Chanel

“L’Elégance, c’est moi,” said Chanel—unless the quotation is apocryphal, like so much else in the Chanel legend. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883-1971) is probably the most famous fashion designer of the twentieth century, but this fame is based not so much on the remarkably enduring appeal of her designs as on the mythology that has surrounded her life and career. The popular image of Chanel is of a unique genius who created her personal style in isolation from the work of other designers, and virtually single-handedly brought women into the modern era. She is credited, for example, with abolishing the corset and “inventing” the Little Black Dress.

Ironically, this hyperbolic portrait, which she did so much to create, has obscured her genuine accomplishments. Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet created corset-less new styles years before Chanel; and myriad designers of the 1920s created little black dresses and functional sportswear separates. But Chanel was not just a fashion designer; she was also her own best fashion model. She created an image of herself as a modern woman of style, dandyish in her simplicity, with a casual chic that made other women look like over-dressed dolls. By publicizing this image, Chanel not only achieved a much higher profile than her contemporaries (whether men like Jean Patou or women like the talented but motherly-looking Jeanne Lanvin), she also created a prototype for the modern woman—one that has lasted until today.

Although she closed her couture house in 1939, Chanel reopened in 1954, and positioned herself as the antithesis of the reigning male designers of the postwar era. In contrast to Dior’s ever-changing silhouettes, she proposed comfortable, slightly boxy suits, which functioned as stylish uniforms. As Karl Lagerfeld observed, to some extent, Chanel’s genius lay in doing the right thing at the right time. The continued success of her perfume, Chanel Number 5, also kept the brand’s name in the public eye. Nevertheless, after her death in 1971, Chanel’s style became fossilized.

It was only in 1983, when Karl Lagerfeld was brought in, that the Chanel style was brought back to life. Indeed, Lagerfeld once pictured himself as an “emergency doctor” who rejuvenated the famous Chanel suit and other signature styles, introducing new materials, such as denim and leather, and techniques like deconstruction. Unlike Chanel, who was a modernist, Lagerfeld was a postmodernist who boldly exaggerated design elements and signature details, such as chains, costume jewelry, and the famous double C’s. Lagerfeld headed design at Chanel until his death in 2019.