Who is Coco Chanel?

Coco Chanel, born Gabrielle Chanel in France in 1883, was a fashion designer who got her nickname during her short-lived career as a cabaret singer. In 1910, she opened a boutique in Paris to sell her hats, which were beloved by the popular French actresses of the era. Her success with hats led her to open the first Chanel Couture House five years later, where she designed and sold women’s sportswear made of jersey — which until then was used to make men’s underwear. Her revolutionary style catapulted her to fame, and in the decades that followed, Coco Chanel remained on the cutting edge of fashion, creating modern, timeless clothing, perfumes and accessories — and, of course, her iconic bags, which are revered to this day. Shop a collection of Chanel from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.