🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 62 (from laksa044)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa062.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.britannica.com/biography/Coco-Chanel\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.britannica.com/biography/Coco-Chanel\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel","crawl_time":1776026280,"first_indexed_time":1469977426,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,britannica!www,\/biography\/Coco-Chanel s443","src_root_hash":"5455945239613777662","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Coco Chanel | Biography, Fashion, Designs, Perfume, & Facts | Britannica","meta_descriptions":["Coco Chanel was a French fashion designer who ruled Parisian haute couture for almost six decades. Among her now-classic innovations were the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, costume jewelry, and the little black dress. Learn more about Chanel’s life and career."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Top Questions\nWas Coco Chanel tied to the Nazi party?\nWho inherited the Chanel brand after Coco Chanel died?\nWhat is Coco Chanel known for?\nHow did Coco Chanel become famous?\nDid Coco Chanel have any children?\nCoco Chanel\n(born August 19, 1883,\nSaumur\n, France—died January 10, 1971, Paris) was a French\nfashion\ndesigner who ruled Parisian\nhaute couture\nfor almost six decades. Her elegantly casual designs inspired women to abandon the complicated, uncomfortable clothes that were prevalent in early 20th-century\ndress\n, including\npetticoats\nand\ncorsets\n. Among her now-classic\ninnovations\nwere the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, costume\njewelry\n, and the “\nlittle black dress.” She was also known for the\niconic\nperfume\nChanel No. 5.\nEarly life\nCoco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliation\nThe woman who would eventually become a fashion icon learned to sew in an orphanage.\nSee all videos for this article\nChanel was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, but her surname was misspelled as Chasnel on her birth certificate. Her parents were Eugénie Jeanne Devolle Chanel, a laundrywoman, and Albert Chanel, who worked as a street vendor. The family—which eventually included six children—lived in poverty while moving throughout the French countryside. After her mother died in 1895, 11-year-old Gabrielle Chanel was sent to a convent-run orphanage in Aubazine, in central\nFrance\n. It was there that she learned to sew.\nAt age 18 Chanel moved to\nMoulins\n, where she attended school while living in a convent. In 1902 she struck out on her own and became a seamstress. During this time Chanel also worked as a café singer. Although not a particularly gifted singer, she was a popular performer, known for her\ncharisma\n. The origin of her nickname, “Coco,” is uncertain, but some believe it is a reference to several songs she performed: “Ko Ko Ri Ko” (“Cock-a-doodle-doo”) and “Qui qu’a vu Coco?” (“Has anyone seen Coco?”).\nFashion empire\n“My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.”\nThe café was frequented by military personnel, and one former army officer, Étienne Balsan, invited Chanel to live with him as his mistress. He helped her start a millinery business and introduced her to Arthur (“Boy”) Capel, with whom she had a\nromantic\nrelationship until his death in a car accident in 1919. With his financial assistance, she opened Chanel Modes, a tiny millinery shop at 21 rue Cambon,\nParis\n, in 1910. Two years later she established a boutique in\nDeauville\n, a resort town in the\nNormandy\nregion of France. There she began selling simple sportswear, which was growing in popularity among women. She transformed fluid jersey, an inexpensive fabric commonly used in men’s undergarments, into practical and elegant sweaters and jackets inspired by menswear.\nCoco Chanel\nFrench designer Coco Chanel at the start of her design career, 1910.\nWithin five years her novel use of jersey had attracted the attention of influential wealthy women seeking relief from the prevalent corseted styles. Faithful to her maxim that “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury,” Chanel’s designs stressed simplicity and ease, and they revolutionized the\nfashion industry\n.\nIn 1926 Chanel continued to transform fashion by introducing the so-called “little black dress” (commonly called LBD). Chanel was not the first fashion designer to use black, but the color was commonly reserved for mourning attire or more formal wear. Chanel’s black dress, however, was incredibly versatile, easily transitioning from day to evening with the right accessories—such as the costume jewelry she often wore. The LBD was hailed for both its simplicity and mass appeal.\nAlluding\nto\nHenry Ford\n’s revolutionary\nModel T\ncar, American\nVogue\ncalled the little black dress the “Ford of Fashion,” and it quickly became a fashion staple.\nChanel No. 5\nChanel No. 5\nWhen Chanel No. 5 eau de parfum was introduced in 1921, the design of the bottle broke with the typically ornate perfume packaging and was instead simple and elegant. The bottle was reportedly inspired by an item owned by Chanel's late lover, Arthur (“Boy”) Capel.\nAlthough Chanel found immense success as a designer, the financial basis of her empire was\nChanel No. 5. She developed the phenomenally successful perfume in 1921 with the help of Ernest Beaux, one of the most talented perfume creators in France. It has been said that the perfume got its name from the series of scents that Beaux created for Chanel to sample—she chose the fifth, a combination of\njasmine\nand several other floral scents that was more complex and mysterious than the single-scented perfumes then on the market. Others, however, have noted that Chanel was superstitious and considered five to be her lucky number. Chanel was the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume, and she replaced the typically ornate packaging with a simple and elegant bottle. The beveled rectangle was reportedly inspired by the late Capel’s whiskey decanter or similar possession. The bottle’s top featured interlocking Cs, which later became the Chanel brand’s insignia.\nGo beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners.\nSUBSCRIBE\nCoco Chanel\nWhen Coco Chanel introduced Chanel No. 5 in 1921, she became the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume.\nChanel then partnered with businessmen Théophile Bader of the Galeries Lafayette\ndepartment store\nand the brothers\nPierre and Paul Wertheimer of the Bourjois\ncosmetics\ncompany to distribute Chanel No. 5. The men agreed to help her produce more of her fragrance and to market it in exchange for a share of the profits. After signing a contract wherein she received only 10 percent of the royalties, Chanel filed a series of lawsuits in the ensuing decades to regain control of her signature fragrance. She was never able to renegotiate the terms to increase her royalties but nonetheless made a considerable profit from the perfume.\nWorld War II\nChanel closed her couture house in 1939 with the outbreak of\nWorld War II\n. At the time she was residing nearby at the Ritz Hotel and continued to live there when it became\nNazi\nheadquarters after France fell to\nGermany\nin 1940. During the occupation she began a romantic relationship with Baron\nHans Günther von Dincklage, a German diplomat and a spy with the Abwehr, the German\nmilitary’s intelligence\norganization. Chanel’s decision to remain in the Ritz and her relationship with Dincklage placed her within the social circles of German authorities in occupied Paris, a position that has drawn\nscrutiny\nfrom historians examining the conduct of prominent cultural figures during the war.\nThe full extent of Chanel’s wartime activities has only begun to emerge in recent decades, and biographers continue to debate the degree of her involvement with Nazi operations. She may have used her connections with German officials to secure the release of her nephew, André Palasse, who was a French soldier held in a German detention camp. He was freed in 1941, and about the same time Chanel allegedly traveled to Spain with German intelligence agents in an attempt to recruit spies. These episodes have led some researchers to suggest that Chanel cooperated with German intelligence, though the available evidence does not clearly establish whether her actions\nconstituted\ndeliberate espionage or opportunistic collaboration\nfacilitated\nby personal relationships.\nFrom Couturier to Collaborator?\nThe Nazis reportedly gave Chanel the codename “Westminster,” likely alluding to her earlier affair with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd duke of Westminster.\nMore certain is Chanel’s trip to Madrid in 1943 with Dincklage and her friend\nVera Bate Lombardi, an English aristocrat living in Italy. Called Operation Modellhut (“Model Hat”), the\ninitiative\nwas organized by German intelligence in an attempt to use Chanel and Lombardi’s social connections to British Prime Minister\nWinston Churchill\nto open a back channel for possible peace negotiations between Nazi Germany and Britain. The effort collapsed when Lombardi alerted British authorities in Madrid to the plan. Historians often interpret the episode less as a conventional espionage mission than as an improvised diplomatic bid to explore informal avenues to negotiate as the war increasingly turned against the German regime.\nSoon after the Nazi occupation ended in 1944, Chanel was briefly arrested by French authorities during the postwar purge of collaborators. No charges were brought against her, however, and she was released after questioning. Chanel later claimed that Churchill, a longtime acquaintance, had interceded on her behalf, though the extent of any such intervention remains uncertain.\nThere is also disagreement among scholars regarding Chanel’s ideological stance toward Nazism. During the war she attempted to use Nazi policies to wrest full control of Chanel No. 5 from her Jewish partners, the Wertheimers. She argued that under Aryanization laws, the Wertheimers were ineligible to own property. The effort ultimately failed because the Wertheimers had earlier transferred their ownership to a non-Jewish associate. For many historians, this affair illustrates Chanel’s willingness to exploit the legal and economic structures of the occupation for personal advantage, even if it does not necessarily demonstrate a broader political commitment to Nazi\nideology\n. After the war, she moved to\nSwitzerland\nwhere she remained for several years and continued her relationship with Dincklage.\nWho Owns Chanel?\nThe Wertheimers acquired Chanel’s couture house for an undisclosed sum in 1954. The family remains the sole owners.\nComeback\nIn the early 1950s Chanel began to contemplate a return to fashion. At the time French fashion had undergone a seismic change led by\nChristian Dior\n. He had created the widely copied New Look, a style defined by ultrafeminine, elaborate, and highly sculptured clothing. Chanel, who favored simpler and more comfortable designs, was derisive of the look, and at one point she said, “Dior doesn’t dress women, he upholsters them.”\nChanel bag\nAn individual carrying a Chanel purse, featuring quilted leather and a gold chain strap.\nAfter close to 10 years in what some would call exile, Chanel returned to Paris, and in 1954 she staged her first fashion show in about 15 years. Although the French press had negative reviews, the collection proved popular in the\nUnited States\n. That year Chanel also introduced her highly copied suit design: a collarless, braid-trimmed tweed jacket with a graceful skirt. By the end of the 1950s, she had also debuted several other iconic items, notably two-toned shoes and a quilted purse with gold chains. These creations helped Chanel reclaim her position as one of fashion’s most influential designers.\nQuick Facts\nByname of:\nGabrielle Bonheur Chanel\nDied:\nJanuary 10, 1971,\nParis\n(aged  87)\nChanel suit\nWomen modeling suits designed by Coco Chanel for her autumn\/winter 1961–62 collection; photograph by Paul Schutzer for\nLife\nmagazine.\nLegacy\nSince her death in 1971,\nChanel’s couture house has been led by a series of designers, with\nKarl Lagerfeld\n’s\ntenure\n(1983–2019) the longest and most influential. Under their direction the Chanel brand has remained one of the most influential and iconic. Coco Chanel’s shrewd understanding of women’s fashion needs, her enterprising ambition, and the romantic aspects of her life—her rise from rags to riches and her sensational love affairs—continue to inspire numerous biographical books, films, and plays. Notable examples include the 1969 Broadway musical\nCoco\n, which starred\nKatharine Hepburn\nas the legendary designer, and\nCoco avant Chanel\n(2009;\nCoco Before Chanel\n), a biopic with\nAudrey Tautou\nin the title role.","attrs_markdown":"[![Encyclopedia Britannica](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel\/eb-logo\/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/)\n\n[![Encyclopedia Britannica](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel\/eb-logo\/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav-mobile&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen)\n\nLogin\n\nhttps:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm\\_source=premium\\&utm\\_medium=nav-login-box\\&utm\\_campaign=evergreen\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=hamburger-menu&utm_campaign=blue)\n\n[Ask the Chatbot](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/chatbot)\n\n[Games & Quizzes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/browse) [History & Society](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/History-Society) [Science & Tech](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Science-Tech) [Biographies](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Biographies) [Animals & Nature](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Animals-Nature) [Geography & Travel](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Geography-Travel) [Arts & Culture](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Arts-Culture) [ProCon](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/procon) [Money](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money) [Videos](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/videos)\n\n[Coco Chanel](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel)\n\n- [Introduction & Top Questions](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel)\n- [Early life](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel#ref373885)\n- [Fashion empire](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel#ref373886)\n- [Chanel No. 5](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel#ref373887)\n- [World War II](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel#ref373888)\n- [Comeback](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel#ref373889)\n- [Legacy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel#ref373890)\n\n[Quotes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quotes\/Coco-Chanel)  [References & Edit History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel\/additional-info)  [Quick Facts & Related Topics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/Coco-Chanel)\n\n[Images & Videos](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel\/images-videos)\n\n[![Gabrielle (“Coco”) Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/53\/32253-004-20D92D9B\/Coco-Chanel-1960.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/53\/32253-050-4E051288\/Coco-Chanel-1960.jpg)\n\n[![Coco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliation](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/67\/255367-138-FB00EAFB\/biography-fashion-designer-coco-chanel.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/biography-fashion-designer-coco-chanel\/-302504)\n\n[![Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/97\/254397-004-FD05226D\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/97\/254397-050-F6C32025\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg)  [![Chanel No. 5](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/279974-004-A5DAC1D1\/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/279974-050-F6257B5B\/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg)  [![Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/258185-004-8C1C29CB\/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/258185-050-10128FD6\/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg)  [![Chanel bag](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/75\/279975-004-0727F5C8\/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/75\/279975-050-A57EB2EB\/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg)  [![Chanel suit](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/20\/252820-004-FA49A179\/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/20\/252820-050-A20B251A\/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg)  [![Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/99\/254399-004-066E69EC\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1960.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/99\/254399-050-C226E2D9\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1960.jpg)\n\n[![Correcting pop culture myths about Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/70\/220770-138-DA8ACDEC\/pop-culture-Coco-Chanel.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/pop-culture-Coco-Chanel\/-252612)\n\nAt a Glance\n\n[![default image](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/shared\/new-thistle.svg?v=3.179.9)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Coco-Chanel)\n\n[Coco Chanel summary](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Coco-Chanel)\n\nRelated Questions\n\n- [Who inherited the Chanel brand after Coco Chanel died?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Who-inherited-the-Chanel-brand-after-Coco-Chanel-died)\n- [What is Coco Chanel known for?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-is-Coco-Chanel-known-for)\n- [How did Coco Chanel become famous?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/How-did-Coco-Chanel-become-famous)\n- [Did Coco Chanel have any children?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Did-Coco-Chanel-have-any-children)\n- [What defines Prada’s fashion?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-defines-Pradas-fashion)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)\n\nAsk Anything\n\nQuick Summary\n\n[Visual Arts](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Visual-Arts)    [Fashion & Personal Adornment](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Fashion-Design)\n\nCITE\n\nShare\n\nFeedback\n\nExternal Websites\n\n[![Gabrielle (“Coco”) Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/53\/32253-050-4E051288\/Coco-Chanel-1960.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/53\/32253-050-4E051288\/Coco-Chanel-1960.jpg)\n\n[Gabrielle (“Coco”) Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/53\/32253-050-4E051288\/Coco-Chanel-1960.jpg) The French couturier and fashion designer Gabrielle (“Coco”) Chanel, c. 1960.\n\n(more)\n\n# Coco Chanel\nFrench designer\n\nHomework Help\n\nAlso known as: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel\n\nWritten and fact-checked by\n\n[Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419)\n\nBritannica Editors\n\nLast updated\n\nMar. 25, 2026\n\n•[History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel\/additional-info#history)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI\n\nAsk Anything\n\nQuick Summary\n\nTable of Contents\n\nTable of Contents\n\nQuick Summary\n\nAsk Anything\n\nTop Questions\n\n### Was Coco Chanel tied to the Nazi party?\nHistorians generally agree that Coco Chanel had ties to [Nazi](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Nazi-Party) officials and tried to benefit from Nazi policies, but the extent of her intelligence work and ideological commitment to Nazism remains debated. [Read more about her activities during the war.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Was-Coco-Chanel-a-Nazi-Spy)\n\n### Who inherited the Chanel brand after Coco Chanel died?\nCoco Chanel had sold her couture brand in 1954 to Pierre Wertheimer, one of the surviving partners in her perfume business, so the ownership of Chanel remained unchanged when she died on January 10, 1971. The sale was part of a deal she had made with Wertheimer to receive financial backing for her return to the fashion business after the events of [World War II](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-II).\n\n### What is Coco Chanel known for?\nCoco Chanel was a [fashion designer](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/fashion-industry) who ruled Parisian haute couture for almost six decades. Her garments stressed simplicity and comfort, freeing women from the complicated, uncomfortable clothes that were prevalent in early 20th-century [dress](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/dress-clothing), including [petticoats](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/petticoat) and [corsets](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/corset). Early on she gained recognition for her novel use of jersey—then an inexpensive fabric commonly used in men’s undergarments—transforming the fluid material into practical but elegant designs, many of which were inspired by menswear. Her career was further defined by the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, and the “little black dress.” Chanel also popularized costume jewelry and introduced the iconic perfume Chanel No. 5.\n\n### How did Coco Chanel become famous?