Gabrielle Chanel

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883–1971) was a French fashion designer whose work helped establish a practical, less restrictive vocabulary for twentieth-century womenswear. Beginning in millinery, she developed clothes using jersey and elements of menswear and sports dress. Her business expanded from France to a London salon in 1927.

Her collaborations with British textile producers helped make tweed central to her designs. After closing her couture operations during the Second World War, she returned to fashion in 1954. The skirt suit with a collarless jacket became a defining feature of her later work, alongside accessories and perfume.