|
|
| Summary: The Chanel handbag was first introduced by Coco Chanel in 1955, and to this day, Coco Chanel's handbags are considered the height of upscale elegance. |
When it comes to the world of high fashion, no name conjures up images of upscale elegance quite like Chanel. From classic business suits to breathtaking eveningwear and attractive handbags, the Chanel brand is one of the most revered in the entire world.
The House of Chanel rose up to its present height from very humble beginnings. Founder Gabrielle Chanel was born in 1883 in Saumur in the south of France to poor, working-class parents. Her early childhood was filled with hardship and misery, as she moved from relative to relative after her mother’s death and her father’s subsequent abandonment. Chanel eventually settled into an orphanage where she was educated by nuns. It was in the nuns’ convent that she first learned how to sew.
After leaving the orphanage, Chanel embarked on a brief three-year career as a cabaret singer. Although short-lived, her singing career was significant for two reasons. First, it was from these performances that Chanel acquired the nickname “Coco”, which would stick with her for the rest of her life and become synonymous with the House of Chanel’s iconoclastic fashions. Second, Chanel met some very wealthy men, two of whom supplied the necessary financial backing that allowed her to open her first boutique in Paris in 1910.
Chanel’s early designs represented a distinct departure from the prevailing women’s styles of the day. Instead of the corseted, restrictive ensembles that were then the norm, Chanel favored loose-fitting, comfortable clothing that promoted movement and activity. She also worked extensively with jersey, a cheaper fabric that had largely been ignored in French fashion. Chanel’s clothes were a hit with her upper-class clientele, and on the heels of this instant success, she was able to open several more shops throughout France.
After a string of extraordinarily successful products, including the “little black dress” and the No.5 fragrance, Chanel introduced her first handbag in 1955. Called 2.55, the bag was a simple quilted design with a gilt chain strap, and was available in either leather or jersey. The 2.55 soon became a must-have status symbol, and cemented Chanel’s place in the annals of fashion history.
The bag is still an enormously popular accessory today, thanks in large part to the current mastermind at the House of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld was responsible for putting the interlocking C logo on the 2.55, and he frequently updates the bag’s looks to keep it uppermost in the consciousness of fashion mavens the world over.
Recommended reading (click on the picture for details):
Recommended wearing (click on the picture for details):
Email the link for this page to a friend!
→ Writers and purse enthusiasts! Do you want to contribute an article to our collection? If so, send us an email here.