\nCoco Chanel began working as a seamstress in her teens, and, with the financial assistance of her lover, Arthur (“Boy”) Capel, she opened a small millinery shop in [Paris](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Paris) about a decade later, in 1910. In 1912 she established a boutique in [Deauville](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Deauville), France. Her practical, elegant designs attracted influential women, and Chanel was soon heading a thriving couture house. “My life didn’t please me, so I created my life,” she said.\n\n### Did Coco Chanel have any children?\nCoco Chanel did not have children and never married. She did, however, take responsibility for her nephew, André Palasse. He was the son of her elder sister, Julia-Berthe Palasse, who reportedly died by suicide in 1910 when André Palasse was a child. A few biographers have put forth the theory that André Palasse may have been Chanel’s illegitimate son, possibly by her early lover, Étienne Balsan.\n\n**Coco Chanel** (born August 19, 1883, [Saumur](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Saumur), France—died January 10, 1971, Paris) was a French [fashion](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/fashion-society) designer who ruled Parisian [haute couture](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/haute-couture) for almost six decades. Her elegantly casual designs inspired women to abandon the complicated, uncomfortable clothes that were prevalent in early 20th-century [dress](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/dress-clothing), including [petticoats](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/petticoat) and [corsets](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/corset). Among her now-classic [innovations](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/innovations) were the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, costume [jewelry](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/jewelry), and the “little black dress.” She was also known for the [iconic](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/iconic) [perfume](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/perfume) Chanel No. 5.\n\n## Early life\n[![Coco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliation](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/67\/255367-138-FB00EAFB\/biography-fashion-designer-coco-chanel.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/biography-fashion-designer-coco-chanel\/-302504)\n\nCoco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliationThe woman who would eventually become a fashion icon learned to sew in an orphanage.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel\/images-videos)\n\nChanel was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, but her surname was misspelled as Chasnel on her birth certificate. Her parents were Eugénie Jeanne Devolle Chanel, a laundrywoman, and Albert Chanel, who worked as a street vendor. The family—which eventually included six children—lived in poverty while moving throughout the French countryside. After her mother died in 1895, 11-year-old Gabrielle Chanel was sent to a convent-run orphanage in Aubazine, in central [France](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/France). It was there that she learned to sew.\n\nAt age 18 Chanel moved to [Moulins](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Moulins), where she attended school while living in a convent. In 1902 she struck out on her own and became a seamstress. During this time Chanel also worked as a café singer. Although not a particularly gifted singer, she was a popular performer, known for her [charisma](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/charisma). The origin of her nickname, “Coco,” is uncertain, but some believe it is a reference to several songs she performed: “Ko Ko Ri Ko” (“Cock-a-doodle-doo”) and “Qui qu’a vu Coco?” (“Has anyone seen Coco?”).\n\n## Fashion empire\n“My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.”\n\nThe café was frequented by military personnel, and one former army officer, Étienne Balsan, invited Chanel to live with him as his mistress. He helped her start a millinery business and introduced her to Arthur (“Boy”) Capel, with whom she had a [romantic](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/romantic) relationship until his death in a car accident in 1919. With his financial assistance, she opened Chanel Modes, a tiny millinery shop at 21 rue Cambon, [Paris](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Paris), in 1910. Two years later she established a boutique in [Deauville](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Deauville), a resort town in the [Normandy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Normandy) region of France. There she began selling simple sportswear, which was growing in popularity among women. She transformed fluid jersey, an inexpensive fabric commonly used in men’s undergarments, into practical and elegant sweaters and jackets inspired by menswear.\n\n[![Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/97\/254397-050-F6C32025\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/97\/254397-050-F6C32025\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg)\n\n[Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/97\/254397-050-F6C32025\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg)French designer Coco Chanel at the start of her design career, 1910.\n\n(more)\n\nWithin five years her novel use of jersey had attracted the attention of influential wealthy women seeking relief from the prevalent corseted styles. Faithful to her maxim that “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury,” Chanel’s designs stressed simplicity and ease, and they revolutionized the [fashion industry](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/fashion-industry).\n\nIn 1926 Chanel continued to transform fashion by introducing the so-called “little black dress” (commonly called LBD). Chanel was not the first fashion designer to use black, but the color was commonly reserved for mourning attire or more formal wear. Chanel’s black dress, however, was incredibly versatile, easily transitioning from day to evening with the right accessories—such as the costume jewelry she often wore. The LBD was hailed for both its simplicity and mass appeal. [Alluding](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Alluding) to [Henry Ford](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/Henry-Ford)’s revolutionary [Model T](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/Model-T) car, American [*Vogue*](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Vogue-American-magazine) called the little black dress the “Ford of Fashion,” and it quickly became a fashion staple.\n\n## Chanel No. 5\n[![Chanel No. 5](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/279974-050-F6257B5B\/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/279974-050-F6257B5B\/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg)\n\n[Chanel No. 5](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/279974-050-F6257B5B\/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg)When Chanel No. 5 eau de parfum was introduced in 1921, the design of the bottle broke with the typically ornate perfume packaging and was instead simple and elegant. The bottle was reportedly inspired by an item owned by Chanel's late lover, Arthur (“Boy”) Capel.\n\n(more)\n\nAlthough Chanel found immense success as a designer, the financial basis of her empire was Chanel No. 5. She developed the phenomenally successful perfume in 1921 with the help of Ernest Beaux, one of the most talented perfume creators in France. It has been said that the perfume got its name from the series of scents that Beaux created for Chanel to sample—she chose the fifth, a combination of [jasmine](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/plant\/jasmine-plant) and several other floral scents that was more complex and mysterious than the single-scented perfumes then on the market. Others, however, have noted that Chanel was superstitious and considered five to be her lucky number. Chanel was the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume, and she replaced the typically ornate packaging with a simple and elegant bottle. The beveled rectangle was reportedly inspired by the late Capel’s whiskey decanter or similar possession. The bottle’s top featured interlocking Cs, which later became the Chanel brand’s insignia.\n\nExplore Britannica Premium\\!\n\nGo beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners.\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026)\n\n![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-left.webp)\n\n![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-right.webp)\n\n![Mobile](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-mobile.webp?w=400)\n\n[![Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/258185-050-10128FD6\/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/258185-050-10128FD6\/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg)\n\n[Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/258185-050-10128FD6\/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg)When Coco Chanel introduced Chanel No. 5 in 1921, she became the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume.\n\n(more)\n\nChanel then partnered with businessmen Théophile Bader of the Galeries Lafayette [department store](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/department-store) and the brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer of the Bourjois [cosmetics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/cosmetics) company to distribute Chanel No. 5. The men agreed to help her produce more of her fragrance and to market it in exchange for a share of the profits. After signing a contract wherein she received only 10 percent of the royalties, Chanel filed a series of lawsuits in the ensuing decades to regain control of her signature fragrance. She was never able to renegotiate the terms to increase her royalties but nonetheless made a considerable profit from the perfume.\n\n## World War II\nChanel closed her couture house in 1939 with the outbreak of [World War II](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-II). At the time she was residing nearby at the Ritz Hotel and continued to live there when it became [Nazi](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Nazi-Party) headquarters after France fell to [Germany](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Germany) in 1940. During the occupation she began a romantic relationship with Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, a German diplomat and a spy with the Abwehr, the German [military’s intelligence](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/military-intelligence-military-science) organization. Chanel’s decision to remain in the Ritz and her relationship with Dincklage placed her within the social circles of German authorities in occupied Paris, a position that has drawn [scrutiny](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/scrutiny) from historians examining the conduct of prominent cultural figures during the war.\n\nThe full extent of Chanel’s wartime activities has only begun to emerge in recent decades, and biographers continue to debate the degree of her involvement with Nazi operations. She may have used her connections with German officials to secure the release of her nephew, André Palasse, who was a French soldier held in a German detention camp. He was freed in 1941, and about the same time Chanel allegedly traveled to Spain with German intelligence agents in an attempt to recruit spies. These episodes have led some researchers to suggest that Chanel cooperated with German intelligence, though the available evidence does not clearly establish whether her actions [constituted](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/constituted) deliberate espionage or opportunistic collaboration [facilitated](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/facilitated) by personal relationships.\n\nFrom Couturier to Collaborator?\n\nThe Nazis reportedly gave Chanel the codename “Westminster,” likely alluding to her earlier affair with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd duke of Westminster.\n\nMore certain is Chanel’s trip to Madrid in 1943 with Dincklage and her friend Vera Bate Lombardi, an English aristocrat living in Italy. Called Operation Modellhut (“Model Hat”), the [initiative](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/initiative) was organized by German intelligence in an attempt to use Chanel and Lombardi’s social connections to British Prime Minister [Winston Churchill](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Winston-Churchill) to open a back channel for possible peace negotiations between Nazi Germany and Britain. The effort collapsed when Lombardi alerted British authorities in Madrid to the plan. Historians often interpret the episode less as a conventional espionage mission than as an improvised diplomatic bid to explore informal avenues to negotiate as the war increasingly turned against the German regime.\n\nSoon after the Nazi occupation ended in 1944, Chanel was briefly arrested by French authorities during the postwar purge of collaborators. No charges were brought against her, however, and she was released after questioning. Chanel later claimed that Churchill, a longtime acquaintance, had interceded on her behalf, though the extent of any such intervention remains uncertain.\n\nThere is also disagreement among scholars regarding Chanel’s ideological stance toward Nazism. During the war she attempted to use Nazi policies to wrest full control of Chanel No. 5 from her Jewish partners, the Wertheimers. She argued that under Aryanization laws, the Wertheimers were ineligible to own property. The effort ultimately failed because the Wertheimers had earlier transferred their ownership to a non-Jewish associate. For many historians, this affair illustrates Chanel’s willingness to exploit the legal and economic structures of the occupation for personal advantage, even if it does not necessarily demonstrate a broader political commitment to Nazi [ideology](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/ideology). After the war, she moved to [Switzerland](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Switzerland) where she remained for several years and continued her relationship with Dincklage.\n\nWho Owns Chanel?\n\nThe Wertheimers acquired Chanel’s couture house for an undisclosed sum in 1954. The family remains the sole owners.\n\n## Comeback\nIn the early 1950s Chanel began to contemplate a return to fashion. At the time French fashion had undergone a seismic change led by [Christian Dior](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Christian-Dior-French-designer). He had created the widely copied New Look, a style defined by ultrafeminine, elaborate, and highly sculptured clothing. Chanel, who favored simpler and more comfortable designs, was derisive of the look, and at one point she said, “Dior doesn’t dress women, he upholsters them.”\n\n[![Chanel bag](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/75\/279975-050-A57EB2EB\/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/75\/279975-050-A57EB2EB\/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg)\n\n[Chanel bag](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/75\/279975-050-A57EB2EB\/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg)An individual carrying a Chanel purse, featuring quilted leather and a gold chain strap.\n\n(more)\n\nAfter close to 10 years in what some would call exile, Chanel returned to Paris, and in 1954 she staged her first fashion show in about 15 years. Although the French press had negative reviews, the collection proved popular in the [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States). That year Chanel also introduced her highly copied suit design: a collarless, braid-trimmed tweed jacket with a graceful skirt. By the end of the 1950s, she had also debuted several other iconic items, notably two-toned shoes and a quilted purse with gold chains. These creations helped Chanel reclaim her position as one of fashion’s most influential designers.\n\nQuick Facts\n\nByname of:\n\nGabrielle Bonheur Chanel\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nBorn:\n\nAugust 19, 1883, [Saumur](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Saumur), [France](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/France)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nDied:\n\nJanuary 10, 1971, [Paris](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Paris) (aged 87)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\n[See all related content](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/Coco-Chanel)\n\n[![Chanel suit](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/20\/252820-050-A20B251A\/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg?w=1000)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/20\/252820-050-A20B251A\/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg)\n\n[Chanel suit](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/20\/252820-050-A20B251A\/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg)Women modeling suits designed by Coco Chanel for her autumn\/winter 1961–62 collection; photograph by Paul Schutzer for *Life* magazine.\n\n(more)\n\n## Legacy\n[![Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/99\/254399-050-C226E2D9\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1960.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/99\/254399-050-C226E2D9\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1960.jpg)\n\n[Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/99\/254399-050-C226E2D9\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1960.jpg)French designer Coco Chanel in 1960.\n\n(more)\n\nSince her death in 1971, Chanel’s couture house has been led by a series of designers, with [Karl Lagerfeld](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Karl-Lagerfeld)’s [tenure](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/tenure) (1983–2019) the longest and most influential. Under their direction the Chanel brand has remained one of the most influential and iconic. Coco Chanel’s shrewd understanding of women’s fashion needs, her enterprising ambition, and the romantic aspects of her life—her rise from rags to riches and her sensational love affairs—continue to inspire numerous biographical books, films, and plays. Notable examples include the 1969 Broadway musical *Coco*, which starred [Katharine Hepburn](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Katharine-Hepburn) as the legendary designer, and *Coco avant Chanel* (2009; *Coco Before Chanel*), a biopic with [Audrey Tautou](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Audrey-Tautou) in the title role.\n\n[The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419)This article was most recently revised and updated by [Alicja Zelazko](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/Alicja-Zelazko\/9823860).\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI\n\n*chevron\\_right*\n\nCoco Chanel\n\n*close*\n\n[AI-generated answers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.\n\n[women’s suffrage](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage)\n\n- [Introduction & Top Questions](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage)\n- [Overview](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage#ref284442)\n- [Great Britain](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage#ref284443)\n- [The United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/The-United-States)\n\n[References & Edit History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/additional-info)  [Quick Facts & Related Topics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/woman-suffrage)\n\n[Images, Videos & Interactives](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/images-videos)\n\n[![Women's suffrage: London demonstrators](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/172652-004-1ED74674\/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/172652-050-34E6A943\/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg)  [![Women's suffrage: New Zealand](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/59\/172659-004-6737DCE5\/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/59\/172659-050-95274632\/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg)  [![Women's suffrage: Australia](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/61\/172661-004-17BC23C1\/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/61\/172661-050-CE1B0632\/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg)\n\n[![Black and white photo of women and girls in early 1900s dress holding a banner reading \"I WISH MA COULD VOTE\" at a suffrage march, with American flags in the background.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/76\/226776-138-3649185D\/difference-suffragist-suffragette.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/difference-suffragist-suffragette\/-259238)\n\n[![How women won the right to vote around the world](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/65\/172165-138-DF1A6EFF\/history-woman-suffrage-world.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/history-woman-suffrage-world\/-187145)\n\n[![Black-and-white photo of people standing outside a building with a banner reading \"Headquarters National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage.\"](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/32\/217232-138-4B3E4F09\/Five-reasons-why-people-thought-women-shouldnt-vote-womens-suffrage.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/Five-reasons-why-people-thought-women-shouldnt-vote-womens-suffrage\/-247523)\n\n[![Women's suffrage: England](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/38\/19138-004-4CEBDE5E\/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/38\/19138-050-54F9A4F6\/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg)\n\n[![Hear about the journey of women's suffrage in Britain from the first mass-suffrage petition (1866) to the passage of the 1918 Representation of the People Act](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/23\/193323-138-FE0A42E4\/Britain-passage-petition-1918-Representation-of-the-1918.