House of Chanel and in 1983 he became

The Chanel brand is known because of Lagerfeld and black purses. But Chanel has an interesting history and it started with a single ladies vision.

Many fashion lovers associate Chanel with Karl Lagerfeld, the owning white Cs on black leather purses, vintage suits for girls and frothy white pearls. But Chanel has a rich history that starts with a single ladies vision for couture clothing that went well beyond the clothing women used in the early 1900s. Her name became famous because of her daring and inciteful fashions – her name is Coco Chanel.

Early Chanel in 1900s
Coco Chanel, also known as Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel started putting her designing ideas in writing years before she opened her first store in 1909 in Paris, france, England. The store was on the floor floor of a pal’s apartment complex, who often managed gatherings for France's elite and males with their fashion-curious mistresses.

Her business grew during the First World War, because of her view that ladies should not forget about fashion during the tough years of manufacturing plant work and supporting members of the military at war. She was adamant that ladies should carry themselves well and look good for their husbands. Her designs, inspired by menswear, started owning the customer's market and soon, her designs were known around England. It was also of these successful years that she launched her famous "Number 5" perfume.

The house of Chanel and the Second World War
Coco continued to expand her couture empire throughout the 1930s by adding more descriptive dresses and suits to her existing clothing line. She started adding rhinestones and gems to her dresses, providing them with a more womanly feel compared to her sexy suits from the 1920s. She formally retired when the beginning of the second World War was announced to the world. Coco continued to earn revenue from her scents and accessories.

During the 1940s, Coco decided to launch her own brand of smells, which created legal troubles with her perfume partner from the 1930s, Wertheimer. He felt infringed and wound up paying her to stop designing scents. She agreed.

Post-War Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld
Although Chanel retired during the Second World War, she had a desire to continue working as many competitors started making a statement on the French fashion market. She started doing more designing in jewelry, purses and smells. She continued to work until her death in 1971 at the age of 87. Her Chanel brand was continued by Jacque, Wertheimer's son. He hired Karl Lagerfeld with hopes of bringing the brand to a new level. At the time, Lagerfeld was earning a living for Chloe.

Lagerfeld quickly took over the House of Chanel and in 1983 he became the principle designer of the couture brand. He was primarily responsible for opening an additional 40 Chanel designer stores around the world. Despite the expansion, Lagerfeld was determined to keep the brand classic and high quality.

The house of Chanel Today
The model of Chanel continues to grow in the 21st century by launching a unisex line in the year 2000. The house continues to develop smells and has become known for its black leather purses, well-stitched suits and the personality of Karl Lagerfeld.

As of 2011, Chanel is known all over the world for high fashion, clean lines, high quality leather purses and vintage clothing. Chanel is found in The us, the united states and various countries in Europe, including Croatia, The country, Denmark and Germany.