Inside the sold-out museum show on the life and times of Coco Chanel

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel is best known for her fashion house. After opening her first shop in 1910, Chanel would own one of the biggest fashion brands in the world and be credited for changing the way women shopped. Her personal life was one of massive contradictions, though, and now each detail of her journey is on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Holly Williams takes us inside the sold-out retrospective.
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[@missprice7215]

I went to this exhibition and it was sensational Hardly anything had dated. Unbelievable. No two items were the same and all were flattering. It wasn't just the style and cut but the fabrics were to die for. Yes I would wear Chanel and hand it down as an heirloom. The V&A museum has a brilliant reputation for exhibitions of the finest designers in the world and a fab collection of costumes and jewelry. Great shop as well. Go visit!

[@Invisableme39]

I am surprised people excuse her Natzi involvement.

[@jonnyfendi2003]

You hear what they chant in the streets these days against Jewish???

[@JT-rx1eo]

I'm more surprised people judge it and her simplistically and to some degree unfairly. Then again, in today's woke cancel culture, maybe I shouldn't be.

[@robertafierro5592]

The little Chanel suit! Any woman looks great in one.

[@jeanetteschock4744]

They forgot the best Simpsons episode with Marge re-doing a chanel suit

[@user-kv2tj4du8p]

one of my favorite episodes!

[@nativetexan6628]

I am 70 years old, and i have worn Channel Number 5 since i was it Junior High. I have worn others, but i have never stopped wearing Chanel. I have always loved the clothes she designed. My mother wore her style, as did I. Two complex women having Coco Chanel in common.

[@davidcattin7006]

Not sure why, after enthusiastically saying she would wear any of the dresses, they both stressed so strongly that they don't own anything Chanel even the perfume. Was it because of some of her questionable activities or something else? Seemed contradictory after they said the person is clearly separate from the product.

[@nancyrobertson8661]

The price. The clothes and handbags now cost a fortune. And the quality of the $10,000 quilted handbags has gone way down during the past few years. Inferior leather sloppy stitching.

[@NydiaLC]

The comments they made, made me feel like they thought they were addressing idiots.

[@kevinhanson6106]

In this politically charged world we live in - I believe they were simply trying to keep their jobs and be politically correct at the same time.

[@samanthanickson6478]

i think it just comes down to practicality and $. i would wear chanel in a snap, however, do not have chanel bucks.

[@Littlebirdinatree]

Thought the same thing. Cancel culture has everyone second guessing themselves lol

[@doedelbroesel3239]

It is a bit simply explained. Chanel did push trousers for women, did not invented them. Her entrepreneurism depended on a rich lover, boy capel and the CC logo was an invention of Karl Lagerfeld in the 80’s. He turned a 180 if it comes to branding a house like Chanel. In her late days she was also very misogynistic, which is sad, if we acknowledge what she did to empower women in the first place. But i guess Chanel is like a Thatcher, not an active or self acclaimed feminist, but she was a feminist in her own league

[@samanthab1923]

I have a quilted bag. It was a graduation gift. When I got married & priced wedding gowns that I would wear only once it did cross my mind to buy a white Channel suit. 💍

[@lisanadile4688]

The idea that Chanel made it possible for women to wear pants is ridiculous. You’ve got photos of women on farms etc wearing pants in rural areas. That trend gravitated to the cities.

[@TIZNYC]

No.

[@LindaJones-gq6bb]

She brought them from the farm to the masses, making them fashionable and acceptable. That's what they mean. She didn't create them. In the 80's a family friend was 87 and wear pants for the first time. Southern Baptist upbringing.

[@robertgraupera6302]

​

[@lisanadile4688]

@@LindaJones-gq6bb Maybe in France she did. But I question her impact on the everyday person of other countries. During New England winters women quickly adopted thick fleece stockings and then more pants under their skirts in the 1700s, pants independently within the home in the 1800s and so on. When it’s -10 below fashion doesn’t matter.

[@Gee-xb7rt]

I think it depends a lot on time and place, in the mid 50s my mom from Boston to central Florida where her pants were quite a scandal.