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/Britain-passage-petition-1918-Representation-of-the-1918\/-219953)\n\n[![Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/93\/84993-004-64130AA0\/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/93\/84993-050-73B1AADC\/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg)  [![Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst and Emmeline Pankhurst](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/32\/135832-004-13A79989\/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/32\/135832-050-218CC423\/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg)\n\nAt a Glance\n\n[![Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/76\/186876-050-F4249C50\/Elizabeth-Cady-Stanton.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States-Timeline)\n\n[Women’s Suffrage in the United States Timeline](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States-Timeline)\n\n[![Lucretia Mott](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/18\/133918-050-2EA41AE3\/Lucretia-Mott.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States-Key-Facts)\n\n[Women’s Suffrage in the United States Key Facts](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States-Key-Facts)\n\n[![Nineteenth Amendment](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/61\/128661-050-78810DB8\/Nineteenth-Amendment-right-women.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Causes-and-Effects-of-Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States)\n\n[Causes and Effects of Women’s Suffrage in the United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Causes-and-Effects-of-Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States)\n\nQuizzes\n\n[![Suffragettes with signs in London, possibly 1912 (based on Monday, Nov. 25). Woman suffrage movement, women's suffrage movement, suffragists, women's rights, feminism.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/172652-131-F8AE4EBC\/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/quick-quiz-women-in-the-voting-booth)\n\n[Quick Quiz: Women In The Voting Booth](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/quick-quiz-women-in-the-voting-booth)\n\nRelated Questions\n\n- [When did the women’s suffrage movement start?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/When-did-the-womens-suffrage-movement-start)\n- [Where did women’s suffrage start?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Where-did-womens-suffrage-start)\n- [How did the women’s suffrage movement end?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/How-did-the-womens-suffrage-movement-end)\n- [What is the difference between a nation and a state?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-is-the-difference-between-a-nation-and-a-state)\n- [What is a nationalist movement?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-is-a-nationalist-movement)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)\n\nAsk Anything\n\nQuick Summary\n\n[Politics, Law & Government](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Politics-Law-Government)    [Politics & Political Systems](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Politics-Political-Systems)\n\nCITE\n\nShare\n\nFeedback\n\nExternal Websites\n\n[![Women's suffrage: London demonstrators](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/172652-050-34E6A943\/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/172652-050-34E6A943\/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg)\n\n[Women's suffrage: London demonstrators](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/172652-050-34E6A943\/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg) Suffragettes holding signs in London, c. 1912.\n\n(more)\n\n# women’s suffrage\nHomework Help\n\nAlso known as: woman suffrage\n\nWritten and fact-checked by\n\n[Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419)\n\nBritannica Editors\n\nLast updated\n\nMar. 21, 2026\n\n•[History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/additional-info#history)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI\n\nAsk Anything\n\nQuick Summary\n\nTable of Contents\n\nTable of Contents\n\nQuick Summary\n\nAsk Anything\n\nTop Questions\n\n### What did the women’s suffrage movement fight for?\nThe women’s suffrage movement fought for the right of women by law to [vote](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/suffrage) in national or local [elections](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/election-political-science).\n\n### When did the women’s suffrage movement start?\nThe women’s suffrage movement made the question of women’s [voting rights](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/suffrage) into an important political issue in the 19th century. The struggle was particularly intense in [Great Britain](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-Kingdom) and in the [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States), but those countries were not the first to grant women the right to vote, at least not on a national basis.\n\n### Where did women’s suffrage start?\nBy the early years of the 20th century, women had won the right to [vote](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/suffrage) in national [elections](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/election-political-science) in [New Zealand](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-Zealand) (1893), [Australia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Australia) (1902), [Finland](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Finland) (1906), and [Norway](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Norway) (1913). [World War I](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-I) and its aftermath speeded up the enfranchisement of women in the countries of Europe and elsewhere. In the period 1914–39, women in 28 additional countries acquired either equal voting rights with men or the right to vote in national elections.\n\n### How did the women’s suffrage movement end?\nIn the 21st century most countries allow women to [vote](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/suffrage). In [Saudi Arabia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Saudi-Arabia) women were allowed to vote in municipal [elections](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/election-political-science) for the first time in 2015. The [United Nations](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-Nations) Convention on the Political Rights of Women, adopted in 1952, provides that “women shall be entitled to vote in all elections on equal terms with men, without any discrimination.”\n\n**women’s suffrage**, the right of [women](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/women) by law to [vote](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/suffrage) in national or local elections.\n\n## Overview\n[![Women's suffrage: New Zealand](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/59\/172659-050-95274632\/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg?w=300)1 of 2](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/59\/172659-050-95274632\/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg)\n\n[Women's suffrage: New Zealand](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/59\/172659-050-95274632\/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg)Women voters in Tahakopa, New Zealand, after the country became the first to grant women's suffrage, 1893.\n\n(more)\n\n[![Women's suffrage: Australia](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/61\/172661-050-CE1B0632\/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg?w=300)2 of 2](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/61\/172661-050-CE1B0632\/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg)\n\n[Women's suffrage: Australia](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/61\/172661-050-CE1B0632\/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg)Women voting for the first time in a Queensland state election, Australia, 1907.\n\n(more)\n\nWomen were excluded from voting in ancient [Greece](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Greece) and republican Rome, as well as in the few [democracies](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/democracies) that had emerged in Europe by the end of the 18th century. When the [franchise](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/suffrage) was widened, as it was in the [United Kingdom](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-Kingdom) in 1832, women continued to be denied all [voting rights](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/voting-rights). The question of women’s voting rights finally became an issue in the 19th century, and the struggle was particularly intense in Great [Britain](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-Kingdom) and the [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States), but those countries were not the first to grant women the right to vote, at least not on a national basis. By the early years of the 20th century, women had won the right to vote in national elections in [New Zealand](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-Zealand) (1893), [Australia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Australia) (1902), [Finland](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Finland) (1906), and [Norway](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Norway) (1913). In [Sweden](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Sweden) and the United States they had voting rights in some local elections.\n\n[![Is There a Difference Between a Suffragist and a Suffragette?](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/76\/226776-138-3649185D\/difference-suffragist-suffragette.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)1 of 2](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/difference-suffragist-suffragette\/-259238)\n\nIs There a Difference Between a Suffragist and a Suffragette?We wouldn't blame you for thinking they were synonyms.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/images-videos)\n\n[![How women won the right to vote around the world](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/65\/172165-138-DF1A6EFF\/history-woman-suffrage-world.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)2 of 2](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/history-woman-suffrage-world\/-187145)\n\nHow women won the right to vote around the worldA history of women's suffrage around the world.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/images-videos)\n\n[World War I](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-I) and its aftermath speeded up the enfranchisement of women in the countries of [Europe](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/history-of-Europe) and elsewhere. In the period 1914–39, women in 28 additional countries [acquired](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/acquired) either equal voting rights with men or the right to vote in national elections. Those countries included Soviet Russia (1917); [Canada](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Canada), [Germany](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Germany), [Austria](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Austria), and [Poland](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Poland) (1918); [Czechoslovakia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Czechoslovakia) (1919); the United States and [Hungary](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Hungary) (1920); Great Britain (1918 and 1928); Burma ([Myanmar](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Myanmar); 1922); [Ecuador](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Ecuador) (1929); [South Africa](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/South-Africa) (1930); [Brazil](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Brazil), [Uruguay](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Uruguay), and [Thailand](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Thailand) (1932); [Turkey](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Turkey) and [Cuba](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Cuba) (1934); and the [Philippines](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Philippines) (1937). In a number of those countries, women were initially granted the right to vote in municipal or other local elections or perhaps in provincial elections; only later were they granted the right to vote in national elections.\n\n[![Five Absurd Reasons Women Were Denied the Vote](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/32\/217232-138-4B3E4F09\/Five-reasons-why-people-thought-women-shouldnt-vote-womens-suffrage.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/Five-reasons-why-people-thought-women-shouldnt-vote-womens-suffrage\/-247523)\n\nFive Absurd Reasons Women Were Denied the VoteWomen don't even want to vote, right?\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/images-videos)\n\nImmediately after [World War II](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-II), [France](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/France), [Italy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Italy), [Romania](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Romania), [Yugoslavia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Yugoslavia-former-federated-nation-1929-2003), and [China](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/China) were added to the group. Full suffrage for women was introduced in [India](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/India) by the constitution in 1949; in [Pakistan](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Pakistan) women received full voting rights in national elections in 1956. In another decade the total number of countries that had given women the right to vote reached more than 100, partly because nearly all countries that gained independence after World War II guaranteed equal voting rights to men and women in their constitutions. By 1971 [Switzerland](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Switzerland) allowed women to vote in federal and most cantonal elections, and in 1973 women were granted full voting rights in [Syria](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Syria). The [United Nations](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-Nations) Convention on the Political Rights of Women, adopted in 1952, provides that “women shall be entitled to vote in all elections on equal terms with men, without any discrimination.”\n\nHistorically, the United Kingdom and the United States provide characteristic examples of the struggle for women’s suffrage in the 19th and 20th centuries.\n\n[![Suffragettes with signs in London, possibly 1912 (based on Monday, Nov. 25). Woman suffrage movement, women's suffrage movement, suffragists, women's rights, feminism.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/172652-131-F8AE4EBC\/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg) Britannica Quiz Quick Quiz: Women In The Voting Booth](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/quick-quiz-women-in-the-voting-booth)\n\n## [Great Britain](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-Kingdom)\n[![Women's suffrage: England](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/38\/19138-050-54F9A4F6\/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg?w=300)1 of 3](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/38\/19138-050-54F9A4F6\/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg)\n\n[Women's suffrage: England](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/38\/19138-050-54F9A4F6\/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg)British suffragists marching on the Houses of Parliament, London, followed by jeering spectators, c. 1910.\n\n(more)\n\n[![Hear about the journey of women's suffrage in Britain from the first mass-suffrage petition (1866) to the passage of the 1918 Representation of the People Act](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/23\/193323-138-FE0A42E4\/Britain-passage-petition-1918-Representation-of-the-1918.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)2 of 3](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/Britain-passage-petition-1918-Representation-of-the-1918\/-219953)\n\nHear about the journey of women's suffrage in Britain from the first mass-suffrage petition (1866) to the passage of the 1918 Representation of the People ActFrom Britain's first mass-suffrage petition (1866) to the passage of the 1918 Representation of the People Act.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/images-videos)\n\n[![Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/93\/84993-050-73B1AADC\/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg?w=300)3 of 3](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/93\/84993-050-73B1AADC\/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg)\n\n[Mary Wollstonecraft's *A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects*](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/93\/84993-050-73B1AADC\/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg)Title page of the 1792 American edition of Mary Wollstonecraft's *A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects*. The facing page contains an inscription by women's suffragist Susan B. Anthony.\n\n(more)\n\nIn Great Britain woman suffrage was first advocated by [Mary Wollstonecraft](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Mary-Wollstonecraft) in her book *[A Vindication of the Rights of Woman](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/A-Vindication-of-the-Rights-of-Woman)* (1792) and was demanded by the [Chartist movement](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Chartism-British-history) of the 1840s. The demand for woman suffrage was increasingly taken up by prominent liberal [intellectuals](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/intellectuals) in England from the 1850s on, notably by [John Stuart Mill](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/John-Stuart-Mill) and his wife, Harriet. The first woman suffrage committee was formed in Manchester in 1865, and in 1867 Mill presented to [Parliament](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Parliament) this society’s [petition](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/petition-law), which demanded the vote for women and contained about 1,550 signatures. The [Reform Bill](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Reform-Bill) of 1867 contained no provision for woman suffrage, but meanwhile woman suffrage societies were forming in most of the major cities of Britain, and in the 1870s these organizations submitted to Parliament petitions demanding the franchise for women and containing a total of almost three million signatures.\n\n[![Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst and Emmeline Pankhurst](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/32\/135832-050-218CC423\/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg?w=300)1 of 4](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/32\/135832-050-218CC423\/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg)\n\n[Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst and Emmeline Pankhurst](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/32\/135832-050-218CC423\/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg)Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst (left) and her mother, Emmeline Pankhurst.\n\n(more)\n\n[![Women's suffrage: Buckingham Palace demonstration, 1914](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/09\/5209-050-9EA052A7\/suffragette-British-arrest-attack-Buckingham-Palace-London-1914.jpg?w=300)2 of 4](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/09\/5209-050-9EA052A7\/suffragette-British-arrest-attack-Buckingham-Palace-London-1914.jpg)\n\n[Women's suffrage: Buckingham Palace demonstration, 1914](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/09\/5209-050-9EA052A7\/suffragette-British-arrest-attack-Buckingham-Palace-London-1914.jpg)British suffragette under arrest after participating in an attack on Buckingham Palace, London, in 1914.\n\n(more)\n\n[![Learn how Constance Lytton campaigned for the women's right to vote despite being from a royal family](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/84\/187584-138-A5279CBB\/struggle-womens-right-part-British-elections.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)3 of 4](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/struggle-womens-right-part-British-elections\/-219951)\n\nLearn how Constance Lytton campaigned for the women's right to vote despite being from a royal familyThe struggle for women's right to vote in British parliamentary elections, part 1.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/images-videos)\n\n[![Learn how Constance Lytton became Jane Wharton for her struggle for women's right to vote in Britain](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/187585-138-2E2316D8\/struggle-womens-right-part-British-elections.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)4 of 4](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/struggle-womens-right-part-British-elections\/-219952)\n\nLearn how Constance Lytton became Jane Wharton for her struggle for women's right to vote in BritainThe struggle for women's right to vote in British parliamentary elections, part 2.