August, 2014 - Coco Chanel - French 75

Coco Chanel - 1883-1971

Famous for pushing the social boundaries of fashion, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel rebelled against gender requirements in the industry.  She used masculine clothing to express herself.  She took the comfort of men's clothing, and made designs targeting women.  Not all of her best inventions were hits right away, in fact there were times they weren't understood or appreciated until much later; however, now, Chanel is a recognized name.

Men dominated the fashion industry at the time Chanel's popularity kicked in.  Coco changed the style of women's clothes simply by making them for women's bodies rather than for men's eyes.  The corset was still being used for women's wardrobe, but Chanel challenged this by designing relaxing yet elegant dresses.  She created for both the corporate and social world.

Coco took men's clothing, and transformed them to be for women.  Before Chanel, pants were considered unlady-like.  No woman would dare wear pants, but one cannot function well in a dress.  By taking men's designs, and revamping them for the woman audience, she made her popularity from rebellion.

On Sunday, January 10, 1971, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel passed away at the Hotel Ritz.  She leaves behind a legacy that women deserve to be both comfortable and beautiful.  One should not override the other.

The Drink:

French 75

.5 oz Fresh lemon juice
.5 oz orange liqueur
1 oz Gin 
3 oz Champagne

Drinkability: 5
Drunkability: 4
Taxic Diversity: 3
Accessibility: 4
Priority for Conservation: 5

Comments:  subbed out orange liqueur instead of simple syrup.  Weekday LUPEC meetings have their price.

From "Women in Fashion Design" theme hosted by BanditQueen