Gabrielle Bonheur "COCO" Chanel was a French fashion

designer of women's clothes and founder

of the Chanel brand.

Chanel was credited with liberating

women from the constraints of the

"corseted silhouette" and popularizing a sporty,

casual chic as the feminine standard of style. 

She is widely regarded as the

greatest fashion designer who ever lived.

She is the only fashion designer listed on

Time magazine's list of the

100 most influential people of the 20th century.