In her youth she frequented the demi-monde and by 1909 she had opened a milliner's shop, in Paris . A mark of her independence it can certainly be argued that she contributed to the emancipation of women. She created hats of sublime simplicity that the fashionable horse racing set cherished.

The year 1913 saw Chanel open a boutique in Deauville , Normandy , and launch her first jersey Tailored suits. In 1920, Paris was the world's capital of the arts and Chanel had established herself at the centre of this world. She was a pioneer and each achievement pushed the envelope a little further, the No. 5 perfume was the first launched by a courturier.

German designer Karl Lagerfeld assumed the artistic directorship of the House of Chanel in 1984. He has steared the company to greater success with his artistry and some luck such as the media coup that saw his fellow country woman and super model Claudia Schiffer succeed the French model Inès de la Fressange.

She died in 1971.

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