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Coco Chanel, 1920 Born：Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel 19 August 1883 Saumur, France Died：10 January 1971 Paris, France Nationality：French Education：Catholic Monastery in Aubazine Occupation：Fashion designer Awards：Neiman Marcus Fashion Award, 1957 Gabrielle Coco Bonheur Chanel was an influential French fashion designer, founder of the famous brand Chanel, whose modernist thought, practical design, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important and influential figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the only fashion designer to be named on Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century. Early life Chanel was born to an unwed mother, Jeanne Devolle, a laundrywoman, in a facility for the indigent in Saumur, France. This was Devolles second daughter. The father, Albert Chanel was an itinerant street peddler who with horse and cart lived a nomadic life, traveling to and from market towns, the family residing in rundown lodgings. He married Jeanne Devolle several years after Chanel was born. At birth Chanels name was entered into the official registry as Chasnel. It is speculated that this spelling was a clerical error or an ancient spelling of the family name. The couple eventually had five other children: Julia-Berthe, , Antoinette and three brothers, Alphonse , Lucien and Augustin . | 
