Long ago on August 19th, 1883, a beautiful baby named Gabrielle Chanel was born in the town of Saumur, France. Little did her and her family know, she would soon grow up to be an inspiration to many young girls.

Life was not always great for Gabrielle. She was born into poverty, meaning she was extremely poor. It was difficult to find enough food and shelter for her and her 4 siblings. All the money and riches she would soon have in the future, were not there while she was growing up, but she did not let that get in her way.

She grew up with two sisters and two brothers, but was soon separated from them when  her mom suddenly died when Gabrielle was only 12. This experience made Gabrielle extremely strong and able to overcome almost any obstacle that came her way.

She was then put into an orphanage by her dad, and was raised by nuns until the age of 18. While living at the orphanage, she learned how to sew and embroidery, essentially helping her for the future.

Starting her life in the spotlight, she had a short singing career performing in small places like shops and restaurants. This is where she got the more familiar name Coco that stuck with her since.

When Coco was 20 she changed career paths and soon began to develop a love for fashion and creating clothes. She always knew this was something she was interested in since she was introduced to the world of creating clothes in the orphanage.

The fashion industry is very competitive and moves at a fast pace.  Coco had to work up the courage and do some things out of her comfort zone to get her name out there. When someone is determined they are willing to take many risks to get to their goal just like Coco did.

Coco was still a young lady and was new to the fashion industry. Teamwork is extremely crucial in building a business, and luckily  there were so many people willing to help her along the way.

Fortunately, she met someone named Etienne Balsan when she was 20, who helped her form a women's hat business. She soon opened up her first shop.

Later, a man named Arthur Capel helped her move further along in her career of fashion. She was determined, but she knew that teamwork would get her to her dream. Being able to be open to so many other people's opinions, is a trait that is easily admirable.

She soon opened up two more shops and started to make clothing. And BAM!!! From here, her business rapidly grew. 

During the 1920's, it was very difficult for women to find clothing that they felt comfortable and classy in. They typically wore big puffy dresses or skirts, that got in their way of doing normal daily activities.

Coco realized this problem and took initiative to be the one to change it. She saw the needs of other women just like her and transformed the fashion industry forever.

Coco got creative and made her first dress from an old jersey. Once people took an interest in it she began to make more and more. Eventually hundreds of women wanted a dress just like hers and the customers came rolling in.