[@C_M_R]

(5:18) "...before the word brand existed." This is a stupid take because obviously the word existed prior to Coco Chanel. Livestock were branded with a person's logo to prove ownership back in BCE era -- hence, the interlocking Cs could be used for literally branding of Chanel's products. Also, Louis Vuitton's interlocking L and V logo was established before Chanel ... so she wasn't the first.

[@kevinhanson6106]

You need to do more research and educate yourself on the history of fashion; so you don't make yourself sound ridiculous before trashing someone else.

[@andreathompson-bg4hl]

I worked at a thrift shop and we had a cc that i put up on a mannequin. The attention to detail in the garment was exquisite.

[@robertafierro5592]

I would have loved to see more of the Suits that are on display..

[@blacklavoux]

The design is minimal and proper. This is what chanel is supposed to be. Street style is not for every brand.

[@kittykatz4001]

I wonder if this is traveling exhibition that might come to the 🇺🇸? If this were not sold out, I would travel 🧳 to see this exhibition.

[@bellepierre24]

Interestingly, the company is now owed by the descendants of the Jewish partner she tried to stiff. For all the people who claim that they won't buy Chanel because of her personal flaws, which were many, she died in 1971 & no one in her family has been part of the company since. The Wertheimer family (Jewish) own the Brand.

[@DM-lc2cf]

that's a positive.

[@PtolemyXVII]

The Wertheimer brothers tricked and stole the majority of her assets from her, leaving her with little whilst they took the brunt of the profit. Hitler had promised he would return her company back to her, that is why she sided with the Nazis. The Wertheimer brothers stiffed her, not the other way around. However, during WW2, the Wertheimer brothers handed over their company to a Christian friend, so that they would not lose control of the company and after the war, the Christian friend returned control back to the Wertheimer brothers.

[@miriamhavard7621]

Yep.

[@mepulley7913]

It's not muddied. One of the many reason's Chanel hand bags are so expensive has NOTHING to do with quality and purity. This fashion house like several others have been caught BURNING (read that again), Burning their inventory in order to keep prices rising, and create a "collectors" market. I remember reading a bio books on this woman for a report in school. She was a rich snob who forgot her humanity and humility.

[@joshuacampbell7710]

Utter nonsense. There are scores of people that make these clothes. Chanel, for a long time, has kept niche fashion suppliers viable (silk flowers, tweed, etc etc). Without Chanel - artisan jobs and the arts they practice would be lost for all time; killed by a smug person in a printed novelty t-shirt.

[@mepulley7913]

@@joshuacampbell7710 - Only partly true. What you're speaking about above is basically Haute Couture. Getting an invitation to a show is limited to the few who have extremely deep pockets and social connections. Chanel is not the only designer who employees tailors/designers with this niche, its just reserved for their wealthy clients. Oscar De La Renta also practices the same. Most of the workers are specifically Chinese garment workers who fly in for seasonal work. There was a great documentary that featured the house getting ready for a collection's presentation. You may see a piece in a magazine or show with those details, but try walking into a store and purchasing those items. Oh and those "Smug" people are what has allowed these houses to survive. They have never turned down the free advertisement from main stream pop culture wearing their brand. Louis Vuitton works with a strict business model and any unsold products are burned to pieces every year. This is a practice that many luxury brands have adopted as it ensures exclusiveness. The main reason Louis Vuitton destroys unsold merchandise every year is to prevent price reductions and theft. Do some research. Perhaps you'll discover your "utter nonsense" is not so.

[@JT-rx1eo]

They are all rich snobs.

[@user-nk5pv5np3v]

Yes. Many fashions houses discard inventory.

[@kevinhanson6106]

​@@joshuacampbell7710Touche! 😁

[@chicagosusieq8548]

She lived through some perilous times. Maybe she did or said whatever she felt she needed to in order to survive. Not an excuse, just a thought.🤷‍♀️

[@user-nk5pv5np3v]

Also to simplify a persons character through life seems pretty impossible to do so in a 5 min clip.

[@Diyprincesss]

She did not need to try and ruin the person who helped her finance her business or try to have them put away. She was a greedy, nasty woman!

[@mai1316]

⁠@@Diyprincesss Those men who helped Chanel create the perfume took 70% from the sales of the product and Chanel only got 10%.

[@peteradaniel]

Just because something’s expensive doesn’t mean it’s art.

[@JT-rx1eo]

Yes, but it doesn't mean it's not art either.

