″Coco,″ as she had come to be called, opens a hat boutique at 21 rue Cambon under the name Chanel Modes. Her hats were worn by well-known French actresses of the era, and helped build her reputation.
Portrait of Gabrielle Chanel wearing one of her hats, published in the magazine ″Comœdia Illustré,″ October 1st 1910
Comœdia Illustré. October 1st 1910 Photo: Félix
Gabrielle Chanel opens her first boutique in Deauville. From 1913, she begins to sell a line of sportswear made of jersey, a material that was previously used to make men’s underwear. This approach revolutionized fashion and women's relationships with their bodies. It was an instant success.
Gabrielle Chanel in front of her boutique in Deauville, 1913
© Collection Deauvilloise, Deauville (France)
Encouraged by her success, Mademoiselle Chanel opens her first Couture House in Biarritz, France. She employs 300 workers there and designs her first Haute Couture collection.
The Couture House in Biarritz, 1931
© National Library of France / Frères Séeberger
Gabrielle Chanel purchases the building at 31 rue Cambon and sets up her Couture House there. The ″31″ building housed a boutique, salons and workshops; a layout that remains the same today.
The CHANEL boutique, 31 rue Cambon by Thérèse Bonney, 1929
© The Regents of the University of California / City of Paris / Bibliotheca historica
