The House of Chanel, a poem

The house of Chanel was founded by a woman named Coco.

She was born in France; her upbringing was so-so.

Raised by nuns who wore white and black

They taught her to sew and there was no turning back.

In 1910 at the age of 27, she opened her first store

It sold hats and nothing more!

Coco, herself, had style galore, 

And the ladies who saw her, they wanted more.

Eight years later, she bought a building and opened a boutique

She lived upstairs, it’s a place the fashionable still seek.

The clothes, they sold well

So the next endeavor was smell.

Chanel no 5 was launched in 1921,

A fragrance with her name, the very first one.*

Next was a suit, often made of tweed

It chose comfort over constraint and planted a seed.

(Women all over the world were taking heed.)

Next a little black dress accessorized with pearls,

It was desperately wanted by all of the girls.

That dress continues to inspire today

And the little black dress isn’t going away.

In 1950s came the quilted bag

It had a gold chain and a hefty price tag.  

The bag is iconic, there are many fakes to be had

Don’t buy one; I guarantee you’ll feel sad!**

Coco also designed a two tone shoe

Black and tan and iconic too.

At the age of 87, Coco passed away

And some years later, the ready to wear (collection) ushered in a new day.

In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld was hired to design

His collections were something that made women pine.

Karl was a genius who never did stop,

He was part of Chanel from bottom to top.

His legendary shows and his stylish flare

Made him the perfect person to fill Coco’s chair.

Karl worked at Chanel until he died

His impact could never be denied.

The house of Chanel, it continues to thrive

Quiet luxury and influencers alike fueling the drive. 

Cosmetics, skincare and sunglasses too

To not know Chanel, there’s very few.

*Chanel No. 5 was the first fragrance to feature a designer’s name.

** I was duped and purchased a (very good) fake from this website.