Dinner with Coco Chanel by Jai

Dinner with Coco Chanel by Jai - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

The historical figure that I would choose to have dinner with would be the fashion designer icon Coco Chanel. Her designs created in the 1920’s are still popular today. The business that she created, Chanel now spans the entire world and has become the most prosperous clothing business of all time. As a passionate fashion designer Coco Chanel is my role model. Receiving insight from Coco Chanel herself would give me all the knowledge I need to pursue my dream to become a thriving fashion designer.

Born on August 19th, 1883 in Saumur France, Gabrielle Chanel was placed in an orphanage after her mother’s death by her peddler father. In the orphanage, Chanel was raised and taught to sew by two nuns. She had a brief career as a singer where she earned the name “Coco” before opening her first clothing store on Paris’s Rue Cambon in 1910. She was able to open her first clothing store by being intimately involved with the wealthy Etienne Balsan who supported her financially.

Throughout out Chanel’s fashion design career, her focus was to make clothes more comfortable for women. Her simple yet sophisticated outfits were paired with great accessories, usually a giant string of pearls. As Coco always said “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury ” (Coco Chanel Biography). Her timeless signature items still popular today are the little black dress, Chanel suit with the collarless jacket and well-fitted skirt, and Chanel No. 5 perfume.

The Depression of the 1930’s caused a negative impact but it wasn’t until the outbreak of World War II which led Chanel to close her business’ doors. After World War II was over Coco Chanel began rebuilding her business. By the age of 70, Chanel had made a triumphant return into the world of fashion and expanded her business to New York City. She died at the age of 80 on January 10th, 1971 in Paris France.

As a passionate young fashion designer, Chanel’s timeless designs and successful business is what makes her my idol. My love for fashion design started in middle school which is why I chose to design my own clothing line for my 8th grade project. Throughout the year, my mentor and I went through the different processes of creating a clothing line starting with sketching many different pieces to producing the finished product. I fell in love with sketching, picking out fabric and executing my designs. At the end of the school year, my own clothing line Just Jai I created made up of 10 to 12 pieces offered in their own fabrics.

Working as a fashion designer for my own business or someone else's business requires a lot more experience and knowledge than what I experienced and know. I believe Chanel is the perfect person to receive advice from due to the fact that she created the Chanel legacy. She has worked her way to the top of fashion twice over with a style emphasized on comfort, simplicity and sophistication. Her signature pieces are now are part of every woman’s closet. Chanel’s advice and knowledge would be beneficial and will positively impact my fashion design career.

I am a passionate, unexperienced fashion designer whose dream is to thrive in the fashion world. Chanel created timeless designs that have changed women’s fashion and also started the legendary fashion house, Chanel. Having dinner with Coco Chanel would allow me to gain advice and knowledge on fashion design which would highly benefit me as I start out as a fashion designer.