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage\/images-videos)\n\nThe succeeding years saw the defeat of every major suffrage bill brought before Parliament. This was chiefly because neither of the leading politicians of the day, [William Gladstone](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/William-Ewart-Gladstone) and [Benjamin Disraeli](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Benjamin-Disraeli), cared to affront Queen [Victoria](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Victoria-queen-of-United-Kingdom)’s [implacable](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/implacable) opposition to the women’s movement. In 1869, however, Parliament did grant women taxpayers the right to vote in municipal elections, and in the ensuing decades women became eligible to sit on county and city councils. The right to vote in parliamentary elections was still denied to women, however, despite the considerable support that existed in Parliament for legislation to that effect. In 1897 the various suffragist societies united into one [National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/National-Union-of-Womens-Suffrage-Societies), thus bringing a greater [degree](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/degree-education) of [coherence](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/coherence) and organization to the movement. Out of frustration at the lack of governmental action, however, a segment of the woman suffrage movement became more militant under the leadership of [Emmeline Pankhurst](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Emmeline-Pankhurst) and her daughter [Christabel](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Christabel-Pankhurst). After the return to power of the [Liberal Party](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Liberal-Party-political-party-United-Kingdom) in 1906, the succeeding years saw the defeat of seven suffrage bills in Parliament. As a consequence, many suffragists became involved in increasingly violent actions as time went on. These women militants, or [suffragettes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/suffragette), as they were known, were sent to prison and continued their protests there by engaging in hunger strikes.\n\nAlso called:\n\nwoman suffrage\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nKey People:\n\n[Abby Hadassah Smith](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Abby-Hadassah-Smith)\n\n[Emily Murphy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Emily-Murphy)\n\n[Julia Evelina Smith](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Julia-Evelina-Smith)\n\n[Susan B. Anthony](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Susan-B-Anthony)\n\n[Catherine Helen Spence](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Catherine-Helen-Spence)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nRelated Topics:\n\n[feminism](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/feminism)\n\n[suffrage](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/suffrage)\n\n[Votes for Women](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/story\/votes-for-women)\n\n[Celebrating Elizabeth Cady Stanton at 200](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/story\/celebrating-elizabeth-cady-stanton-at-200)\n\n[women](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/women)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nOn the Web:\n\n[HistoryNet - Women's Suffrage Movement Â— Facts and Information on Women's Rights](https:\/\/historynet.com\/womens-suffrage-movement\/) (Mar. 21, 2026)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\n[See all related content](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/woman-suffrage)\n\nExplore Britannica Premium\\!\n\nGo beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners.\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026)\n\n![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-left.webp)\n\n![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-right.webp)\n\n![Mobile](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-mobile.webp?w=400)\n\nMeanwhile, public support of the woman [suffrage](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/suffrage) movement grew in volume, and public demonstrations, exhibitions, and processions were organized in support of women’s right to vote. When World War I began, the woman suffrage organizations shifted their energies to aiding the war effort, and their effectiveness did much to win the public wholeheartedly to the cause of woman suffrage. The need for the enfranchisement of women was finally recognized by most members of Parliament from all three major parties, and the resulting [Representation of the People Act](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Representation-of-the-People-Acts) was passed by the [House of Commons](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/House-of-Commons-British-government) in June 1917 and by the [House of Lords](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/House-of-Lords) in February 1918. Under this act, all women age 30 or over received the complete franchise. An act to enable women to sit in the House of Commons was [enacted](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/enacted) shortly afterward. In 1928 the voting age for women was lowered to 21 to place women voters on an equal footing with male voters.\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI\n\n*chevron\\_right*\n\nWomen’s suffrage\n\n*close*\n\n[AI-generated answers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.\n\nLoad Next Page\n\nFeedback\n\nThank you for your feedback\n\nOur editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.\n\n*print* Print\n\nPlease select which sections you would like to print:\n\n*verified*Cite\n\nWhile every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.\n\nSelect Citation Style\n\nBritannica Editors. \"Coco Chanel\". *Encyclopedia Britannica*, 25 Mar. 2026, https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel. Accessed 12 April 2026.\n\nCopy Citation\n\nShare\n\nShare to social media\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BRITANNICA\/) [X](https:\/\/x.com\/britannica)\n\nURL\n\n<https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel>\n\nExternal Websites\n\n- [Chanel - Gabrielle Chanel, the founder of CHANEL](https:\/\/www.chanel.com\/gb\/about-chanel\/the-founder\/)\n- [BBC - The truth about Coco Chanel and the Nazis](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture\/article\/20240220-the-truth-about-coco-chanel-and-the-nazis)\n- [The MY HERO Project - Gabrielle \"Coco\" Chanel](https:\/\/myhero.com\/gabrielle-coco-chanel-2)\n- [Business of Fashion - Biography of Gabrielle ï¿½Cocoï¿½ Chanel](https:\/\/www.businessoffashion.com\/articles\/news-analysis\/gabrielle-coco-chanel-1883-1971\/)\n- [National Public Radio - Coco Chanel: The Unlikely Fashion Icon](https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2012\/03\/21\/149057607\/coco-chanel-the-unlikely-fashion-icon)\n- [PBS - ANTIQUES ROADSHOW - Coco Chanel: Fashion Designer, Nazi Informant](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/roadshow\/articles\/coco-chanel-fashion-designer-nazi-informant\/)\n- [CNN - How Coco Chanel changed the course of womenÂ’s fashion](https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/style\/article\/coco-chanel-fashion-50-years)\n- [The Met - Gabrielle Â“CocoÂ” Chanel (1883Â–1971) and the House of Chanel](https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/essays\/gabrielle-coco-chanel-1883-1971-and-the-house-of-chanel)\n- [ABC listen - Overnights - Coco Chanel: Doyenne of Fashion](https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/listen\/programs\/overnights\/coco-chanel\/11292434)\n\nBritannica Websites\n\nArticles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.\n\n- [Coco Chanel - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/students\/article\/Coco-Chanel\/319252)\n\nFeedback\n\nThank you for your feedback\n\nOur editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.\n\n*print* Print\n\nPlease select which sections you would like to print:\n\n*verified*Cite\n\nWhile every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.\n\nSelect Citation Style\n\nBritannica Editors. \"women’s suffrage\". *Encyclopedia Britannica*, 21 Mar. 2026, https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage. Accessed 12 April 2026.\n\nCopy Citation\n\nShare\n\nShare to social media\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BRITANNICA\/) [X](https:\/\/x.com\/britannica)\n\nURL\n\n<https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/woman-suffrage>\n\nExternal Websites\n\n- [Congressional Research Service - WomenÂ’s Suffrage: Fact Sheet](https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs-product\/R45805)\n- [National Museum of Australia - Womenï¿½s suffrage](https:\/\/www.nma.gov.au\/defining-moments\/resources\/womens-suffrage)\n- [American Bar Association - Women's Suffrage Timeline](https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/public_education\/programs\/19th-amendment-centennial\/toolkit\/suffrage-timeline\/)\n- [HistoryNet - Women's Suffrage Movement Â— Facts and Information on Women's Rights](https:\/\/historynet.com\/womens-suffrage-movement\/)\n- [ABC listen - RN Drive - Historyonics: Women's suffrage](https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/listen\/programs\/radionational-drive\/historyonics3a-women27s-suffrage-rpl\/4692292)\n- [National Geographic - Education - Woman Suffrage](https:\/\/education.nationalgeographic.org\/resource\/woman-suffrage\/)\n- [University of North Dakota - School of Law - 100 Years of Women's Suffrage: Celebrating Pilgrims on the journey for Equality one-step at a time](https:\/\/law.und.edu\/_files\/docs\/ndlr\/pdf\/issues\/95\/3\/95ndlr475.pdf)\n- [Spartacus Educational - Women's Suffrage](https:\/\/spartacus-educational.com\/USAsuffrage.htm)\n- [National Library of Australia - Women's suffrage](https:\/\/www.library.gov.au\/learn\/digital-classroom\/feminism-australia\/womens-suffrage)\n- [U-S-History.com - Woman Suffrage](https:\/\/www.u-s-history.com\/pages\/h1097.html)\n- [Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture - Woman Suffrage Movement](https:\/\/tennesseeencyclopedia.net\/entries\/woman-suffrage-movement\/)\n- [National Park Service - Gateway Arch - Virginia Minor and Women's Right to Vote](https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/jeff\/learn\/historyculture\/the-virginia-minor-case.htm)\n- [64 Parishes - Woman Suffrage](https:\/\/64parishes.org\/entry\/woman-suffrage)\n- [The National WWI Museum and Memorial - Womenï¿½s Suffrage](https:\/\/www.theworldwar.org\/learn\/about-wwi\/womens-suffrage)\n- [NCPedia - Women Suffrage](https:\/\/www.ncpedia.org\/women-suffrage)\n- [The Canadian Encyclopedia - Women's Suffrage in Canada](https:\/\/www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca\/en\/article\/suffrage)\n- [U.S. House of Representatives - Exhibitions & Publications - The Women's Rights Movement, 1848ï¿½1920](https:\/\/history.house.gov\/Exhibitions-and-Publications\/WIC\/Historical-Essays\/No-Lady\/Womens-Rights\/)\n- [BBC - Bitesize - Why women won greater political equality by 1928](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bitesize\/guides\/zx9887h\/revision\/1)\n- [CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture - Women's Suffrage Movement](https:\/\/encyclopediaofarkansas.net\/entries\/womens-suffrage-movement-4252\/)\n\nBritannica Websites\n\nArticles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.\n\n- [women’s suffrage - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/students\/article\/womens-suffrage\/601308)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Top Questions\n\n### Was Coco Chanel tied to the Nazi party?\n### Who inherited the Chanel brand after Coco Chanel died?\n### What is Coco Chanel known for?\n### How did Coco Chanel become famous?\n### Did Coco Chanel have any children?\n\n**Coco Chanel** (born August 19, 1883, [Saumur](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Saumur), France—died January 10, 1971, Paris) was a French [fashion](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/fashion-society) designer who ruled Parisian [haute couture](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/haute-couture) for almost six decades. Her elegantly casual designs inspired women to abandon the complicated, uncomfortable clothes that were prevalent in early 20th-century [dress](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/dress-clothing), including [petticoats](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/petticoat) and [corsets](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/corset). Among her now-classic [innovations](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/innovations) were the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, costume [jewelry](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/jewelry), and the “little black dress.” She was also known for the [iconic](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/iconic) [perfume](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/perfume) Chanel No. 5.\n\n## Early life\nCoco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliationThe woman who would eventually become a fashion icon learned to sew in an orphanage.\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Coco-Chanel\/images-videos)\n\nChanel was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, but her surname was misspelled as Chasnel on her birth certificate. Her parents were Eugénie Jeanne Devolle Chanel, a laundrywoman, and Albert Chanel, who worked as a street vendor. The family—which eventually included six children—lived in poverty while moving throughout the French countryside. After her mother died in 1895, 11-year-old Gabrielle Chanel was sent to a convent-run orphanage in Aubazine, in central [France](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/France). It was there that she learned to sew.\n\nAt age 18 Chanel moved to [Moulins](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Moulins), where she attended school while living in a convent. In 1902 she struck out on her own and became a seamstress. During this time Chanel also worked as a café singer. Although not a particularly gifted singer, she was a popular performer, known for her [charisma](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/charisma). The origin of her nickname, “Coco,” is uncertain, but some believe it is a reference to several songs she performed: “Ko Ko Ri Ko” (“Cock-a-doodle-doo”) and “Qui qu’a vu Coco?” (“Has anyone seen Coco?”).\n\n## Fashion empire\n“My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.”\n\nThe café was frequented by military personnel, and one former army officer, Étienne Balsan, invited Chanel to live with him as his mistress. He helped her start a millinery business and introduced her to Arthur (“Boy”) Capel, with whom she had a [romantic](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/romantic) relationship until his death in a car accident in 1919. With his financial assistance, she opened Chanel Modes, a tiny millinery shop at 21 rue Cambon, [Paris](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Paris), in 1910. Two years later she established a boutique in [Deauville](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Deauville), a resort town in the [Normandy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Normandy) region of France. There she began selling simple sportswear, which was growing in popularity among women. She transformed fluid jersey, an inexpensive fabric commonly used in men’s undergarments, into practical and elegant sweaters and jackets inspired by menswear.\n\n[Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/97\/254397-050-F6C32025\/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg)French designer Coco Chanel at the start of her design career, 1910.\n\nWithin five years her novel use of jersey had attracted the attention of influential wealthy women seeking relief from the prevalent corseted styles. Faithful to her maxim that “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury,” Chanel’s designs stressed simplicity and ease, and they revolutionized the [fashion industry](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/fashion-industry).\n\nIn 1926 Chanel continued to transform fashion by introducing the so-called “little black dress” (commonly called LBD). Chanel was not the first fashion designer to use black, but the color was commonly reserved for mourning attire or more formal wear. Chanel’s black dress, however, was incredibly versatile, easily transitioning from day to evening with the right accessories—such as the costume jewelry she often wore. The LBD was hailed for both its simplicity and mass appeal. [Alluding](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Alluding) to [Henry Ford](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/Henry-Ford)’s revolutionary [Model T](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/Model-T) car, American [*Vogue*](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Vogue-American-magazine) called the little black dress the “Ford of Fashion,” and it quickly became a fashion staple.\n\n## Chanel No. 5\n[Chanel No. 5](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/279974-050-F6257B5B\/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg)When Chanel No. 5 eau de parfum was introduced in 1921, the design of the bottle broke with the typically ornate perfume packaging and was instead simple and elegant. The bottle was reportedly inspired by an item owned by Chanel's late lover, Arthur (“Boy”) Capel.\n\nAlthough Chanel found immense success as a designer, the financial basis of her empire was Chanel No. 5. She developed the phenomenally successful perfume in 1921 with the help of Ernest Beaux, one of the most talented perfume creators in France. It has been said that the perfume got its name from the series of scents that Beaux created for Chanel to sample—she chose the fifth, a combination of [jasmine](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/plant\/jasmine-plant) and several other floral scents that was more complex and mysterious than the single-scented perfumes then on the market. Others, however, have noted that Chanel was superstitious and considered five to be her lucky number. Chanel was the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume, and she replaced the typically ornate packaging with a simple and elegant bottle. The beveled rectangle was reportedly inspired by the late Capel’s whiskey decanter or similar possession. The bottle’s top featured interlocking Cs, which later became the Chanel brand’s insignia.\n\nGo beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners.\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026)\n\n![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-left.webp)\n\n![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-right.webp)\n\n![Mobile](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-mobile.webp?w=400)\n\n[Coco Chanel](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/258185-050-10128FD6\/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg)When Coco Chanel introduced Chanel No. 5 in 1921, she became the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume.\n\nChanel then partnered with businessmen Théophile Bader of the Galeries Lafayette [department store](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/department-store) and the brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer of the Bourjois [cosmetics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/cosmetics) company to distribute Chanel No. 5. The men agreed to help her produce more of her fragrance and to market it in exchange for a share of the profits. After signing a contract wherein she received only 10 percent of the royalties, Chanel filed a series of lawsuits in the ensuing decades to regain control of her signature fragrance. She was never able to renegotiate the terms to increase her royalties but nonetheless made a considerable profit from the perfume.\n\n## World War II\nChanel closed her couture house in 1939 with the outbreak of [World War II](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-II). At the time she was residing nearby at the Ritz Hotel and continued to live there when it became [Nazi](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Nazi-Party) headquarters after France fell to [Germany](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Germany) in 1940. During the occupation she began a romantic relationship with Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, a German diplomat and a spy with the Abwehr, the German [military’s intelligence](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/military-intelligence-military-science) organization. Chanel’s decision to remain in the Ritz and her relationship with Dincklage placed her within the social circles of German authorities in occupied Paris, a position that has drawn [scrutiny](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/scrutiny) from historians examining the conduct of prominent cultural figures during the war.\n\nThe full extent of Chanel’s wartime activities has only begun to emerge in recent decades, and biographers continue to debate the degree of her involvement with Nazi operations. She may have used her connections with German officials to secure the release of her nephew, André Palasse, who was a French soldier held in a German detention camp. He was freed in 1941, and about the same time Chanel allegedly traveled to Spain with German intelligence agents in an attempt to recruit spies. These episodes have led some researchers to suggest that Chanel cooperated with German intelligence, though the available evidence does not clearly establish whether her actions [constituted](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/constituted) deliberate espionage or opportunistic collaboration [facilitated](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/facilitated) by personal relationships.