ABSTRACT
Early Life Little is known for certain, but much, often contradictory, has been written about Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's early years. It is generally agreed that she was born into poverty and that she tried all of her life, with lies and silence, to keep her early life from being known. Chanel herself is probably the least trustworthy source for accurate and truthful information on her early existence. With Chanel, as with many artists who attempt to hide a past of which they are ashamed, the truth comes out most clearly in her creations. The almost peasant simplicity of her designs is complimented by a style that can be seen to be influenced by the convent, the military, and equestrian sportsmanship.
