Abandoned by her father when she was 11, the motherless child was raised in an orphanage. Here she learned to sew. She wanted to be a singer originally and began singing in cafes before audiences of soldiers.
Chanel’s First Boyfriend, Etienne Balsan
Balsan, a handsome and wealthy racehorse breeder, noticed the attractive teenager. She became his mistress and lived a grand life in his chateau. She changed her mind about becoming a singer after realising that she had little talent and decided to open a hat shop instead. Balsan helped Chanel establish her first hat shop.
Boy Capel
Chanel’s second boyfriend, a wealthy English man, helped her establish more shops. Chanel was very much in love with Boy Capel and wanted to marry him but he didn’t think that she was suitable. Boy died tragically in a car accident.
She admired his English clothes and began to use English influences in her designs, such as combining masculine blazers with classic women’s suits.
Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
The Russian Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich was one of the most interesting of Chanel’s lovers. He had helped to murder the evil Rasputin so the Tsar punished him by sending him into exile. Chanel met the great perfumer, Earnest Beaux, through him. Beaux created her famous Chanel No.5 fragrance which is still very highly regarded and popular.
Pavlovich introduced Chanel to Russian style and she began to include Byzantine influences such as traditional Russian blouses, sumptuous fabrics and fur-lined coats into her designs.
Pierre Reverdy
Pierre Reverdy was an anguished French poet who was fascinated by the great designer. Unfortunately he was married and he didn’t want a divorce. Reverdy was very religious and eventually lived in a monastery, although he still wrote his much-admired poetry.
Igor Stravinsky
A new film, Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky, is about an affair between the great designer and the Russian composer. Chanel invited Stravinsky, his consumptive wife and their four children to stay at her house but there is not much evidence that they had an affair.
Hugh Grosvenor, the 2nd Duke of Westminster
Chanel had a long affair with Hugh Grosvenor after meeting him at a party in Monte Carlo. They enjoyed a life of luxury. He took her on many cruises and on expeditions to Scotland. According to legend, he once left her an uncut emerald at the bottom of a crate of vegetables!
His influence caused her to introduce many more English influences into her designs, such as gold buttons, white cuffs, and tweed suits.
Chanel said that he asked her to marry him but she replied that, “There are many Duchesses of Westminster, but there is only one Chanel.”
The German General and Chanel
A German general, who was thirteen years younger, had an affair with Chanel during the Second World War and allowed her to live at the Ritz during the occupation. Chanel’s reputation suffered greatly because of accusations that she was a traitor and she went into exile in Switzerland after the war.
Chanel briefly returned to her career in France but found it difficult to compete with the new designers. She died in 1971.
Source:
Mackrell, Alice, Chanel, Holmes & Meier, London, 2003.
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