June 20th 2016 1:17 pm | by Gemme Couture | Posted in Blog

When talking about Coco there is almost no subject about her work and life that has not been written about already. Yet arguably the most influential designer of all time, Coco Chanel revolutionized the way women wore their clothes and capitalizing on the changing times she lived in, empowered women to strive for perfection, not for “painful but fab looks for the red carpet”.

“Luxury ought to be comfortable otherwise it is really not luxury” – Coco Chanel

When girls think of a hero, they should think of someone who has made it on their own, someone who stands up for what they believe in, and someone who made a significant change. They should think of someone like (Gabrielle) Coco Chanel. She did not only completely change the way women dressed, Coco redesigned the way women think and how they are perceived.

It is well known that Coco started out with nothing, designing her hat collections, and then during the rough war years, she managed to turn women’s perception of fashion and lifestyle of the 20^th century upside down. In addition, she continued to do so for the rest of her life with her designs, interviews and most important by living what she preached.

“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” – Coco Chanel

Coco showed women all around the globe that they can be independent, strong and fashionable at the same time.  Back in the 1920, women dressed conservatively and were thought of as inferior to men. Coco Chanel took her wild ideas of style, strength and empowerment and incorporated those in her designs and words.

“My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.”  – Coco Chanel

Without Coco, we would not have little black dress nor fashionable trousers for women. She started a trend of using an ordinary clothing item with pearls, jewels and lace to enhance a simple elegant dress. She liked the jewelry pieces bold, original and unique. During the war, she used inexpensive jersey, once reserved only for men’s underwear, to make flowing trousers and sailor pants for women, which allowed women to be comfortable, move more freely and work in their clothes, thus providing a fashionable and practical alternative. This combination made women’s outfits  comfortable and yet extraordinary pieces of art. The influence that Coco Chanel still holds in the fashion world is remarkable.

Style tip – The ideal Chanel look, is for the clothing to be simple, well-constructed, and fitted. The attire is to be worn with costume jewelry.

Coco Chanel had done something no one else had ever dared to try – she used clothing designed for men and made it a unisex. Her emotions, ideas and expressions are apparent in her designs. She did not care about what people thought or if her designs would be accepted. She simply made her dreams of style and business come to life.

Moreover, even when she was on the top of the fashion charts, she did not stop. She continued to explore new ideas and designs, even as she grew older. This is just one of the reasons Coco still inspires people to make a difference.

Coco Chanel’s key contributions to women’s fashion and lifestyle:

1. The Little Black Dress
2. Trousers for women
3. Suntan
4. Jersey
5. Branded Perfume
6. Costume Jewelry
7. The Chanel Suit

Lessons about women empowerment Coco left for us are as clear as can be:

1. Don’t ever stop believing and working on your dreams.
2. Don’t care about what other people think. Failure is just one more step to success.
3. Always try to be better than before.
4. Never stop. Even when you achieve your goals, set new ones.
5. Be yourself, be free, and be independent. No one can ever take that away from you.

„The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.“ – Coco Chanel

Learn these lessons by heart and never forget them. We at Gemme Couture sure can never forget Coco and her bold ideas.