In honour of Coco Chanel’s 143rd birthday, we take a look back at her legendary career transforming fashion even today. Over a century after she opened her first boutique in Paris, her revolutionary ideas and radical vision continue to shape how people see, view, and experience fashion.

Born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel on August 19, 1883, she was raised in a convent orphanage in Saumur, France, where she learned to sew and sing. She started her design journey making hats and later turned to garments that broke away from conventional silhouettes.

Before Chanel, women's high fashion was defined by restrictiveness with tight corsets, heavy petticoats, and uncomfortable layers. Chanel drew inspiration from men’s clothing, sportswear, and practical work garments to redefine women’s fashion by discarding the excess to focus on clean, comfortable silhouettes. 

Her design staples include the timeless Little Black Dress, introduced in the late 1920s, where she reclaimed a colour previously associated with mourning, turning it into a symbol of sophistication; the Tweed Suit, allowing free movement in clothes for women; and the iconic Chanel No. 5 perfume. 

She died on January 10, 1971, at the age of 87. Her life was marked by her fierce independence and extraordinary business savvy. Despite controversial personal affairs, Coco Chanel’s aesthetic philosophy won the world time and again. Modern luxury still takes from Coco Chanel’s ideologies, crafting luxury that is centred around comfort.