As well as introducing groundbreaking garments for women, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel embodied her brand in a way no other designer had done before, a new exhibition highlights. Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto – at London’s V&A Museum – traces the life and work of the famed French designer, who was born in the Loire Valley in 1883 and taught to sew by nuns in the orphanage to which she was sent aged 11, when her mother died. “Before her, designers weren’t really known,” says Oriole Cullen, curator of modern textiles and fashion and the V&A. “Their names were known, but they weren’t visible figures within society.” Starting out as a seamstress and cabaret singer, before establishing herself as milliner, Chanel later turned her focus to couture fashion and began designing casual clothing for women, inspired by the menswear of the era. “The Chanel brand as it stands [today] is really based on these ideas that she ushered in 100 years ago,” Cullen says, which is where the exhibition title comes from. “The meaning of that is really about a template that Gabrielle Chanel set out at the very beginning of her design career and came back to, reimagined and reinvented throughout her long career of sixty years.” Bringing together nearly 200 outfits, the show features items from the opening of her first millinery boutique in Paris in 1910, to the showing of her final collection, two weeks after she died in 1971. Signature designs on display include little black dresses, tweed suits and quilted leather handbags – the most iconic of which is the 2.55 bag. “The 2.55 has never really gone out of fashion since she designed it in 1955,” Cullen says. “That is fascinating in terms of high fashion, that an object can stay the course for such a long time and still be relevant.” Part of the upper echelons of French society, Chanel initially relied on wealthy lovers, such as French ex-cavalry officer Etienne Balsan and English polo player Arthur Edward ‘Boy’ Capel to fund her boutiques. Later becoming a celebrity in her own right, she amassed a personal fortune, thanks to the success of her fashion, accessories and cosmetics lines. “The perfume Chanel No5 was introduced in 1921, but then introducing make-up in 1924 and skincare in 1927, she was really ahead of her time,” Cullen says. “It’s something she was doing because she was designing for herself.” Chanel is credited with helping to liberate women from the constricting corsets and long skirts that were de rigeur at the turn of the century, and for popularising softer textiles, such as jersey. “She cuts her garments with high armholes, so you can lift your arms over your head,” Cullen continues. “She thinks about fabrics that are practical, and skirt lengths you can move in.” The exhibition – which was originally staged at Paris’s Palais Galliera in 2020 – highlights the brand’s UK and Ireland connections via British Chanel Limited. “This was an umbrella company set up in 1932 to work with an array of British textile manufacturers,” Cullen explains. “From lace in Nottingham, cotton velvets from Manchester, wools from Huddersfield, and also voiles and silks from Carlisle. “One of the other companies she worked with was the Old Bleach Linen Company, which is based in Randalstown in Northern Ireland.” Split into 10 sections, the exhibition concludes with a recreation of the mirrored staircase from Chanel’s Paris atelier. “Gabrielle Chanel used to sit at the top of the stairs when she was having presentations,” Cullen explains. “The models would descend and this faceted mirror would reflect back the audience’s faces to her, so she could read the mood in the room.” Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto opens at London’s V&A Museum on September 16. Tickets available at vam.ac.uk/chanel. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 6 times Kate has worn London Fashion Week designers Pro-gamer Jukeyz ‘died for two minutes’ after cardiac arrest which left him ‘scared to sleep’ Young people not snowflakes or wasters, says curator of rebellious fashion exhibition

Will Cain criticized the government for the relief funds they provided for the Maui catastrophe, pointing out that Ukraine received much more

Nia DaCosta spoke to "a lot of Marvel directors" before agreeing to helm 'The Marvels and James Gunn in particular was very helpful.

Daryl Hall has sued his longtime music partner John Oates, arguing that his plan to sell off his share of a joint venture would violate a business agreement the duo had

In a surprising turn of events, Tate revealed that he had made a charitable donation in support of this medical procedure

Andrew Tate criticized IDF for phone call intercept post-Gaza hospital bombing, paralleling Ukraine's SBU sarcastically

Goldie Hawn has claimed that she had a truly unique experience when she was in her 20s, having supposedly been ‘touched on the face’ by aliens. The actress has long been a believer in UFOs and she spoke about them in a new interview with the Apple Fitness+ audio feature Time to Walk. Hawn claims the incident took place when she was working as a dancer when she was in her early 20s in California. “That was a time when, you know, there was a lot of UFO sightings," she said. "I remember this so clearly: I went outside my door, and I sat on the little ledge, and I looked up at the dark sky. And I saw all these stars. And all I could think of was, 'How far does this go? How little are we? Are we the only planet in the whole wide universe that has life on it?'" Hawn then recounted how she called out to any UFOs that were listening, saying: "I know you're out there, I know we're not alone, and I would like to meet you one day." Four months later, according to Hawn, she was working at another job in California when she took a nap in a friend’s car. There she heard a “high-pitched sound in my ear” and saw three "triangular-shaped heads”. She said: "They were silver in color, slash for a mouth, tiny little nose, no ears. They were pointing at me, pointing at me in the car as if they were discussing me like I was a subject. And they were droning.” The actress then said they "touched me, and it felt like the finger of God. It was the most benevolent, loving feeling. This was powerful. It was filled with light”. Reflecting on the experience, she said: "We can never ever lose our wonder. It's just no fun. It's really an important aspect of being an adventurer, where nothing is impossible." So, there you have it. Are you convinced by the existence of UFOs too? Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

Jackson Snelling said that music helped him deal with autism making both Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire turn chairs for him

Andrew Tate knocks down heavyweight champion in sparring session

Michael Strahan missed yet another episode of 'GMA' without an explainable reason but his cryptic post on Instagram might have some answers

Amouranth explained why she backed out of Ibai's La Velada boxing championship and hoped she would be able to take part next year

'The View' co-host Sara Haines became the target of Joy Behar's relentless call-out on her wardrobe malfunction