\n\nFrom Couturier to Collaborator?\n\nThe Nazis reportedly gave Chanel the codename “Westminster,” likely alluding to her earlier affair with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd duke of Westminster.\n\nMore certain is Chanel’s trip to Madrid in 1943 with Dincklage and her friend Vera Bate Lombardi, an English aristocrat living in Italy. Called Operation Modellhut (“Model Hat”), the [initiative](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/initiative) was organized by German intelligence in an attempt to use Chanel and Lombardi’s social connections to British Prime Minister [Winston Churchill](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Winston-Churchill) to open a back channel for possible peace negotiations between Nazi Germany and Britain. The effort collapsed when Lombardi alerted British authorities in Madrid to the plan. Historians often interpret the episode less as a conventional espionage mission than as an improvised diplomatic bid to explore informal avenues to negotiate as the war increasingly turned against the German regime.\n\nSoon after the Nazi occupation ended in 1944, Chanel was briefly arrested by French authorities during the postwar purge of collaborators. No charges were brought against her, however, and she was released after questioning. Chanel later claimed that Churchill, a longtime acquaintance, had interceded on her behalf, though the extent of any such intervention remains uncertain.\n\nThere is also disagreement among scholars regarding Chanel’s ideological stance toward Nazism. During the war she attempted to use Nazi policies to wrest full control of Chanel No. 5 from her Jewish partners, the Wertheimers. She argued that under Aryanization laws, the Wertheimers were ineligible to own property. The effort ultimately failed because the Wertheimers had earlier transferred their ownership to a non-Jewish associate. For many historians, this affair illustrates Chanel’s willingness to exploit the legal and economic structures of the occupation for personal advantage, even if it does not necessarily demonstrate a broader political commitment to Nazi [ideology](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/ideology). After the war, she moved to [Switzerland](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Switzerland) where she remained for several years and continued her relationship with Dincklage.\n\nWho Owns Chanel?\n\nThe Wertheimers acquired Chanel’s couture house for an undisclosed sum in 1954. The family remains the sole owners.\n\n## Comeback\nIn the early 1950s Chanel began to contemplate a return to fashion. At the time French fashion had undergone a seismic change led by [Christian Dior](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Christian-Dior-French-designer). He had created the widely copied New Look, a style defined by ultrafeminine, elaborate, and highly sculptured clothing. Chanel, who favored simpler and more comfortable designs, was derisive of the look, and at one point she said, “Dior doesn’t dress women, he upholsters them.”\n\n[Chanel bag](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/75\/279975-050-A57EB2EB\/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg)An individual carrying a Chanel purse, featuring quilted leather and a gold chain strap.\n\nAfter close to 10 years in what some would call exile, Chanel returned to Paris, and in 1954 she staged her first fashion show in about 15 years. Although the French press had negative reviews, the collection proved popular in the [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States). That year Chanel also introduced her highly copied suit design: a collarless, braid-trimmed tweed jacket with a graceful skirt. By the end of the 1950s, she had also debuted several other iconic items, notably two-toned shoes and a quilted purse with gold chains. These creations helped Chanel reclaim her position as one of fashion’s most influential designers.\n\nQuick Facts\n\nByname of:\n\nGabrielle Bonheur Chanel\n\nDied:\n\nJanuary 10, 1971, [Paris](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Paris) (aged 87)\n\n[![Chanel suit](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/20\/252820-050-A20B251A\/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg?w=1000)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/20\/252820-050-A20B251A\/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg)\n\n[Chanel suit](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/20\/252820-050-A20B251A\/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg)Women modeling suits designed by Coco Chanel for her autumn\/winter 1961–62 collection; photograph by Paul Schutzer for *Life* magazine.\n\n## Legacy\nSince her death in 1971, Chanel’s couture house has been led by a series of designers, with [Karl Lagerfeld](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Karl-Lagerfeld)’s [tenure](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/tenure) (1983–2019) the longest and most influential. Under their direction the Chanel brand has remained one of the most influential and iconic. Coco Chanel’s shrewd understanding of women’s fashion needs, her enterprising ambition, and the romantic aspects of her life—her rise from rags to riches and her sensational love affairs—continue to inspire numerous biographical books, films, and plays. Notable examples include the 1969 Broadway musical *Coco*, which starred [Katharine Hepburn](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Katharine-Hepburn) as the legendary designer, and *Coco avant Chanel* (2009; *Coco Before Chanel*), a biopic with [Audrey Tautou](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Audrey-Tautou) in the title role.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	Top Questions Was Coco Chanel tied to the Nazi party? Who inherited the Chanel brand after Coco Chanel died? What is Coco Chanel known for? How did Coco Chanel become famous? Did Coco Chanel have any children? Coco Chanel (born August 19, 1883, Saumur , France—died January 10, 1971, Paris) was a French fashion designer who ruled Parisian haute couture for almost six decades. Her elegantly casual designs inspired women to abandon the complicated, uncomfortable clothes that were prevalent in early 20th-century dress , including petticoats and corsets . Among her now-classic innovations were the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, costume jewelry , and the “ little black dress.” She was also known for the iconic perfume Chanel No. 5. Early life Coco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliation The woman who would eventually become a fashion icon learned to sew in an orphanage. See all videos for this article Chanel was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, but her surname was misspelled as Chasnel on her birth certificate. Her parents were Eugénie Jeanne Devolle Chanel, a laundrywoman, and Albert Chanel, who worked as a street vendor. The family—which eventually included six children—lived in poverty while moving throughout the French countryside. After her mother died in 1895, 11-year-old Gabrielle Chanel was sent to a convent-run orphanage in Aubazine, in central France . It was there that she learned to sew. At age 18 Chanel moved to Moulins , where she attended school while living in a convent. In 1902 she struck out on her own and became a seamstress. During this time Chanel also worked as a café singer. Although not a particularly gifted singer, she was a popular performer, known for her charisma . The origin of her nickname, “Coco,” is uncertain, but some believe it is a reference to several songs she performed: “Ko Ko Ri Ko” (“Cock-a-doodle-doo”) and “Qui qu’a vu Coco?” (“Has anyone seen Coco?”). Fashion empire “My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.” The café was frequented by military personnel, and one former army officer, Étienne Balsan, invited Chanel to live with him as his mistress. He helped her start a millinery business and introduced her to Arthur (“Boy”) Capel, with whom she had a romantic relationship until his death in a car accident in 1919. With his financial assistance, she opened Chanel Modes, a tiny millinery shop at 21 rue Cambon, Paris , in 1910. Two years later she established a boutique in Deauville , a resort town in the Normandy region of France. There she began selling simple sportswear, which was growing in popularity among women. She transformed fluid jersey, an inexpensive fabric commonly used in men’s undergarments, into practical and elegant sweaters and jackets inspired by menswear. Coco Chanel French designer Coco Chanel at the start of her design career, 1910. Within five years her novel use of jersey had attracted the attention of influential wealthy women seeking relief from the prevalent corseted styles. Faithful to her maxim that “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury,” Chanel’s designs stressed simplicity and ease, and they revolutionized the fashion industry . In 1926 Chanel continued to transform fashion by introducing the so-called “little black dress” (commonly called LBD). Chanel was not the first fashion designer to use black, but the color was commonly reserved for mourning attire or more formal wear. Chanel’s black dress, however, was incredibly versatile, easily transitioning from day to evening with the right accessories—such as the costume jewelry she often wore. The LBD was hailed for both its simplicity and mass appeal. Alluding to Henry Ford ’s revolutionary Model T car, American Vogue called the little black dress the “Ford of Fashion,” and it quickly became a fashion staple. Chanel No. 5 Chanel No. 5 When Chanel No. 5 eau de parfum was introduced in 1921, the design of the bottle broke with the typically ornate perfume packaging and was instead simple and elegant. The bottle was reportedly inspired by an item owned by Chanel's late lover, Arthur (“Boy”) Capel. Although Chanel found immense success as a designer, the financial basis of her empire was Chanel No. 5. She developed the phenomenally successful perfume in 1921 with the help of Ernest Beaux, one of the most talented perfume creators in France. It has been said that the perfume got its name from the series of scents that Beaux created for Chanel to sample—she chose the fifth, a combination of jasmine and several other floral scents that was more complex and mysterious than the single-scented perfumes then on the market. Others, however, have noted that Chanel was superstitious and considered five to be her lucky number. Chanel was the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume, and she replaced the typically ornate packaging with a simple and elegant bottle. The beveled rectangle was reportedly inspired by the late Capel’s whiskey decanter or similar possession. The bottle’s top featured interlocking Cs, which later became the Chanel brand’s insignia. Go beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners. SUBSCRIBE Coco Chanel When Coco Chanel introduced Chanel No. 5 in 1921, she became the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume. Chanel then partnered with businessmen Théophile Bader of the Galeries Lafayette department store and the brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer of the Bourjois cosmetics company to distribute Chanel No. 5. The men agreed to help her produce more of her fragrance and to market it in exchange for a share of the profits. After signing a contract wherein she received only 10 percent of the royalties, Chanel filed a series of lawsuits in the ensuing decades to regain control of her signature fragrance. She was never able to renegotiate the terms to increase her royalties but nonetheless made a considerable profit from the perfume. World War II Chanel closed her couture house in 1939 with the outbreak of World War II . At the time she was residing nearby at the Ritz Hotel and continued to live there when it became Nazi headquarters after France fell to Germany in 1940. During the occupation she began a romantic relationship with Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, a German diplomat and a spy with the Abwehr, the German military’s intelligence organization. Chanel’s decision to remain in the Ritz and her relationship with Dincklage placed her within the social circles of German authorities in occupied Paris, a position that has drawn scrutiny from historians examining the conduct of prominent cultural figures during the war. The full extent of Chanel’s wartime activities has only begun to emerge in recent decades, and biographers continue to debate the degree of her involvement with Nazi operations. She may have used her connections with German officials to secure the release of her nephew, André Palasse, who was a French soldier held in a German detention camp. He was freed in 1941, and about the same time Chanel allegedly traveled to Spain with German intelligence agents in an attempt to recruit spies. These episodes have led some researchers to suggest that Chanel cooperated with German intelligence, though the available evidence does not clearly establish whether her actions constituted deliberate espionage or opportunistic collaboration facilitated by personal relationships. From Couturier to Collaborator? The Nazis reportedly gave Chanel the codename “Westminster,” likely alluding to her earlier affair with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd duke of Westminster. More certain is Chanel’s trip to Madrid in 1943 with Dincklage and her friend Vera Bate Lombardi, an English aristocrat living in Italy. Called Operation Modellhut (“Model Hat”), the initiative was organized by German intelligence in an attempt to use Chanel and Lombardi’s social connections to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to open a back channel for possible peace negotiations between Nazi Germany and Britain. The effort collapsed when Lombardi alerted British authorities in Madrid to the plan. Historians often interpret the episode less as a conventional espionage mission than as an improvised diplomatic bid to explore informal avenues to negotiate as the war increasingly turned against the German regime. Soon after the Nazi occupation ended in 1944, Chanel was briefly arrested by French authorities during the postwar purge of collaborators. No charges were brought against her, however, and she was released after questioning. Chanel later claimed that Churchill, a longtime acquaintance, had interceded on her behalf, though the extent of any such intervention remains uncertain. There is also disagreement among scholars regarding Chanel’s ideological stance toward Nazism. During the war she attempted to use Nazi policies to wrest full control of Chanel No. 5 from her Jewish partners, the Wertheimers. She argued that under Aryanization laws, the Wertheimers were ineligible to own property. The effort ultimately failed because the Wertheimers had earlier transferred their ownership to a non-Jewish associate. For many historians, this affair illustrates Chanel’s willingness to exploit the legal and economic structures of the occupation for personal advantage, even if it does not necessarily demonstrate a broader political commitment to Nazi ideology . After the war, she moved to Switzerland where she remained for several years and continued her relationship with Dincklage. Who Owns Chanel? The Wertheimers acquired Chanel’s couture house for an undisclosed sum in 1954. The family remains the sole owners. Comeback In the early 1950s Chanel began to contemplate a return to fashion. At the time French fashion had undergone a seismic change led by Christian Dior . He had created the widely copied New Look, a style defined by ultrafeminine, elaborate, and highly sculptured clothing. Chanel, who favored simpler and more comfortable designs, was derisive of the look, and at one point she said, “Dior doesn’t dress women, he upholsters them.” Chanel bag An individual carrying a Chanel purse, featuring quilted leather and a gold chain strap. After close to 10 years in what some would call exile, Chanel returned to Paris, and in 1954 she staged her first fashion show in about 15 years. Although the French press had negative reviews, the collection proved popular in the United States . That year Chanel also introduced her highly copied suit design: a collarless, braid-trimmed tweed jacket with a graceful skirt. By the end of the 1950s, she had also debuted several other iconic items, notably two-toned shoes and a quilted purse with gold chains. These creations helped Chanel reclaim her position as one of fashion’s most influential designers. Quick Facts Byname of: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel Died: January 10, 1971, Paris (aged 87) Chanel suit Women modeling suits designed by Coco Chanel for her autumn/winter 1961–62 collection; photograph by Paul Schutzer for Life magazine. Legacy Since her death in 1971, Chanel’s couture house has been led by a series of designers, with Karl Lagerfeld ’s tenure (1983–2019) the longest and most influential. Under their direction the Chanel brand has remained one of the most influential and iconic. Coco Chanel’s shrewd understanding of women’s fashion needs, her enterprising ambition, and the romantic aspects of her life—her rise from rags to riches and her sensational love affairs—continue to inspire numerous biographical books, films, and plays. Notable examples include the 1969 Broadway musical Coco , which starred Katharine Hepburn as the legendary designer, and Coco avant Chanel (2009; Coco Before Chanel ), a biopic with Audrey Tautou in the title role.
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[Who inherited the Chanel brand after Coco Chanel died?](https://www.britannica.com/question/Who-inherited-the-Chanel-brand-after-Coco-Chanel-died) - [What is Coco Chanel known for?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-Coco-Chanel-known-for) - [How did Coco Chanel become famous?](https://www.britannica.com/question/How-did-Coco-Chanel-become-famous) - [Did Coco Chanel have any children?](https://www.britannica.com/question/Did-Coco-Chanel-have-any-children) - [What defines Prada’s fashion?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-defines-Pradas-fashion) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Ask Anything Quick Summary [Visual Arts](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Visual-Arts) [Fashion & Personal Adornment](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Fashion-Design) CITE Share Feedback External Websites [![Gabrielle (“Coco”) Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/53/32253-050-4E051288/Coco-Chanel-1960.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https://cdn.britannica.com/53/32253-050-4E051288/Coco-Chanel-1960.jpg) [Gabrielle (“Coco”) Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/53/32253-050-4E051288/Coco-Chanel-1960.jpg) The French couturier and fashion designer Gabrielle (“Coco”) Chanel, c. 1960. (more) # Coco Chanel French designer Homework Help Also known as: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel Written and fact-checked by [Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 25, 2026 •[History](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Coco-Chanel/additional-info#history) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI Ask Anything Quick Summary Table of Contents Table of Contents Quick Summary Ask Anything Top Questions ### Was Coco Chanel tied to the Nazi party? Historians generally agree that Coco Chanel had ties to [Nazi](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nazi-Party) officials and tried to benefit from Nazi policies, but the extent of her intelligence work and ideological commitment to Nazism remains debated. [Read more about her activities during the war.](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Was-Coco-Chanel-a-Nazi-Spy) ### Who inherited the Chanel brand after Coco Chanel died? Coco Chanel had sold her couture brand in 1954 to Pierre Wertheimer, one of the surviving partners in her perfume business, so the ownership of Chanel remained unchanged when she died on January 10, 1971. The sale was part of a deal she had made with Wertheimer to receive financial backing for her return to the fashion business after the events of [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II). ### What is Coco Chanel known for? Coco Chanel was a [fashion designer](https://www.britannica.com/art/fashion-industry) who ruled Parisian haute couture for almost six decades. Her garments stressed simplicity and comfort, freeing women from the complicated, uncomfortable clothes that were prevalent in early 20th-century [dress](https://www.britannica.com/topic/dress-clothing), including [petticoats](https://www.britannica.com/topic/petticoat) and [corsets](https://www.britannica.com/topic/corset). Early on she gained recognition for her novel use of jersey—then an inexpensive fabric commonly used in men’s undergarments—transforming the fluid material into practical but elegant designs, many of which were inspired by menswear. Her career was further defined by the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, and the “little black dress.” Chanel also popularized costume jewelry and introduced the iconic perfume Chanel No. 5. ### How did Coco Chanel become famous? Coco Chanel began working as a seamstress in her teens, and, with the financial assistance of her lover, Arthur (“Boy”) Capel, she opened a small millinery shop in [Paris](https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris) about a decade later, in 1910. In 1912 she established a boutique in [Deauville](https://www.britannica.com/place/Deauville), France. Her practical, elegant designs attracted influential women, and Chanel was soon heading a thriving couture house. “My life didn’t please me, so I created my life,” she said. ### Did Coco Chanel have any children? Coco Chanel did not have children and never married. She did, however, take responsibility for her nephew, André Palasse. He was the son of her elder sister, Julia-Berthe Palasse, who reportedly died by suicide in 1910 when André Palasse was a child. A few biographers have put forth the theory that André Palasse may have been Chanel’s illegitimate son, possibly by her early lover, Étienne Balsan. Coco Chanel (born August 19, 1883, [Saumur](https://www.britannica.com/place/Saumur), France—died January 10, 1971, Paris) was a French [fashion](https://www.britannica.com/topic/fashion-society) designer who ruled Parisian [haute couture](https://www.britannica.com/art/haute-couture) for almost six decades. Her elegantly casual designs inspired women to abandon the complicated, uncomfortable clothes that were prevalent in early 20th-century [dress](https://www.britannica.com/topic/dress-clothing), including [petticoats](https://www.britannica.com/topic/petticoat) and [corsets](https://www.britannica.com/topic/corset). Among her now-classic [innovations](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innovations) were the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, costume [jewelry](https://www.britannica.com/art/jewelry), and the “little black dress.” She was also known for the [iconic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconic) [perfume](https://www.britannica.com/art/perfume) Chanel No. 5. ## Early life [![Coco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliation](https://cdn.britannica.com/67/255367-138-FB00EAFB/biography-fashion-designer-coco-chanel.