Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel

In the eyes of many people fashion designers may not be heroes, but in my eyes there is one who is. To the world she is known as Coco Chanel, but her birth name is Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. She is not just a fashion designer. She is an extraordinary person and a very strong woman. Throughout her lifetime she was able to use her strength and courage to get through every challenge she was thrown, as well as use her talent to give women the courage to stand up for themselves. She used fashion to change the way women felt about themselves, and to change the way men thought of women. Her fashions brought women strength, courage, and comfort.

Coco Chanel was born as Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel on August 19th, 1883 to Albert Chanel and Jeanne Devolle. At the time of her birth, her parents did not have much money, so she was born in a poorhouse in Saumur, France. At the age of 12 Gabrielle's mother died from tuberculosis, leaving her father to care for her and her siblings. Shortly after her mother's death, Gabrielle's father had to leave his family to travel and make money to raise them. Gabrielle ended up living in the orphanage of the Catholic Monastery of Aubazine until she was 18. During her seven years at the orphanage, she learned the trade of a seamstress from the nuns and relatives of hers.

Leaving the orphanage on her 18th birthday, Gabrielle started working for a tailor in the same area. While working there, she met a man named Etienne Balsan who promised her a life of riches. He convinced her to move into his mansion and bought her diamonds, pearls, and anything else she asked for. During this time, she began designing her own hats to keep herself busy. The only thing he would not give her was love. Finally she saw the truth about this man and left him to start her own fashion boutique in Paris. It didn't take long for her shop to fail and for her to fall into debt. She was forced to give up everything she owned but instead of giving up, she still kept moving forward with even more determination. Shortly after this small defeat, she met up with a man named Arthur “Boy” Capel, who helped her start up a new shop. With the finances and property she needed, her newest shop flourished. Coco Chanel ended up falling in love with Boy Capel, but they never married.

Later in her life, Coco designed much more than just hats. She designed clothing that every woman could afford and would be comfortable wearing. The men of the time did not appreciate her new clothing designs. They thought that they were “un-proper”. Chanel did not care what the men thought of her designs. She kept making clothing her own way, hoping that eventually women would realize that they did not need to dress the way their men wanted them to. In the end it worked. Coco Chanel got woman everywhere to realize that they deserved to dress comfortably. The designs of Coco Chanel revolutionized the fashion industry, and ultimately started the “flapper” craze.

Coco Chanel is a person that women all over the world can look up to. Throughout her life she continued to show courage and strength until the day she died. Some of the struggles she endured included her mother dying when she was only 12 years old, her father leaving her in an orphanage, and the love of her life dying. On top of all of this she was always told that she would never make it in this world. Everything that she was and everything that she stood for was constantly being criticized by the people around her. Despite what she was told, she kept pushing forward and standing up for her beliefs. Today the name Coco Chanel lives on in the eyes of many as a fashion designer, but in my eyes she lives on as a hero.