[@iamtheeduchess]

I feel the same about the Birkin bag. Overpriced and underwhelming.

[@jakelaurent6]

Clothes like this is wearable art.

[@alexvargas9575]

It's not because is expensive. Fashion falls under the category of arts. Designing is art. The only difference is that you bring that design to life.

[@stephanied1028]

She doesn’t seem like a good person. She seemed to use what had to get the things she wanted.

[@Maymaymayok]

Wake up!! That is the way the world functions!!

[@stephanied1028]

@@Maymaymayok wake up? I’m woke trick. Just cause the world functions that way doesn’t mean you have to. That’s the problem with the world today. Good day!

[@brooklyn3299]

@@stephanied1028Seek help.

[@LostMySauce]

@@Maymaymayokboomer energy here

[@miltoncat]

Well yeah. She was raised in an orphanage. Had no one to help her. Women weren’t going to survive without a husband, but a husband meant a woman would be popping out baby after baby. That just continued the cycle of poverty. If she didn’t do something to get ahead, she wasn’t going to make a decent living. And back then the only way to do that was to get with rich men, until you had enough money to be on your own. Doesn’t make it right or okay, but consider she did what she felt she had to do to survive.

[@jolenecaruso8948]

Love this

[@colleensmith6946]

There’s many famous men with complicated histories, why should women of the past be any different? Hopefully, now that we know what makes a better person, today’s geniuses are more accepting of all kinds of persons.

[@samanthab1923]

Right? Hugo Boss made uniforms for the Nazis & Adidias made their Jack boots.

[@user-kv2tj4du8p]

agreed. Henry Ford of Ford Motors was a major anti-semite, actively campaigning against jews in a loud and terrible way, and you don't see this mentioned about him ever when ford motors is discussed. yes. sexism is very much a part of all this mess. thanks for posting.

[@itsmeycb]

Love this piece. Coco was complicated, as was Mr. Lagerfeld, however, the brand is sensational.

[@mepulley7913]

Karl Lagerfeld was a wanna be Yves Saint Laurent Without real talent.

[@fishercourt]

@@mepulley7913Are you a troll or a bot?

[@MildredWilliams-kw5rg23]

​@@mepulley7913Mr Lagerfeld is very loved and respected in the fashion industry and beyond.

[@mepulley7913]

@@MildredWilliams-kw5rg23 - I won't tell you he didn't have his fans. However, few have had the honor as Lagerfeld did of having one's demise quoted as a "good riddance".

[@gameoftomes14]

@@MildredWilliams-kw5rg23Mr. Lagerfeld is also abrasive and prejudiced.

[@jordanmartinez4331]

I’ll never understand how this world grows to not tolerate old concepts and ideas just because of their history. It’s history! If we were judge and cancel the most beautiful things on this planet, we’d be stuck in dull and miserable times. The language you speak, has history, every beautiful country is born out of bloody wars history. Music and art come from happy and sometimes the darkest times in human history. So when you want to cancel something simply cause you don’t agree with it or like it, think to yourself, “Am I a world class hypocrite?”

[@joshuacampbell7710]

Wise words!

[@beyourself2444]

No, you are free to have your beliefs and others are free to believe otherwise. I know that nobody can force me to cancel anyone esp. if the truth is relative, if it is fact and known then I make my decision about someone on my own not because anyone makes me think I should. I will dislike and love who and what I want to...

[@joshuacampbell7710]

@@beyourself2444 words of a simple fool. Don’t be disheartened, nuance eluded you.

[@doedelbroesel3239]

How can a museum be “sold out”?

[@user-kv2tj4du8p]

the rooms where this show is displayed can only hold so many people at a time due to fire codes, safety issues around mobility etc. so only a certain amount of people can be in those rooms at a time. they sell as many tickets to the show based on the number of people allowed in that particular room at that time. so that is how they can sell out. shows at the metropolitan museum in nyc, and at the moma often sell out if they are very popular. Chanel is such an iconic brand and name, and it has been for over a hundred years now. so a lot of people want to see such a show.

