Tracing the origins of Chanel's little black dress

By Kim Bo-eun

The cap of Chanel No.5’s 1921 edition with the double C logo

Chanel is perhaps the single most celebrated name in the world of high fashion. The double interlocking C logo has become a synonym with luxury, with the black quilted leather handbag, tweed jacket and No.5 perfume being some of the most sought-after fashion items among young women around the world.

Behind all the glitz and glamour, however, lies the late French designer’s humble background. As the daughter of a street vendor, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was born in a poorhouse in Saumur, France. After losing her mother to bronchitis at age 12, she was abandoned by her father at a convent in Correze.

The convent of Aubazine, however, is where Chanel learned to sew and where she traced her roots as a designer. What the late designer remembered as a strict world of monochrome would later manifest in some of her most beloved designs. Chanel’s little black dress, unveiled several decades later with a white collar and cuffs, incorporated the functionality and simple lines of a nun’s habit.

A 1962 photo of Gabrielle Chanel in her apartment at Cambon, Paris

Black and white would continue to be her favored hues, as shown in her tweed jackets and the packaging of her signature scent, Chanel No. 5. Some even contend that the double-C logo came from the intertwined patterns on the stained glass of the convent of Aubazine.

The Culture Chanel exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza sheds light on Chanel’s journey and the spaces where she spent her life. The exhibition examines 10 of the most important places in the designer’s life and how they affected her work. The convent of Aubazine is one, and others include her birthplace Saumur and the Chateau de Royallieu near Compiegne.

The exhibition runs through Oct. 5 and is open to the public free of charge. Online ticket reservations are recommended to avoid lengthy waits. Visitors are also strongly advised to bring earphones and download the Quick Scan application for an audio guide.

A 2012 picture of a model wearing Chanel’s little black jacket

Pictures of Chanel and models in 1926

The works of Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld ranging from the 1960s to early 2000