Gabrielle Chanel was born in 1883 in the hospital for the poor in France. She had uneasy childhood, when her mother died and her father left her and her sister in the convent. When she was 18 she started to work in a tailor's shop. Her nickname "Coco", she had because of the song she used to sing. Around the age of 25 she began making her own hats, in a style far different to that which was in vogue - they were small and chic and women began to ask for copies. By one of her lovers friends Coco was financed to open a small shop in Paris. Her style was revolutionary in its simplicity. Coco also shortened the length of her hemline, whereas previously a woman's ankles would not have been visible. During the twenties, Chanel continued to create evening dresses notable for their exquisite simplicity. Like most couturiers of these years, Gabrielle Chanel designed beaded dresses, but hers were different, worked in unusual color combinations of black, beige and white, or sometimes she mixed monochromatic infusions of black or white or red. Her other trademark item is the little black dress which she encouraged in 1915, were supposed to make woman look younger, and become later very popular. Her evening dresses became even more romantic, with full skirts, bodices and ruffles, a direct contradiction of her earlier work.

Chanel is one of the most successful prestigious brands in the beauty industry. Presented in the original black and white packaging, Chanel make-up products are slim and practical with clean lines, mild colors and combinations. Equipped with large mirrors and intelligently designed brushes and applicators to ensure whatever the time and place, the color is always easy to apply and long-lasting. Chanel's perfumes, Precision skin care, make-up products, sunglasses, little bags and many other sweet little things are constantly defining and redefining beauty. Coco Chanel once said: 'A woman gets the face she deserves.' That was the truth and these words became a creed of the company.

Coco Chanel saw the potential in linking fashion and fine jewellery 73 years ago when she displayed her Bijoux de Diamants fine jewellery collection on wax Art Deco dummies at her Paris salon. About 60 years later, Chanel the brand opened its first Chanel Fine Jewellery boutique. Today, pretty much every fashion house worth the name has suddenly woken up to the reality of what Coco knew: diamonds can be a designer's best friend. Some costume jewelry was created for Chanel by some of the best designers in France. Chanel started the fashion for gold and bead chains, charm bracelets and jeweled belts, often combining junk jewelry with real jewels on plain garments. In 1957, Chanel won the American Nieman-Marcus Award for Fashion; but even without this an other official recognitions, her continuing influence was worldwide as a leader of fashion. Undoubtedly she founded the public taste as we know it today.

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