[@micheleshortley8167]

Mike, what an amazing ship! This video is the BEST one, by far! Thank you, thank you, my boat friend. Happy New Year, Mike 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@nikkijoseph3614]

how did i not know about this earlier

[@friedasorber1653]

Female entrepreneurs and fashion magazine editors were plentiful in 19th cent France and elsewhere. Chanel's business was nothing new. I wish so called fashion historians would look at a wider picture instead of idolizing big names.

[@kevinhanson6106]

I believe fashion historians do talk and write about smaller less known designer's. Yet it is hard to deny the big names of fashion are the life blood industry.

[@periscope7731]

So true. Clare Potter is an example of a lesser known industry talent. In the 1930s she was one of the first American fashion designers to be promoted as an individual design talent. She has been credited as one of the inventors of American sportswear.

[@miriamhavard7621]

I'd love to know more about them

[@friedasorber1653]

Read any 19th cent fashion magazine and you will find lots of names of female businesses.

[@Bunbur]

Isn't this in Paris?

[@SAINTOBVIOUS]

what a fabulous installation at the V&A! I would love to attend that exhibit. Was any one else distracted by the blonde interviewer and her wrong shade under eye concealer?

[@periscope7731]

You must be a makeup artist. There is talk of Virginie Viard being replaced by a new Creative Director at Chanel. Why would they want to do that if her collections are selling so well and continue to resonate with the House clients?

[@miriamhavard7621]

No .........

[@SAINTOBVIOUS]

@@periscope7731 she might not wow the fashion experts but she certainly wow's the annual profits

[@nicholastaiariol2631]

Aren’t billionaires supposed to be evil or something

[@kpepperl319]

They all possess a narcissistic personality that they are better than anyone else and therefore, can do anything to achieve their goals... Even at the expense of others.

[@Buttercup697]

Most are. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@kyleanuar9090]

I just don't get their choice of lighting, everything looks dull with that fluorescent like lighting.

[@joanna5177]

Not in reality. I've been and the lighting is fantastic. It just doesn't come across well in the CBS report

[@mgyrn]

We can’t wear that. It really depends who wear it and afford it ❤😊😅

[@JosieStev]

My mom got married in a Chanel type suit. She may have made it herself and the little hat. It is a light grey-ish blue tweed

[@andyroo9381]

Coco Chanel remains.

[@L.Spencer]

The clothes are beautiful, but I don't care for brand logos on clothes. Seems tacky to me. The one exception is the little penguin on polo shirts. They were so cute! Oh, and the Guess logo on women's pants in the 80's. Not on the men's pants, though.

[@grettalemabouchou6779]

LBD❤

[@ark194]

She is a badass

[@janesalisbury3686]

Those beautiful clothes would never go round your thighs girls, Coco designed for the slender (European) figure.

[@samanthab1923]

I was thinking the same thing when the girl mentioned all the vintage Channel shops in Japan. Made for tiny women

[@jameshepburn4631]

Chanel was a prominent collaborator with the Nazis during the 1940-1944 occupation of France by Hitler’s Germany. Although, during the occupation, collaboration was more popular than air conditioning in Las Vegas, after liberation you couldn’t find anybody who wasn’t in Le Resistance. Chameleon emulating Chanel was again prominent, this time among those who reinvented themselves and urged let bygones be bygones. Easy for her to say, she wasn’t rounded up, her home, business, and all other property confiscated, and herself & family sent to extermination camps. There’s other companies to buy from.

[@svalerie99]

Exactly. Well said.

[@JT-rx1eo]

It's called survival. And "collaborating" is an abused word.

[@jameshepburn4631]

@@JT-rx1eo It’s only abused, especially in Chanel’s case, in how often it’s substituted for the proper term, which is a quisling. Neither the quislings nor the so called survivors liberated the country. If left to them, France would be speaking German and have some creepy lampshades. Allied soldiers and resistance fighters freed France at tremendous cost. More than 75 years after the Nuremberg trials there’s nothing more contemptible than people still shamefully making excuses for those who enabled and condoned crimes against humanity.

[@TheFitchhung]

Glad Schiaparelli making a nice comeback!!! 🦞

[@JT-rx1eo]

Also, you're going to buy from "other companies", and unfairly hurt the Jewish owners of Chanel?

[@TiaCatR]

Are the newscasters saying at the end there that they're proud of not owning any Chanel? Sounds like they want brownie points. Unsophisticated simpletons.

