History of Chanel - Page 3
The German occupation of France halted the Paris fashion scene for several years during World War II, and this would have a large effect on the history of Chanel since Coco Chanel received a lot of criticism both during and after the war for her love affair with a Nazi officer during the occupation. This affected her popularity not only as a person, but as a designer as well and eventually caused her to move to Switzerland. She didn’t return to the fashion scene until 1954 when she did a celebrated comeback. Her designs soon rose to the first ranks of French haute couture. This time she made pea jackets and bell bottom pants the height of fashion. Her older designs, such as the Chanel suit, also remained extremely popular.
Coco Chanel did not only dedicate her self to ordinary fashion, she created stage costumes for plays and films as well. And here costumes for scene plays such as Cocteau's Antigone (1923) and Oedipus Rex (1937) plays an important role in the history of Chanel. You can also see her work in the movie La Regle de Jeu, a film directed by Renoir.
Coco Chanel lived in Paris for most of her life, and stayed at Hotel Ritz for more than 30 years. Her rooms at the Hotel Ritz are still named after her and a part of the history of Chanel. She also had an apartment on Rue Chambon, at the same address as she had run a shop since the early 1920’s. When she visited the French Riviera she lived in her house in Roquebrune, the Villa La Pausa. During her last years she returned to Switzerland and Coco Chanel died in Lausanne on January 10, 1971. She kept on working until her death and is now buried in a tomb encircled by five stone lions.
The Chanel designs had an everlasting air to them and managed to stay fashionable for decades. Chanel designs are still very popular and the House of Chanel is today successfully led by designer Karl Lagerfeld, the chief designer. The decedents of Pierre Wertheimer are in control of the perfume part of the Chanel Empire. Coco Chanel changed the fashion scene forever and managed to enter the List of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century (the so called "TIME 100"). The history of Chanel has also been the base of a Broadway musical – Coco. When it was set up on Broadway in 1969 the role as Coco Chanel was played by Katharine Hepburn.
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