Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel changed the way that women dress by challenging fashion conventions in the early 20th century. Her desire for womenswear to be comfortable rather than restrictive was considered truly radical at the time. “The hardest thing about my work is enabling women to move with ease, to move like they’re not in costume,” she said in a film released by the house in 2013. “Not changing attitude, or manner, depending on their dress – it’s very difficult. And the human body is always moving.”
The profound impact Chanel personally had on fashion will be documented in a forthcoming exhibition at the V&A, Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto. The showcase will explore how her design signatures were first developed, and revisit how she founded the house of Chanel. It only opens on 16 September, but you can already reserve your tickets on the museum’s website. While we wait for our chance to enter into Coco’s world, revisit her most iconic creations, below.
Read MoreWhat To Expect From The V&A’s Blockbuster Chanel ExhibitionBy Alice NewboldLittle black dresses
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in a black dress in 1935.
Shutterstock
Vogue introduced the world to the Chanel LBD in its October 1926 issue with an illustration of a woman wearing a long-sleeved black dress that fell just below the knee. This new style of dress was likened to the revolutionary Model T car, which was invented by Henry Ford in the ’20s.
Skirt suits
Modelling one of Chanel’s early tweed suits.
William Klein