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/biography-fashion-designer-coco-chanel/-302504) Coco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliationThe woman who would eventually become a fashion icon learned to sew in an orphanage. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Coco-Chanel/images-videos) Chanel was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, but her surname was misspelled as Chasnel on her birth certificate. Her parents were Eugénie Jeanne Devolle Chanel, a laundrywoman, and Albert Chanel, who worked as a street vendor. The family—which eventually included six children—lived in poverty while moving throughout the French countryside. After her mother died in 1895, 11-year-old Gabrielle Chanel was sent to a convent-run orphanage in Aubazine, in central [France](https://www.britannica.com/place/France). It was there that she learned to sew. At age 18 Chanel moved to [Moulins](https://www.britannica.com/place/Moulins), where she attended school while living in a convent. In 1902 she struck out on her own and became a seamstress. During this time Chanel also worked as a café singer. Although not a particularly gifted singer, she was a popular performer, known for her [charisma](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charisma). The origin of her nickname, “Coco,” is uncertain, but some believe it is a reference to several songs she performed: “Ko Ko Ri Ko” (“Cock-a-doodle-doo”) and “Qui qu’a vu Coco?” (“Has anyone seen Coco?”). ## Fashion empire “My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.” The café was frequented by military personnel, and one former army officer, Étienne Balsan, invited Chanel to live with him as his mistress. He helped her start a millinery business and introduced her to Arthur (“Boy”) Capel, with whom she had a [romantic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/romantic) relationship until his death in a car accident in 1919. With his financial assistance, she opened Chanel Modes, a tiny millinery shop at 21 rue Cambon, [Paris](https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris), in 1910. Two years later she established a boutique in [Deauville](https://www.britannica.com/place/Deauville), a resort town in the [Normandy](https://www.britannica.com/place/Normandy) region of France. There she began selling simple sportswear, which was growing in popularity among women. She transformed fluid jersey, an inexpensive fabric commonly used in men’s undergarments, into practical and elegant sweaters and jackets inspired by menswear. [![Coco Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/254397-050-F6C32025/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/254397-050-F6C32025/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg) [Coco Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/254397-050-F6C32025/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg)French designer Coco Chanel at the start of her design career, 1910. (more) Within five years her novel use of jersey had attracted the attention of influential wealthy women seeking relief from the prevalent corseted styles. Faithful to her maxim that “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury,” Chanel’s designs stressed simplicity and ease, and they revolutionized the [fashion industry](https://www.britannica.com/art/fashion-industry). In 1926 Chanel continued to transform fashion by introducing the so-called “little black dress” (commonly called LBD). Chanel was not the first fashion designer to use black, but the color was commonly reserved for mourning attire or more formal wear. Chanel’s black dress, however, was incredibly versatile, easily transitioning from day to evening with the right accessories—such as the costume jewelry she often wore. The LBD was hailed for both its simplicity and mass appeal. [Alluding](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Alluding) to [Henry Ford](https://www.britannica.com/money/Henry-Ford)’s revolutionary [Model T](https://www.britannica.com/technology/Model-T) car, American [Vogue](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vogue-American-magazine) called the little black dress the “Ford of Fashion,” and it quickly became a fashion staple. ## Chanel No. 5 [![Chanel No. 5](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/279974-050-F6257B5B/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/279974-050-F6257B5B/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg) [Chanel No. 5](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/279974-050-F6257B5B/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg)When Chanel No. 5 eau de parfum was introduced in 1921, the design of the bottle broke with the typically ornate perfume packaging and was instead simple and elegant. The bottle was reportedly inspired by an item owned by Chanel's late lover, Arthur (“Boy”) Capel. (more) Although Chanel found immense success as a designer, the financial basis of her empire was Chanel No. 5. She developed the phenomenally successful perfume in 1921 with the help of Ernest Beaux, one of the most talented perfume creators in France. It has been said that the perfume got its name from the series of scents that Beaux created for Chanel to sample—she chose the fifth, a combination of [jasmine](https://www.britannica.com/plant/jasmine-plant) and several other floral scents that was more complex and mysterious than the single-scented perfumes then on the market. Others, however, have noted that Chanel was superstitious and considered five to be her lucky number. Chanel was the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume, and she replaced the typically ornate packaging with a simple and elegant bottle. The beveled rectangle was reportedly inspired by the late Capel’s whiskey decanter or similar possession. The bottle’s top featured interlocking Cs, which later became the Chanel brand’s insignia. Explore Britannica Premium\! Go beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026) ![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-left.webp) ![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-right.webp) ![Mobile](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-mobile.webp?w=400) [![Coco Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/258185-050-10128FD6/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/258185-050-10128FD6/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg) [Coco Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/258185-050-10128FD6/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg)When Coco Chanel introduced Chanel No. 5 in 1921, she became the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume. (more) Chanel then partnered with businessmen Théophile Bader of the Galeries Lafayette [department store](https://www.britannica.com/money/department-store) and the brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer of the Bourjois [cosmetics](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/cosmetics) company to distribute Chanel No. 5. The men agreed to help her produce more of her fragrance and to market it in exchange for a share of the profits. After signing a contract wherein she received only 10 percent of the royalties, Chanel filed a series of lawsuits in the ensuing decades to regain control of her signature fragrance. She was never able to renegotiate the terms to increase her royalties but nonetheless made a considerable profit from the perfume. ## World War II Chanel closed her couture house in 1939 with the outbreak of [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II). At the time she was residing nearby at the Ritz Hotel and continued to live there when it became [Nazi](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nazi-Party) headquarters after France fell to [Germany](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany) in 1940. During the occupation she began a romantic relationship with Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, a German diplomat and a spy with the Abwehr, the German [military’s intelligence](https://www.britannica.com/topic/military-intelligence-military-science) organization. Chanel’s decision to remain in the Ritz and her relationship with Dincklage placed her within the social circles of German authorities in occupied Paris, a position that has drawn [scrutiny](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/scrutiny) from historians examining the conduct of prominent cultural figures during the war. The full extent of Chanel’s wartime activities has only begun to emerge in recent decades, and biographers continue to debate the degree of her involvement with Nazi operations. She may have used her connections with German officials to secure the release of her nephew, André Palasse, who was a French soldier held in a German detention camp. He was freed in 1941, and about the same time Chanel allegedly traveled to Spain with German intelligence agents in an attempt to recruit spies. These episodes have led some researchers to suggest that Chanel cooperated with German intelligence, though the available evidence does not clearly establish whether her actions [constituted](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituted) deliberate espionage or opportunistic collaboration [facilitated](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitated) by personal relationships. From Couturier to Collaborator? The Nazis reportedly gave Chanel the codename “Westminster,” likely alluding to her earlier affair with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd duke of Westminster. More certain is Chanel’s trip to Madrid in 1943 with Dincklage and her friend Vera Bate Lombardi, an English aristocrat living in Italy. Called Operation Modellhut (“Model Hat”), the [initiative](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initiative) was organized by German intelligence in an attempt to use Chanel and Lombardi’s social connections to British Prime Minister [Winston Churchill](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Winston-Churchill) to open a back channel for possible peace negotiations between Nazi Germany and Britain. The effort collapsed when Lombardi alerted British authorities in Madrid to the plan. Historians often interpret the episode less as a conventional espionage mission than as an improvised diplomatic bid to explore informal avenues to negotiate as the war increasingly turned against the German regime. Soon after the Nazi occupation ended in 1944, Chanel was briefly arrested by French authorities during the postwar purge of collaborators. No charges were brought against her, however, and she was released after questioning. Chanel later claimed that Churchill, a longtime acquaintance, had interceded on her behalf, though the extent of any such intervention remains uncertain. There is also disagreement among scholars regarding Chanel’s ideological stance toward Nazism. During the war she attempted to use Nazi policies to wrest full control of Chanel No. 5 from her Jewish partners, the Wertheimers. She argued that under Aryanization laws, the Wertheimers were ineligible to own property. The effort ultimately failed because the Wertheimers had earlier transferred their ownership to a non-Jewish associate. For many historians, this affair illustrates Chanel’s willingness to exploit the legal and economic structures of the occupation for personal advantage, even if it does not necessarily demonstrate a broader political commitment to Nazi [ideology](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ideology). After the war, she moved to [Switzerland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Switzerland) where she remained for several years and continued her relationship with Dincklage. Who Owns Chanel? The Wertheimers acquired Chanel’s couture house for an undisclosed sum in 1954. The family remains the sole owners. ## Comeback In the early 1950s Chanel began to contemplate a return to fashion. At the time French fashion had undergone a seismic change led by [Christian Dior](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christian-Dior-French-designer). He had created the widely copied New Look, a style defined by ultrafeminine, elaborate, and highly sculptured clothing. Chanel, who favored simpler and more comfortable designs, was derisive of the look, and at one point she said, “Dior doesn’t dress women, he upholsters them.” [![Chanel bag](https://cdn.britannica.com/75/279975-050-A57EB2EB/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/75/279975-050-A57EB2EB/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg) [Chanel bag](https://cdn.britannica.com/75/279975-050-A57EB2EB/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg)An individual carrying a Chanel purse, featuring quilted leather and a gold chain strap. (more) After close to 10 years in what some would call exile, Chanel returned to Paris, and in 1954 she staged her first fashion show in about 15 years. Although the French press had negative reviews, the collection proved popular in the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States). That year Chanel also introduced her highly copied suit design: a collarless, braid-trimmed tweed jacket with a graceful skirt. By the end of the 1950s, she had also debuted several other iconic items, notably two-toned shoes and a quilted purse with gold chains. These creations helped Chanel reclaim her position as one of fashion’s most influential designers. Quick Facts Byname of: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (Show more) Born: August 19, 1883, [Saumur](https://www.britannica.com/place/Saumur), [France](https://www.britannica.com/place/France) (Show more) Died: January 10, 1971, [Paris](https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris) (aged 87) (Show more) [See all related content](https://www.britannica.com/facts/Coco-Chanel) [![Chanel suit](https://cdn.britannica.com/20/252820-050-A20B251A/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg?w=1000)](https://cdn.britannica.com/20/252820-050-A20B251A/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg) [Chanel suit](https://cdn.britannica.com/20/252820-050-A20B251A/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg)Women modeling suits designed by Coco Chanel for her autumn/winter 1961–62 collection; photograph by Paul Schutzer for Life magazine. (more) ## Legacy [![Coco Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/99/254399-050-C226E2D9/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1960.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/99/254399-050-C226E2D9/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1960.jpg) [Coco Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/99/254399-050-C226E2D9/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1960.jpg)French designer Coco Chanel in 1960. (more) Since her death in 1971, Chanel’s couture house has been led by a series of designers, with [Karl Lagerfeld](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Karl-Lagerfeld)’s [tenure](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenure) (1983–2019) the longest and most influential. Under their direction the Chanel brand has remained one of the most influential and iconic. Coco Chanel’s shrewd understanding of women’s fashion needs, her enterprising ambition, and the romantic aspects of her life—her rise from rags to riches and her sensational love affairs—continue to inspire numerous biographical books, films, and plays. Notable examples include the 1969 Broadway musical Coco, which starred [Katharine Hepburn](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Katharine-Hepburn) as the legendary designer, and Coco avant Chanel (2009; Coco Before Chanel), a biopic with [Audrey Tautou](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Audrey-Tautou) in the title role. [The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)This article was most recently revised and updated by [Alicja Zelazko](https://www.britannica.com/editor/Alicja-Zelazko/9823860). ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI chevron\_right Coco Chanel close [AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. [women’s suffrage](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage) - [Introduction & Top Questions](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage) - [Overview](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage#ref284442) - [Great Britain](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage#ref284443) - [The United States](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/The-United-States) [References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/additional-info) [Quick Facts & Related Topics](https://www.britannica.com/facts/woman-suffrage) [Images, Videos & Interactives](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/images-videos) [![Women's suffrage: London demonstrators](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/172652-004-1ED74674/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/172652-050-34E6A943/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg) [![Women's suffrage: New Zealand](https://cdn.britannica.com/59/172659-004-6737DCE5/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/59/172659-050-95274632/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg) [![Women's suffrage: Australia](https://cdn.britannica.com/61/172661-004-17BC23C1/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/61/172661-050-CE1B0632/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg) [![Black and white photo of women and girls in early 1900s dress holding a banner reading "I WISH MA COULD VOTE" at a suffrage march, with American flags in the background.](https://cdn.britannica.com/76/226776-138-3649185D/difference-suffragist-suffragette.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/difference-suffragist-suffragette/-259238) [![How women won the right to vote around the world](https://cdn.britannica.com/65/172165-138-DF1A6EFF/history-woman-suffrage-world.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/history-woman-suffrage-world/-187145) [![Black-and-white photo of people standing outside a building with a banner reading "Headquarters National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage."](https://cdn.britannica.com/32/217232-138-4B3E4F09/Five-reasons-why-people-thought-women-shouldnt-vote-womens-suffrage.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/Five-reasons-why-people-thought-women-shouldnt-vote-womens-suffrage/-247523) [![Women's suffrage: England](https://cdn.britannica.com/38/19138-004-4CEBDE5E/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/38/19138-050-54F9A4F6/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg) [![Hear about the journey of women's suffrage in Britain from the first mass-suffrage petition (1866) to the passage of the 1918 Representation of the People Act](https://cdn.britannica.com/23/193323-138-FE0A42E4/Britain-passage-petition-1918-Representation-of-the-1918.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/Britain-passage-petition-1918-Representation-of-the-1918/-219953) [![Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects](https://cdn.britannica.com/93/84993-004-64130AA0/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/93/84993-050-73B1AADC/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg) [![Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst and Emmeline Pankhurst](https://cdn.britannica.com/32/135832-004-13A79989/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/32/135832-050-218CC423/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg) At a Glance [![Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://cdn.britannica.com/76/186876-050-F4249C50/Elizabeth-Cady-Stanton.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/summary/Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States-Timeline) [Women’s Suffrage in the United States Timeline](https://www.britannica.com/summary/Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States-Timeline) [![Lucretia Mott](https://cdn.britannica.com/18/133918-050-2EA41AE3/Lucretia-Mott.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/summary/Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States-Key-Facts) [Women’s Suffrage in the United States Key Facts](https://www.britannica.com/summary/Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States-Key-Facts) [![Nineteenth Amendment](https://cdn.britannica.com/61/128661-050-78810DB8/Nineteenth-Amendment-right-women.