A brief introduction of how the business started

Coco Chanel didn’t have much money but many of her friends were rich and successful. She borrowed money from a rich friend and started her first hat shop in Paris

in 1910. Women were happy to buy her stylish hats and asked her to design clothes for them.

In 1913, Coco borrowed money to open a second shop in the French seaside town of Deauville. Women from all over Europe were soon buying her clothes.

 With the arrival of the First World War in 1914, women were doing various jobs and Coco designed clothes for them.

In 1915, Coco opened another shop in Biarritz in the south of France. Rich people went there to escape from the worries of war and women were looking for beautiful clothes that allowed them to enjoy themselves.

In the 1920s, Coco expanded her clothing business around the world. She also began dealing with jewellery and cosmetics. Coco’s Chanel No. 5 became the most successful perfume of the past hundred years.