Lesson #1: Be One Of A Kind

Article Overview: “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different,” said Chanel. “People laughed at the way I dressed, but that was the secret of my success: I didn’t look like anyone.”

Lesson #1: Be One Of A Kind

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different,” said Chanel. “People laughed at the way I dressed, but that was the secret of my success: I didn’t look like anyone.”

Having grown up in an orphanage and being surrounded by the simple black outfits of the nuns that looked after her, Chanel emerged into adulthood with a different view of fashion. She disliked the look of corsets and felt that women were taking on too much discomfort in the name of fashion. “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not a luxury,” she said.

With that opinion, Chanel set out to bring her unique vision to the fashion industry. She was a resourceful woman who tried to bring her creativity to her products in a distinctive way. For instance, Chanel grew tired of holding her purse and became the first designer to ever attach a chain to a purse. A fashion faux pas at the time, it was only a matter of time before Chanel’s invention had become the latest fashion trend. Soon, more purses than not would have chains and straps attached thanks to Chanel’s unique vision.

It was Chanel who introduced the world to numerous fashion trends that were unheard of at the time, but which soon became the industry standard. When she wanted a shoe that would flatter her foot and give the appearance of a longer leg, Chanel created her famous two-tone sling-back, a shoe that was tan at the foot but black at the toe. This had never been done before and it took a visionary like Chanel to see that it was possible.

It was this kind of problem-solving that Chanel brought to all of her product lines that allowed her to be so successful. Her designs weren’t like all the others; they were unique, they were simple, and they were practical. Chanel introduced the women of the world to the sailor blouse, stretch jerseys, costume jewelry, cashmere cardigans, chic waterproof raincoats, and most famously, the ‘little black dress’, which even today remains a basic necessity in almost every woman’s wardrobe.

Chanel was an innovative force in the fashion industry despite the fact that she felt the constantly changing nature of fashion trends was a little on the ridiculous side. “Innovation! One cannot be forever innovating,” she exclaimed. “I want to create classics.” When Chanel No.5 was released, it was not only the first perfume to bear a designer’s name, but it also had a distinctly masculine scent and bottle that set it apart from its competitors. Yet again, Chanel had created something unique that would prove able to stand the test of time; throughout the 1990s, the company claims to have been selling one bottle of Chanel No.5 somewhere in the world every thirty seconds.

By creating classic pieces that were nonetheless unique, Chanel was able to become not only a mainstay in the fashion industry but also one of the most powerful guiding forces behind the latest fashion trends.

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Article Tags: adulthood, blouse, cashmere cardigans, chanel, corsets, costume jewelry, fashion industry, fashion trends, latest fashion trend, lesson 1, little black dress, matter of time, nuns, orphanage, raincoats, resourceful woman, secret of my success, sling, unique vision, women of the world



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