What Coco Chanel Was Doing In The Final Days Before Her Death

On January 10, 1971, The New York Times published an article about the death of Coco Chanel at 87 years old. The publication indicated that the renowned high fashion designer peacefully died at the Ritz Hotel in Paris where she resided. Those closest to Chanel said that her death was sudden and that there were no signs that she was not in good health. In fact, she was busy meticulously finishing her collection for a spring fashion show just before she died.

On the day before Chanel died, staff at the House of Chanel said that the fashion designer was working hard to make her collection perfect. She inspected the details of each dress, checked buttons, and chose fabrics, according to the Times of India. Her staff was shocked to learn about Chanel’s sudden death, as she had been hands-on in the creation of the collection in the days before her passing despite her old age. One employee said that her haste to complete the collection was like a premotion. “She wanted to get everything ready before dying,” the staff member said. Before she died, she went on a walk with her friend before retiring to bed for the night. As reported by The Guardian, her last words were, “You see, this is how you die,” which she directed to her maid.