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.

Coco Chanel is most famous for founding the luxury French fashion house Chanel in 1910. In addition, she is known for creating the first-ever handbag to feature a shoulder strap, the 2.55 Flap Bag, in 1955. Chanel also created the little black dress in 1926. On 1stDibs, find a variety of Chanel apparel, bags, shoes and accessories.

Coco Chanel was influential because she reimagined apparel typically reserved for men, like blazers in feminine cuts and softer fabrics. Effortless and elegant, Chanel's designs promoted comfort and grace in women’s wear that had been dominated in the previous century by complicated layers of fabric and cumbersome corsets. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Chanel pieces from some of the world's top boutiques.

Coco Chanel's most famous design is arguably either the 2.55 Flap Bag or the little black dress. In 1926, Chanel introduced her first little black dress, reclaiming a color that had once been reserved for mourning and working-class women. At the time, Vogue referred to it as Chanel's Ford, a reference to the Henry Ford Co. automobiles that were reshaping the automobile industry. Similarly, the little black dress was a landmark in fashion design. The earliest designs for the 2.55 Flap Bag date back to the 1920s, when Chanel began dabbling in designs for a woman's handbag that included a shoulder strap. In 1955, she finally introduced the bag, which gained fame as the first-ever shoulder bag (or one of the earliest) and it remains iconic to this day. Shop a diverse assortment of Chanel apparel, bags and accessories on 1stDibs.

After Coco died, Yvonne Dudel, Jean Cazaubon and Philippe Guibourgé took over Chanel. During the early 1970s, Jacques Wertheimer purchased the controlling interest in the French fashion house, and his son, Alain Wertheimer, took over for him in 1974. Karl Lagerfeld became the creative director of Chanel in 1983 and served in the role until his death in 2019. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Chanel apparel, bags and accessories.