Coco Chanel, founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, was a French Fashion designer and businesswoman. She was a prolific fashion creator and is credited with liberating women from the constraints of the “corseted silhouette” and popularizing a sporty, casual chic as the feminine standard of style in the post-World War I era.
Beyond couture clothing, Chanel realised her design aesthetic in jewelry, handbags, and fragrance. Chanel No. 5, her signature scent, has become an iconic product. She designed the famous interlocked-CC monogram, which has been in use since the 1920s.
Chanel’s life has been an inspiration for several books, films and a Broadway musical. She is the only fashion designer in the list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time magazine.