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72 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com to " keep" Chanel, she and her lovers came to an agreement: Balsan and Capel agreed to divide the costs of helping Chanel set up her hat business. roughout his life, Balsan remained unmarried in a display of lifelong loyalty to Chanel, while Capel remained her fashion muse until his tragic death in 1919. roughout her life, Chanel had a myriad of notable lovers and close-k nit friends. e Grand Duke Demitri Pavlovitch was another fashion muse and lover in her life. e Duke of Westminster, k nown as Bend 'Or, taught her to become a sk illed salmon fisher woman. eir torrid seven-year relationship ended when he le to wed a younger woman and the new relationship brought suspicion to Chanel as a target for Nazi involvement during World War II. Other lifelong friendships included Winston Churchill, Salvador Dali, and fellow fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. In 1913, the Chanel brand began to truly blossom. With continued financial assistance from Balsan and Capel, Chanel was able to open her first boutique for women's wear in 1915. e boutique's success allowed Chanel to open a second boutique, which succeeded tremendously in spite of the bleak economic climate caused by World War I by catering to the rich tourists and citizens living in ex ile. A er the war ended, Chanel registered as a couturiere, a designer and provider of custom-made garments for private clients. In 1921, she opened a shop in the heart of Paris' fashion district, which sold ever y thing from clothing to jewelr y and fragrances, including her iconic Chanel No. 5 (the number was chosen because her was told by a fortune teller that "5" was her lucky number). By 1927, five of her boutiques occupied a single street in the city. During this time of booming success in her career, Chanel developed a reputation for sophisticated and understated elegance for the aff ulent, but also as a champion of style for all women. In 1931, a Holly wood producer asked Chanel to design costumes for the studio in exchange for what would be about $75 million (in today's market value). Such incredible promotion of Chanel and her work led to a sudden explosion of high- profile clients, including several movie stars. By 1935, the Chanel company employed over 4,000 people. However, World War II proved a formidable threat to all that Chanel and her fashion brand had achieved in a short time, and with the war spreading throughout Europe, she was forced to close shops and lay off thousands of employees. Personal difficulties became too much and she fled Paris for Switzerland, returning several years later when several male fashion designers emerged on the Paris fashion scene. Chanel returned to the city to steal back the spotlight, and she successfully led the brand through '60s and '70s, until her death on Januar y 9, 1971 at the age of 87. Even on the day before she died, Chanel, true to fastidious detail to business, was racing against the clock to finish her latest (and last) couture collection. Her funeral ser vice took place at a church near Rue Cambon, the most fashionable street in Paris. A mong those who came to pay their respects were Saint Laurent, Balmain, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Salvador Dali, as well as her many of her runway models. In the ultimate show of respect, all of the aendees dressed in their best couture. A few weeks later, Chanel was remembered during her last couture show with models sporting ivor y tweed suits and white evening dresses. Coco Chanel remains as one of the most influential fashion designers and female icons of all time, and today her empire brand still resonates with consumers, generating sales of $4.7 billion in 2014.. Time magazine named her as one of their 100 most influential people of the the 20th centur y, along with Winston Churchill, A lbert Einstein, and the Beatles. Her legacy lives on in the form of a multi- billion-dollar fashion enterprise, her perfumes are among the most popular in the world, and the lile black dress that she made famous is considered a necessity in ever y woman's wardrobe. While her most important achievement was the impact she made as a phenomenally successful female entrepreneur, Chanel also proved that women are not only capable of leading businesses, but competing with the most successful businessmen. Countless female politicians, entrepreneurs, and executives credit Coco Chanel as a source of inspiration for them and all that they have accomplished. Nella is a published eelance writer and marketer and resides in Southwest Florida NellaDeCesare.com. LEFT: Chanel in her Paris apartment during a fitting. BELOW: Coco with Captain Capel. "In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different." Coco Chanel

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