[@Jenura01]

They are saying they don’t own or buy any Chanel due to her anti-Semitic past. Many people who know her history feel the same way. And it isn’t “complicated” as the older lady historian said. She did all those horrible things to Jewish people. So it is pretty hard to love her as a person. This brings up the age old question of how do we separate artists with horrible behavior from the beautiful work that they do? Is it ok to love an amazing piece of art if the artist was a pedophile, misogynist, or a bigot? Everyone has to answer this for themselves.

[@universalkindness1924]

It’s expensive!

[@mepulley7913]

@@Jenura01 - Great answer.

[@jonnyfendi2003]

Interesting cause they wont call out Hamas or pro Palestine protesters who spew their antisemitic mess cause they know the left will call them right on it.

[@samanthab1923]

Look at the leg on that one on the left. 😂

[@virginiabotha3545]

So admire Coco Chanel. So many lessons I have taken away from her. Would love to attend this museum show.❤

[@TheFitchhung]

Many say the Christian Dior exhibition was so much better and the attention to detail was amazing! No affiliation to Nazis either!!

[@TightyWhiteyTrash]

*Louis Vuitton’s & his son were almost 30 years ahead of CoCo w/ the interlocking logo design trend* . The well-recognized floral pattern with the interlocking LV logo dated back to 1896. A lot of luxury designers did the same thing w/ their logos. GG Guccio Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, BB Balenciaga, SL Saint Laurent, TF Tom Ford, CD Christian Dior…etc Not that it’s a bad thing, but I’d say In terms of most recognizable would be LV first, then either CC or GG.

[@kevinhanson6106]

Very good historical referencing; however in terms of branding I believe the interlocking CC's of Channel has proven itself to be leader of the pack. In large part to the BRILLIANT output of artistic design influence by icon Karl Laggerfeld.

[@TightyWhiteyTrash]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@kevinhanson6106While your comment is debatable, I could bet people recognize the brown LV monogram print that’s on every Karen purse in America & the GG logo that’s on the belt buckle of every girl & gay guy that work at the beauty department at Nordstrom more so than what the CC logo stands for… This video wasn’t about the legacy of Karl Lagerfeld & it never mentioned the direction he took the “almost dead” luxury fashion brand under his wing in the early 80s. Karl is legendary in many aspects & has worked for *COUNTLESS* luxury fashion brands; as well as his own, there wouldn’t have been Chanel without CoCo. Tom Ford did the same for Gucci at a time when the brand was struggling, but he’s not apart of the Gucci legacy. He made his own legacy in a sense. The CC logo came from CoCo Chanel’s inspiration from something she saw in the stain glass at a chapel. Karl decided to use it more on the purse clasps & ready to wear.

[@kevinhanson6106]

@@TightyWhiteyTrash As your response is somewhat: accurate, whimsical, amusing, and humorous - it is by and large what you described mine to be, debatable...

[@TightyWhiteyTrash]

⁠@@kevinhanson6106also, lacking a menswear line doesn’t help. In the past, there have been pieces here & there in their runway shows, but you have to be a millionaire rapper to even be able to get your hands on a specific piece. Even Chloé has a menswear line. I cant think of another ready-to-wear designer that only caters exclusively to only one gender. I get female empowerment & blah blah blah. Coco Chanel designs were inspired by what men were wearing at the time. So I don’t believe a lot of men would know Chanel over LV or Gucci…

[@user-vm5ud4xw6n]

It is said that Princess Diana loved Chanel but had anything on her clothing that had the intertwined “C’s” on it removed because Camilla used the logo to rub it in Diana’s face that Chuck was hers. Camilla wasn’t thinking about antisemitism during that time if you ask me. Pretty crass!!

[@adrianaproudcatholic]

Me be havi Channel clothes andi perfume. She genius. Very goodi. Me be stylist from Catar.

[@jackiecastillo2484]

Coco chanel was diff back then.

[@WILLIAMFREDERICKMOSELEY-ox7jw]

She wasn't an anti-semite - she didn't give a damn. "It's a shame what's happening, but it has nothing to do with me."

[@miriamhavard7621]

So, apathetic?

[@Followthesuntarot]

Wow, no non-fiction, too bad.