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/summary/Causes-and-Effects-of-Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States) [Causes and Effects of Women’s Suffrage in the United States](https://www.britannica.com/summary/Causes-and-Effects-of-Womens-Suffrage-in-the-United-States) Quizzes [![Suffragettes with signs in London, possibly 1912 (based on Monday, Nov. 25). Woman suffrage movement, women's suffrage movement, suffragists, women's rights, feminism.](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/172652-131-F8AE4EBC/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/quick-quiz-women-in-the-voting-booth) [Quick Quiz: Women In The Voting Booth](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/quick-quiz-women-in-the-voting-booth) Related Questions - [When did the women’s suffrage movement start?](https://www.britannica.com/question/When-did-the-womens-suffrage-movement-start) - [Where did women’s suffrage start?](https://www.britannica.com/question/Where-did-womens-suffrage-start) - [How did the women’s suffrage movement end?](https://www.britannica.com/question/How-did-the-womens-suffrage-movement-end) - [What is the difference between a nation and a state?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-the-difference-between-a-nation-and-a-state) - [What is a nationalist movement?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-a-nationalist-movement) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Ask Anything Quick Summary [Politics, Law & Government](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Politics-Law-Government) [Politics & Political Systems](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Politics-Political-Systems) CITE Share Feedback External Websites [![Women's suffrage: London demonstrators](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/172652-050-34E6A943/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/172652-050-34E6A943/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg) [Women's suffrage: London demonstrators](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/172652-050-34E6A943/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg) Suffragettes holding signs in London, c. 1912. (more) # women’s suffrage Homework Help Also known as: woman suffrage Written and fact-checked by [Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 21, 2026 •[History](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/additional-info#history) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI Ask Anything Quick Summary Table of Contents Table of Contents Quick Summary Ask Anything Top Questions ### What did the women’s suffrage movement fight for? The women’s suffrage movement fought for the right of women by law to [vote](https://www.britannica.com/topic/suffrage) in national or local [elections](https://www.britannica.com/topic/election-political-science). ### When did the women’s suffrage movement start? The women’s suffrage movement made the question of women’s [voting rights](https://www.britannica.com/topic/suffrage) into an important political issue in the 19th century. The struggle was particularly intense in [Great Britain](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom) and in the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States), but those countries were not the first to grant women the right to vote, at least not on a national basis. ### Where did women’s suffrage start? By the early years of the 20th century, women had won the right to [vote](https://www.britannica.com/topic/suffrage) in national [elections](https://www.britannica.com/topic/election-political-science) in [New Zealand](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Zealand) (1893), [Australia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Australia) (1902), [Finland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Finland) (1906), and [Norway](https://www.britannica.com/place/Norway) (1913). [World War I](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I) and its aftermath speeded up the enfranchisement of women in the countries of Europe and elsewhere. In the period 1914–39, women in 28 additional countries acquired either equal voting rights with men or the right to vote in national elections. ### How did the women’s suffrage movement end? In the 21st century most countries allow women to [vote](https://www.britannica.com/topic/suffrage). In [Saudi Arabia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Saudi-Arabia) women were allowed to vote in municipal [elections](https://www.britannica.com/topic/election-political-science) for the first time in 2015. The [United Nations](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations) Convention on the Political Rights of Women, adopted in 1952, provides that “women shall be entitled to vote in all elections on equal terms with men, without any discrimination.” women’s suffrage, the right of [women](https://www.britannica.com/topic/women) by law to [vote](https://www.britannica.com/topic/suffrage) in national or local elections. ## Overview [![Women's suffrage: New Zealand](https://cdn.britannica.com/59/172659-050-95274632/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg?w=300)1 of 2](https://cdn.britannica.com/59/172659-050-95274632/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg) [Women's suffrage: New Zealand](https://cdn.britannica.com/59/172659-050-95274632/Women-voters-country-womens-suffrage-first-Tahakopa-1893.jpg)Women voters in Tahakopa, New Zealand, after the country became the first to grant women's suffrage, 1893. (more) [![Women's suffrage: Australia](https://cdn.britannica.com/61/172661-050-CE1B0632/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg?w=300)2 of 2](https://cdn.britannica.com/61/172661-050-CE1B0632/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg) [Women's suffrage: Australia](https://cdn.britannica.com/61/172661-050-CE1B0632/Queensland-Australia-state-election-women-voting-1907.jpg)Women voting for the first time in a Queensland state election, Australia, 1907. (more) Women were excluded from voting in ancient [Greece](https://www.britannica.com/place/Greece) and republican Rome, as well as in the few [democracies](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracies) that had emerged in Europe by the end of the 18th century. When the [franchise](https://www.britannica.com/topic/suffrage) was widened, as it was in the [United Kingdom](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom) in 1832, women continued to be denied all [voting rights](https://www.britannica.com/topic/voting-rights). The question of women’s voting rights finally became an issue in the 19th century, and the struggle was particularly intense in Great [Britain](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom) and the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States), but those countries were not the first to grant women the right to vote, at least not on a national basis. By the early years of the 20th century, women had won the right to vote in national elections in [New Zealand](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Zealand) (1893), [Australia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Australia) (1902), [Finland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Finland) (1906), and [Norway](https://www.britannica.com/place/Norway) (1913). In [Sweden](https://www.britannica.com/place/Sweden) and the United States they had voting rights in some local elections. [![Is There a Difference Between a Suffragist and a Suffragette?](https://cdn.britannica.com/76/226776-138-3649185D/difference-suffragist-suffragette.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)1 of 2](https://www.britannica.com/video/difference-suffragist-suffragette/-259238) Is There a Difference Between a Suffragist and a Suffragette?We wouldn't blame you for thinking they were synonyms. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/images-videos) [![How women won the right to vote around the world](https://cdn.britannica.com/65/172165-138-DF1A6EFF/history-woman-suffrage-world.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)2 of 2](https://www.britannica.com/video/history-woman-suffrage-world/-187145) How women won the right to vote around the worldA history of women's suffrage around the world. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/images-videos) [World War I](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I) and its aftermath speeded up the enfranchisement of women in the countries of [Europe](https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe) and elsewhere. In the period 1914–39, women in 28 additional countries [acquired](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/acquired) either equal voting rights with men or the right to vote in national elections. Those countries included Soviet Russia (1917); [Canada](https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada), [Germany](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany), [Austria](https://www.britannica.com/place/Austria), and [Poland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Poland) (1918); [Czechoslovakia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Czechoslovakia) (1919); the United States and [Hungary](https://www.britannica.com/place/Hungary) (1920); Great Britain (1918 and 1928); Burma ([Myanmar](https://www.britannica.com/place/Myanmar); 1922); [Ecuador](https://www.britannica.com/place/Ecuador) (1929); [South Africa](https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Africa) (1930); [Brazil](https://www.britannica.com/place/Brazil), [Uruguay](https://www.britannica.com/place/Uruguay), and [Thailand](https://www.britannica.com/place/Thailand) (1932); [Turkey](https://www.britannica.com/place/Turkey) and [Cuba](https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba) (1934); and the [Philippines](https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines) (1937). In a number of those countries, women were initially granted the right to vote in municipal or other local elections or perhaps in provincial elections; only later were they granted the right to vote in national elections. [![Five Absurd Reasons Women Were Denied the Vote](https://cdn.britannica.com/32/217232-138-4B3E4F09/Five-reasons-why-people-thought-women-shouldnt-vote-womens-suffrage.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/Five-reasons-why-people-thought-women-shouldnt-vote-womens-suffrage/-247523) Five Absurd Reasons Women Were Denied the VoteWomen don't even want to vote, right? (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/images-videos) Immediately after [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II), [France](https://www.britannica.com/place/France), [Italy](https://www.britannica.com/place/Italy), [Romania](https://www.britannica.com/place/Romania), [Yugoslavia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Yugoslavia-former-federated-nation-1929-2003), and [China](https://www.britannica.com/place/China) were added to the group. Full suffrage for women was introduced in [India](https://www.britannica.com/place/India) by the constitution in 1949; in [Pakistan](https://www.britannica.com/place/Pakistan) women received full voting rights in national elections in 1956. In another decade the total number of countries that had given women the right to vote reached more than 100, partly because nearly all countries that gained independence after World War II guaranteed equal voting rights to men and women in their constitutions. By 1971 [Switzerland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Switzerland) allowed women to vote in federal and most cantonal elections, and in 1973 women were granted full voting rights in [Syria](https://www.britannica.com/place/Syria). The [United Nations](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations) Convention on the Political Rights of Women, adopted in 1952, provides that “women shall be entitled to vote in all elections on equal terms with men, without any discrimination.” Historically, the United Kingdom and the United States provide characteristic examples of the struggle for women’s suffrage in the 19th and 20th centuries. [![Suffragettes with signs in London, possibly 1912 (based on Monday, Nov. 25). Woman suffrage movement, women's suffrage movement, suffragists, women's rights, feminism.](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/172652-131-F8AE4EBC/Suffragettes-signs-London-1912.jpg) Britannica Quiz Quick Quiz: Women In The Voting Booth](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/quick-quiz-women-in-the-voting-booth) ## [Great Britain](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom) [![Women's suffrage: England](https://cdn.britannica.com/38/19138-050-54F9A4F6/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg?w=300)1 of 3](https://cdn.britannica.com/38/19138-050-54F9A4F6/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg) [Women's suffrage: England](https://cdn.britannica.com/38/19138-050-54F9A4F6/suffragists-British-London-Houses-of-Parliament-spectators-1910.jpg)British suffragists marching on the Houses of Parliament, London, followed by jeering spectators, c. 1910. (more) [![Hear about the journey of women's suffrage in Britain from the first mass-suffrage petition (1866) to the passage of the 1918 Representation of the People Act](https://cdn.britannica.com/23/193323-138-FE0A42E4/Britain-passage-petition-1918-Representation-of-the-1918.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)2 of 3](https://www.britannica.com/video/Britain-passage-petition-1918-Representation-of-the-1918/-219953) Hear about the journey of women's suffrage in Britain from the first mass-suffrage petition (1866) to the passage of the 1918 Representation of the People ActFrom Britain's first mass-suffrage petition (1866) to the passage of the 1918 Representation of the People Act. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/images-videos) [![Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects](https://cdn.britannica.com/93/84993-050-73B1AADC/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg?w=300)3 of 3](https://cdn.britannica.com/93/84993-050-73B1AADC/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg) [Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects](https://cdn.britannica.com/93/84993-050-73B1AADC/Title-page-American-edition-Mary-Wollstonecraft-A-1792.jpg)Title page of the 1792 American edition of Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects. The facing page contains an inscription by women's suffragist Susan B. Anthony. (more) In Great Britain woman suffrage was first advocated by [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Wollstonecraft) in her book [A Vindication of the Rights of Woman](https://www.britannica.com/topic/A-Vindication-of-the-Rights-of-Woman) (1792) and was demanded by the [Chartist movement](https://www.britannica.com/event/Chartism-British-history) of the 1840s. The demand for woman suffrage was increasingly taken up by prominent liberal [intellectuals](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intellectuals) in England from the 1850s on, notably by [John Stuart Mill](https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Stuart-Mill) and his wife, Harriet. The first woman suffrage committee was formed in Manchester in 1865, and in 1867 Mill presented to [Parliament](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parliament) this society’s [petition](https://www.britannica.com/topic/petition-law), which demanded the vote for women and contained about 1,550 signatures. The [Reform Bill](https://www.britannica.com/event/Reform-Bill) of 1867 contained no provision for woman suffrage, but meanwhile woman suffrage societies were forming in most of the major cities of Britain, and in the 1870s these organizations submitted to Parliament petitions demanding the franchise for women and containing a total of almost three million signatures. [![Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst and Emmeline Pankhurst](https://cdn.britannica.com/32/135832-050-218CC423/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg?w=300)1 of 4](https://cdn.britannica.com/32/135832-050-218CC423/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg) [Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst and Emmeline Pankhurst](https://cdn.britannica.com/32/135832-050-218CC423/Dame-Christabel-Harriette-Pankhurst-Emmeline.jpg)Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst (left) and her mother, Emmeline Pankhurst. (more) [![Women's suffrage: Buckingham Palace demonstration, 1914](https://cdn.britannica.com/09/5209-050-9EA052A7/suffragette-British-arrest-attack-Buckingham-Palace-London-1914.jpg?w=300)2 of 4](https://cdn.britannica.com/09/5209-050-9EA052A7/suffragette-British-arrest-attack-Buckingham-Palace-London-1914.jpg) [Women's suffrage: Buckingham Palace demonstration, 1914](https://cdn.britannica.com/09/5209-050-9EA052A7/suffragette-British-arrest-attack-Buckingham-Palace-London-1914.jpg)British suffragette under arrest after participating in an attack on Buckingham Palace, London, in 1914. (more) [![Learn how Constance Lytton campaigned for the women's right to vote despite being from a royal family](https://cdn.britannica.com/84/187584-138-A5279CBB/struggle-womens-right-part-British-elections.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)3 of 4](https://www.britannica.com/video/struggle-womens-right-part-British-elections/-219951) Learn how Constance Lytton campaigned for the women's right to vote despite being from a royal familyThe struggle for women's right to vote in British parliamentary elections, part 1. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/images-videos) [![Learn how Constance Lytton became Jane Wharton for her struggle for women's right to vote in Britain](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/187585-138-2E2316D8/struggle-womens-right-part-British-elections.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)4 of 4](https://www.britannica.com/video/struggle-womens-right-part-British-elections/-219952) Learn how Constance Lytton became Jane Wharton for her struggle for women's right to vote in BritainThe struggle for women's right to vote in British parliamentary elections, part 2. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage/images-videos) The succeeding years saw the defeat of every major suffrage bill brought before Parliament. This was chiefly because neither of the leading politicians of the day, [William Gladstone](https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Ewart-Gladstone) and [Benjamin Disraeli](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benjamin-Disraeli), cared to affront Queen [Victoria](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Victoria-queen-of-United-Kingdom)’s [implacable](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implacable) opposition to the women’s movement. In 1869, however, Parliament did grant women taxpayers the right to vote in municipal elections, and in the ensuing decades women became eligible to sit on county and city councils. The right to vote in parliamentary elections was still denied to women, however, despite the considerable support that existed in Parliament for legislation to that effect. In 1897 the various suffragist societies united into one [National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies](https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Union-of-Womens-Suffrage-Societies), thus bringing a greater [degree](https://www.britannica.com/topic/degree-education) of [coherence](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coherence) and organization to the movement. Out of frustration at the lack of governmental action, however, a segment of the woman suffrage movement became more militant under the leadership of [Emmeline Pankhurst](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emmeline-Pankhurst) and her daughter [Christabel](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christabel-Pankhurst). After the return to power of the [Liberal Party](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Liberal-Party-political-party-United-Kingdom) in 1906, the succeeding years saw the defeat of seven suffrage bills in Parliament. As a consequence, many suffragists became involved in increasingly violent actions as time went on. These women militants, or [suffragettes](https://www.britannica.com/topic/suffragette), as they were known, were sent to prison and continued their protests there by engaging in hunger strikes. Also called: woman suffrage (Show more) Key People: [Abby Hadassah Smith](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abby-Hadassah-Smith) [Emily Murphy](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emily-Murphy) [Julia Evelina Smith](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julia-Evelina-Smith) [Susan B. Anthony](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Susan-B-Anthony) [Catherine Helen Spence](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-Helen-Spence) (Show more) Related Topics: [feminism](https://www.britannica.com/topic/feminism) [suffrage](https://www.britannica.com/topic/suffrage) [Votes for Women](https://www.britannica.com/story/votes-for-women) [Celebrating Elizabeth Cady Stanton at 200](https://www.britannica.com/story/celebrating-elizabeth-cady-stanton-at-200) [women](https://www.britannica.com/topic/women) (Show more) On the Web: [HistoryNet - Women's Suffrage Movement Â— Facts and Information on Women's Rights](https://historynet.com/womens-suffrage-movement/) (Mar. 21, 2026) (Show more) [See all related content](https://www.britannica.com/facts/woman-suffrage) Explore Britannica Premium\! Go beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026) ![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-left.webp) ![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-right.webp) ![Mobile](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-mobile.webp?w=400) Meanwhile, public support of the woman [suffrage](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/suffrage) movement grew in volume, and public demonstrations, exhibitions, and processions were organized in support of women’s right to vote. When World War I began, the woman suffrage organizations shifted their energies to aiding the war effort, and their effectiveness did much to win the public wholeheartedly to the cause of woman suffrage. The need for the enfranchisement of women was finally recognized by most members of Parliament from all three major parties, and the resulting [Representation of the People Act](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Representation-of-the-People-Acts) was passed by the [House of Commons](https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Commons-British-government) in June 1917 and by the [House of Lords](https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Lords) in February 1918. Under this act, all women age 30 or over received the complete franchise. An act to enable women to sit in the House of Commons was [enacted](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/enacted) shortly afterward. In 1928 the voting age for women was lowered to 21 to place women voters on an equal footing with male voters. ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI chevron\_right Women’s suffrage close [AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. Load Next Page Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style Britannica Editors. "Coco Chanel". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Coco-Chanel. Accessed 12 April 2026. Copy Citation Share Share to social media [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/) [X](https://x.com/britannica) URL <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Coco-Chanel> External Websites - [Chanel - Gabrielle Chanel, the founder of CHANEL](https://www.chanel.com/gb/about-chanel/the-founder/) - [BBC - The truth about Coco Chanel and the Nazis](https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240220-the-truth-about-coco-chanel-and-the-nazis) - [The MY HERO Project - Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel](https://myhero.com/gabrielle-coco-chanel-2) - [Business of Fashion - Biography of Gabrielle ï¿½Cocoï¿½ Chanel](https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/gabrielle-coco-chanel-1883-1971/) - [National Public Radio - Coco Chanel: The Unlikely Fashion Icon](https://www.npr.org/2012/03/21/149057607/coco-chanel-the-unlikely-fashion-icon) - [PBS - ANTIQUES ROADSHOW - Coco Chanel: Fashion Designer, Nazi Informant](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/articles/coco-chanel-fashion-designer-nazi-informant/) - [CNN - How Coco Chanel changed the course of womenÂ’s fashion](https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/coco-chanel-fashion-50-years) - [The Met - Gabrielle Â“CocoÂ” Chanel (1883Â–1971) and the House of Chanel](https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/gabrielle-coco-chanel-1883-1971-and-the-house-of-chanel) - [ABC listen - Overnights - Coco Chanel: Doyenne of Fashion](https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/overnights/coco-chanel/11292434) Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. - [Coco Chanel - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Coco-Chanel/319252) Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style Britannica Editors. "women’s suffrage". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage. Accessed 12 April 2026. Copy Citation Share Share to social media [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/) [X](https://x.com/britannica) URL <https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage> External Websites - [Congressional Research Service - WomenÂ’s Suffrage: Fact Sheet](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45805) - [National Museum of Australia - Womenï¿½s suffrage](https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/womens-suffrage) - [American Bar Association - Women's Suffrage Timeline](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/programs/19th-amendment-centennial/toolkit/suffrage-timeline/) - [HistoryNet - Women's Suffrage Movement Â— Facts and Information on Women's Rights](https://historynet.com/womens-suffrage-movement/) - [ABC listen - RN Drive - Historyonics: Women's suffrage](https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-drive/historyonics3a-women27s-suffrage-rpl/4692292) - [National Geographic - Education - Woman Suffrage](https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/woman-suffrage/) - [University of North Dakota - School of Law - 100 Years of Women's Suffrage: Celebrating Pilgrims on the journey for Equality one-step at a time](https://law.und.edu/_files/docs/ndlr/pdf/issues/95/3/95ndlr475.pdf) - [Spartacus Educational - Women's Suffrage](https://spartacus-educational.com/USAsuffrage.htm) - [National Library of Australia - Women's suffrage](https://www.library.gov.au/learn/digital-classroom/feminism-australia/womens-suffrage) - [U-S-History.com - Woman Suffrage](https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1097.html) - [Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture - Woman Suffrage Movement](https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/woman-suffrage-movement/) - [National Park Service - Gateway Arch - Virginia Minor and Women's Right to Vote](https://www.nps.gov/jeff/learn/historyculture/the-virginia-minor-case.htm) - [64 Parishes - Woman Suffrage](https://64parishes.org/entry/woman-suffrage) - [The National WWI Museum and Memorial - Womenï¿½s Suffrage](https://www.theworldwar.org/learn/about-wwi/womens-suffrage) - [NCPedia - Women Suffrage](https://www.ncpedia.org/women-suffrage) - [The Canadian Encyclopedia - Women's Suffrage in Canada](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/suffrage) - [U.S. House of Representatives - Exhibitions & Publications - The Women's Rights Movement, 1848ï¿½1920](https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/WIC/Historical-Essays/No-Lady/Womens-Rights/) - [BBC - Bitesize - Why women won greater political equality by 1928](https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zx9887h/revision/1) - [CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture - Women's Suffrage Movement](https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/womens-suffrage-movement-4252/) Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. - [women’s suffrage - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/womens-suffrage/601308)
Readable Markdown	Top Questions ### Was Coco Chanel tied to the Nazi party? ### Who inherited the Chanel brand after Coco Chanel died? ### What is Coco Chanel known for? ### How did Coco Chanel become famous? ### Did Coco Chanel have any children? Coco Chanel (born August 19, 1883, [Saumur](https://www.britannica.com/place/Saumur), France—died January 10, 1971, Paris) was a French [fashion](https://www.britannica.com/topic/fashion-society) designer who ruled Parisian [haute couture](https://www.britannica.com/art/haute-couture) for almost six decades. Her elegantly casual designs inspired women to abandon the complicated, uncomfortable clothes that were prevalent in early 20th-century [dress](https://www.britannica.com/topic/dress-clothing), including [petticoats](https://www.britannica.com/topic/petticoat) and [corsets](https://www.britannica.com/topic/corset). Among her now-classic [innovations](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innovations) were the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, costume [jewelry](https://www.britannica.com/art/jewelry), and the “little black dress.” She was also known for the [iconic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconic) [perfume](https://www.britannica.com/art/perfume) Chanel No. 5. ## Early life Coco Chanel: From quiet luxury to Nazi affiliationThe woman who would eventually become a fashion icon learned to sew in an orphanage. [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Coco-Chanel/images-videos) Chanel was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, but her surname was misspelled as Chasnel on her birth certificate. Her parents were Eugénie Jeanne Devolle Chanel, a laundrywoman, and Albert Chanel, who worked as a street vendor. The family—which eventually included six children—lived in poverty while moving throughout the French countryside. After her mother died in 1895, 11-year-old Gabrielle Chanel was sent to a convent-run orphanage in Aubazine, in central [France](https://www.britannica.com/place/France). It was there that she learned to sew. At age 18 Chanel moved to [Moulins](https://www.britannica.com/place/Moulins), where she attended school while living in a convent. In 1902 she struck out on her own and became a seamstress. During this time Chanel also worked as a café singer. Although not a particularly gifted singer, she was a popular performer, known for her [charisma](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charisma). The origin of her nickname, “Coco,” is uncertain, but some believe it is a reference to several songs she performed: “Ko Ko Ri Ko” (“Cock-a-doodle-doo”) and “Qui qu’a vu Coco?” (“Has anyone seen Coco?”). ## Fashion empire “My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.” The café was frequented by military personnel, and one former army officer, Étienne Balsan, invited Chanel to live with him as his mistress. He helped her start a millinery business and introduced her to Arthur (“Boy”) Capel, with whom she had a [romantic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/romantic) relationship until his death in a car accident in 1919. With his financial assistance, she opened Chanel Modes, a tiny millinery shop at 21 rue Cambon, [Paris](https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris), in 1910. Two years later she established a boutique in [Deauville](https://www.britannica.com/place/Deauville), a resort town in the [Normandy](https://www.britannica.com/place/Normandy) region of France. There she began selling simple sportswear, which was growing in popularity among women. She transformed fluid jersey, an inexpensive fabric commonly used in men’s undergarments, into practical and elegant sweaters and jackets inspired by menswear. [Coco Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/254397-050-F6C32025/french-designer-coco-chanel-gabrielle-bonheur-chanel-1910.jpg)French designer Coco Chanel at the start of her design career, 1910. Within five years her novel use of jersey had attracted the attention of influential wealthy women seeking relief from the prevalent corseted styles. Faithful to her maxim that “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury,” Chanel’s designs stressed simplicity and ease, and they revolutionized the [fashion industry](https://www.britannica.com/art/fashion-industry). In 1926 Chanel continued to transform fashion by introducing the so-called “little black dress” (commonly called LBD). Chanel was not the first fashion designer to use black, but the color was commonly reserved for mourning attire or more formal wear. Chanel’s black dress, however, was incredibly versatile, easily transitioning from day to evening with the right accessories—such as the costume jewelry she often wore. The LBD was hailed for both its simplicity and mass appeal. [Alluding](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Alluding) to [Henry Ford](https://www.britannica.com/money/Henry-Ford)’s revolutionary [Model T](https://www.britannica.com/technology/Model-T) car, American [Vogue](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vogue-American-magazine) called the little black dress the “Ford of Fashion,” and it quickly became a fashion staple. ## Chanel No. 5 [Chanel No. 5](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/279974-050-F6257B5B/chanel-number-five-eau-de-parfum-perfume-bottle-coco-chanel.jpg)When Chanel No. 5 eau de parfum was introduced in 1921, the design of the bottle broke with the typically ornate perfume packaging and was instead simple and elegant. The bottle was reportedly inspired by an item owned by Chanel's late lover, Arthur (“Boy”) Capel. Although Chanel found immense success as a designer, the financial basis of her empire was Chanel No. 5. She developed the phenomenally successful perfume in 1921 with the help of Ernest Beaux, one of the most talented perfume creators in France. It has been said that the perfume got its name from the series of scents that Beaux created for Chanel to sample—she chose the fifth, a combination of [jasmine](https://www.britannica.com/plant/jasmine-plant) and several other floral scents that was more complex and mysterious than the single-scented perfumes then on the market. Others, however, have noted that Chanel was superstitious and considered five to be her lucky number. Chanel was the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume, and she replaced the typically ornate packaging with a simple and elegant bottle. The beveled rectangle was reportedly inspired by the late Capel’s whiskey decanter or similar possession. The bottle’s top featured interlocking Cs, which later became the Chanel brand’s insignia. Go beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026) ![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-left.webp) ![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-right.webp) ![Mobile](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-mobile.webp?w=400) [Coco Chanel](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/258185-050-10128FD6/Gabrielle-Coco-Chanel-in-suit-and-beret.jpg)When Coco Chanel introduced Chanel No. 5 in 1921, she became the first major fashion designer to introduce a perfume. Chanel then partnered with businessmen Théophile Bader of the Galeries Lafayette [department store](https://www.britannica.com/money/department-store) and the brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer of the Bourjois [cosmetics](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/cosmetics) company to distribute Chanel No. 5. The men agreed to help her produce more of her fragrance and to market it in exchange for a share of the profits. After signing a contract wherein she received only 10 percent of the royalties, Chanel filed a series of lawsuits in the ensuing decades to regain control of her signature fragrance. She was never able to renegotiate the terms to increase her royalties but nonetheless made a considerable profit from the perfume. ## World War II Chanel closed her couture house in 1939 with the outbreak of [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II). At the time she was residing nearby at the Ritz Hotel and continued to live there when it became [Nazi](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nazi-Party) headquarters after France fell to [Germany](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany) in 1940. During the occupation she began a romantic relationship with Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, a German diplomat and a spy with the Abwehr, the German [military’s intelligence](https://www.britannica.com/topic/military-intelligence-military-science) organization. Chanel’s decision to remain in the Ritz and her relationship with Dincklage placed her within the social circles of German authorities in occupied Paris, a position that has drawn [scrutiny](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/scrutiny) from historians examining the conduct of prominent cultural figures during the war. The full extent of Chanel’s wartime activities has only begun to emerge in recent decades, and biographers continue to debate the degree of her involvement with Nazi operations. She may have used her connections with German officials to secure the release of her nephew, André Palasse, who was a French soldier held in a German detention camp. He was freed in 1941, and about the same time Chanel allegedly traveled to Spain with German intelligence agents in an attempt to recruit spies. These episodes have led some researchers to suggest that Chanel cooperated with German intelligence, though the available evidence does not clearly establish whether her actions [constituted](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituted) deliberate espionage or opportunistic collaboration [facilitated](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitated) by personal relationships. From Couturier to Collaborator? The Nazis reportedly gave Chanel the codename “Westminster,” likely alluding to her earlier affair with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd duke of Westminster. More certain is Chanel’s trip to Madrid in 1943 with Dincklage and her friend Vera Bate Lombardi, an English aristocrat living in Italy. Called Operation Modellhut (“Model Hat”), the [initiative](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initiative) was organized by German intelligence in an attempt to use Chanel and Lombardi’s social connections to British Prime Minister [Winston Churchill](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Winston-Churchill) to open a back channel for possible peace negotiations between Nazi Germany and Britain. The effort collapsed when Lombardi alerted British authorities in Madrid to the plan. Historians often interpret the episode less as a conventional espionage mission than as an improvised diplomatic bid to explore informal avenues to negotiate as the war increasingly turned against the German regime. Soon after the Nazi occupation ended in 1944, Chanel was briefly arrested by French authorities during the postwar purge of collaborators. No charges were brought against her, however, and she was released after questioning. Chanel later claimed that Churchill, a longtime acquaintance, had interceded on her behalf, though the extent of any such intervention remains uncertain. There is also disagreement among scholars regarding Chanel’s ideological stance toward Nazism. During the war she attempted to use Nazi policies to wrest full control of Chanel No. 5 from her Jewish partners, the Wertheimers. She argued that under Aryanization laws, the Wertheimers were ineligible to own property. The effort ultimately failed because the Wertheimers had earlier transferred their ownership to a non-Jewish associate. For many historians, this affair illustrates Chanel’s willingness to exploit the legal and economic structures of the occupation for personal advantage, even if it does not necessarily demonstrate a broader political commitment to Nazi [ideology](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ideology). After the war, she moved to [Switzerland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Switzerland) where she remained for several years and continued her relationship with Dincklage. Who Owns Chanel? The Wertheimers acquired Chanel’s couture house for an undisclosed sum in 1954. The family remains the sole owners. ## Comeback In the early 1950s Chanel began to contemplate a return to fashion. At the time French fashion had undergone a seismic change led by [Christian Dior](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christian-Dior-French-designer). He had created the widely copied New Look, a style defined by ultrafeminine, elaborate, and highly sculptured clothing. Chanel, who favored simpler and more comfortable designs, was derisive of the look, and at one point she said, “Dior doesn’t dress women, he upholsters them.” [Chanel bag](https://cdn.britannica.com/75/279975-050-A57EB2EB/paris-france-chanel-quilted-purse.jpg)An individual carrying a Chanel purse, featuring quilted leather and a gold chain strap. After close to 10 years in what some would call exile, Chanel returned to Paris, and in 1954 she staged her first fashion show in about 15 years. Although the French press had negative reviews, the collection proved popular in the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States). That year Chanel also introduced her highly copied suit design: a collarless, braid-trimmed tweed jacket with a graceful skirt. By the end of the 1950s, she had also debuted several other iconic items, notably two-toned shoes and a quilted purse with gold chains. These creations helped Chanel reclaim her position as one of fashion’s most influential designers. Quick Facts Byname of: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel Died: January 10, 1971, [Paris](https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris) (aged 87) [![Chanel suit](https://cdn.britannica.com/20/252820-050-A20B251A/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg?w=1000)](https://cdn.britannica.com/20/252820-050-A20B251A/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg) [Chanel suit](https://cdn.britannica.com/20/252820-050-A20B251A/Women-model-suits-designed-by-Chanel-on-an-urban-street.jpg)Women modeling suits designed by Coco Chanel for her autumn/winter 1961–62 collection; photograph by Paul Schutzer for Life magazine. ## Legacy Since her death in 1971, Chanel’s couture house has been led by a series of designers, with [Karl Lagerfeld](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Karl-Lagerfeld)’s [tenure](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenure) (1983–2019) the longest and most influential. Under their direction the Chanel brand has remained one of the most influential and iconic. Coco Chanel’s shrewd understanding of women’s fashion needs, her enterprising ambition, and the romantic aspects of her life—her rise from rags to riches and her sensational love affairs—continue to inspire numerous biographical books, films, and plays. Notable examples include the 1969 Broadway musical Coco, which starred [Katharine Hepburn](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Katharine-Hepburn) as the legendary designer, and Coco avant Chanel (2009; Coco Before Chanel), a biopic with [Audrey Tautou](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Audrey-Tautou) in the title role.
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