Coco Chanel: the queen of haute couture.

Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the life and career of Coco Chanel in next to no time with this concise guide.

Coco Chanel entered the fashion world at a time when most designers were men and womenswear was impractical and restrictive, but before long women across France were clamouring to get their hands on her comfortable yet elegant designs, which made use of looser cuts, removing the need for corsets, and new fabrics such as jersey.

She also branched out into jewellery design, cosmetics and perfume, allowing her to fund her haute couture collections and paving the way for the business model of modern fashion brands.

As an independent woman, innovative designer and brilliant entrepreneur, Coco Chanel changed the world of fashion forever.