[@joshuacampbell7710]

You can’t blame an orphan for being a survivor.

[@mepulley7913]

That she survived and clawed her way to the top is one thing, that she forgot where she came from and her humanity towards others is unacceptable.

[@joshuacampbell7710]

@@mepulley7913adults are shaped by the trauma of youth

[@JT-rx1eo]

Bingo.

[@Cheznrice]

So she's the reason people act so stupid about clothes and spending ridiculous amounts of money on crap! Bravo 👏 she invented bs!

[@aeptacon]

🤣🤣 yeah she is pretty evil. no sarcasm. her stuff looks like crap but people pay thousands for it

[@kevinhanson6106]

Lolol you're going to be okay jenna. SMH

[@mikeydan]

separating the artist from the art... if you can. she was a genius and who can say what motivated her actions... still and all, if you can avoid associating with Nazis... do that.

[@MeMyselfandIKay]

Wasnt she like involved in that thing in 1941

[@kpepperl319]

She used her ability to persuade men to her advantage during WWII. She used to survive and keep her power. Men with less morals during WWII aren't put under the microscope. Personally, she is probably a antisemitic, and at the same time helped the French. You can be both. Most people today however don't care about the history of the company and Chanel herself. Ignorance is bliss

[@Maymaymayok]

Always coming up with negative comments in face of achievements!!@ why don't you point fingers at those who startEd the wars???? If you were guilty of any wrongdoings, she would have faced trial at Nuremberg before her death!!!

[@JT-rx1eo]

Imo Chanel's personality and behavior was overwhelmingly one of a survivor, good or bad. Her traumatic childhood had a lot to do with that.

[@periscope7731]

⁠@@JT-rx1eo I can attest to this. My friend suffered a miserable childhood at the hands of a mentally ill mother. This wounded sparrow never knew his father, spending his youth being shuttled between orphanages and various family members. He died May 2014 from advanced liver desease, en route to a Miami, Florida hospital. Collapsed to his death on the facility’s front entrance steps. FC, I hope you Rest In Peace🙏

[@zeldasmith6154]

Why single her out as an antisemite? Antisemitism is a reality in universities and medical facilities and in country clubs. She was brilliant.

[@Tojoj22]

Chanel is the G.O.A.T 👑

[@user-xt3gh6du9r]

Socialist criticism of Chanel is unacceptable

[@user-kv2tj4du8p]

to nazis? good to know. are they still allowed to breathe then? if they don't critique? you seem to be the expert. let us know.

[@Mitch-Alex]

I would like to see that exhibit, but overall I think Chanel is incredibly overrated. The quilted bag, snooze. Tweed suits every single collection, snooze.

[@user-yt8hm4oc5r]

as if coco needed any help from these women

[@princessangerloo5905]

Well now everyone is going to cancel Chanel because of this 🙄

[@jonaswunderkind4580]

The cancel-tons can't afford Chanel, so the brand will be just fine :D

[@lawrencescott8692]

....and not one nod to Karl. Shame on you.

[@someonespeci1697]

overhyped

[@bobbycanadybc]

So she got connections from sleeping with men who had money and power. Then was able to start her own business. One with large amount invested in from the start. Can't be hard. If I had that kind of push start I believe I have what it would take to have much success as well..

[@JT-rx1eo]

Yes hypergamy was well manifested in Coco Chanel. But the related motivation of survivorship was as well. Women in Victorean and Edwardian era France were in a fragile position, and the orphaned Chanel much more so. She leveraged her boyfriend Arthur Capel early on to start her millinery brand, but paid him back. She was extremely talented but behaved as a survivor with a traumatic childhood.

[@bobbycanadybc]

@JT-rx1eo Yes, I agree from my understanding that she was very talented and motivated.

[@skyegypze3982]

The French were white and well she was French…. Not much of a contradiction.

[@artlikebread]

All of this evidence of anti-Jewish actions and the best you can bring forth is that she’s “complex”? Are we to all swoon over her work and gloss over the legacy of anti-Jewish hatred? Do better, Saturday Morning. Glamour and expensive things are not everything. There are other people we can look up to.

[@TightyWhiteyTrash]

I understand that Chanel is a brand synonymous with exclusivity, quality & refinement, but either she was *antisemitic* or not. It’s not *complicated*