, Coco Chanel and Aimée de Heeren meet for the last time.

1971: January 10, Coco Chanel dies at the Ritz.
The funeral is the the Madeleine Church in Paris.
Chanel's favorite models occupy the front row seat at la Madeleine.


Coco is buried in the Bois-de-Vaux cemetery in Lausanne.

Coco Chanel's will, in French by Judith Perrignon, Le Monde.




Several movies are made about her life.
"Coco before Chanel" is made in 2009,
the french actress Audrey Tautou plays Coco Chanel.
You can read the article Secret Life of Chanel by Justine Picardy from the Sunday Telegraph.


suite - The Chanel company after Coco Chanel