Death of Gabrielle Chanel

Related to
Yves Saint Laurent

I gave women a sense of freedom. I gave them back their bodies: bodies that were drenched in sweat, due to fashion’s finery, lace, corsets, underclothes, padding.

Gabrielle Chanel.

On January 10, 1971, Mademoiselle Chanel passed away in her apartment at the Ritz. In 1968, she had named Yves Saint Laurent as her design heir, “since someone will have to succeed me one day.” Like Chanel, Saint Laurent freed women from clothing that restricted their movement. He made sure women were comfortable as well as powerful by designing a wardrobe that placed them on equal footing as men.

Chanel gave women freedom. Yves Saint Laurent gave them power.

Pierre Bergé.