Coco's Beginnings:Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in France in 1883. When her mother died of illness when she was twelve, her father abandoned her and her siblings. She was taken in by nuns in an orphanage where she learned to sew. The nuns' black and white clothing inspired her designs, particularly the “Little Black Dress/ LBD.” Learning to sew was her escape. Without the overwhelming tragedies of her childhood, Chanel may never have learned to sew. After leaving the orphanage, he decided to start selling linens, but when that failed he started singing, acting and dancing. He adopted the name "Coco" during a brief career as a café and cabaret singer. She met a young businessman, Arthur Milliner, who helped her open a hat shop in Paris in 1910. In this essay I will describe how Coco Chanel pioneered women's fashion and her influences that are still an integral part of fashion today. Chanel Chanel: She was rebellious and had the most radical ideas of her time. She completely rejected the boundaries of corsets. She paved the way for other women in the fashion world, which was mostly made up of men dressing women. “The bravest act is still to think for yourself. Out loud.”Women's fashion was initially driven and dominated by men. Men designed women's clothing based on the female stereotype that she was the "ideal woman" who was maintained and should have an almost non-existent life. Women were almost prisoners in their own clothes as they were confined to corsets. Coco promoted freedom and empowerment and the ability to express oneself through fashion and clothing. Some say Coco brought liberation to women through her clothing considering her early life was the opposite of... middle of paper... This manifested in her rebellious, revolutionary and iconic designs. Chanel was the only designer to appear on Time magazine's list of the most influential people of the 20th century. Taking this research topic forward, I now realize that Chanel is everywhere around me, from my wardrobe to the clothes in the stores. Her legacy will never end, her name is permanently etched in women's fashion because she did what no one else would ever think of doing. As I read all my sources and did all the research necessary for this essay, I couldn't help but wonder what fashion would be like today if it weren't for Chanel. Would women still be confined within the walls of corsets? Would the fashion industry still be predominantly male-dominated? Realistically, Chanel saved women in many ways, whether she wanted to or not. He truly is the ultimate fashion icon, symbol and idol.