Chanel

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Chanel is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by the Wertheimer brothers (Alain and Gérard Wertheimer) through Chanel Limited, with its global headquarters in London. Chanel makes women’s clothing, accessories, perfumes, cosmetics, and more, and it licenses eyewear to Luxottica. Its most famous products include the No.5 perfume and the classic Chanel Suit.

Key highlights
- Beginnings: Coco Chanel opened a millinery shop in Paris in 1910 and soon expanded to ready-to-wear.
- Innovations: Popularized simple, practical designs using jersey fabric after World War I; introduced the now-iconic Chanel suit and quilted handbags.
- No.5: Created in the early 1920s, No.5 became Chanel’s signature perfume.
- Partnership: Parfums Chanel formed in 1924, with Chanel owning a minority stake and the Wertheimers holding the majority.
- Handbags: The Chanel 2.55 handbag, launched in 1955, became a lasting symbol of the brand.
- Modern era: Karl Lagerfeld became creative director in 1983, revitalizing Chanel for decades. Virginie Viard led as creative director after Lagerfeld’s death in 2019; Matthieu Blazy was named the next artistic director in 2024.
- Leadership and plans: Leena Nair became global CEO in 2021. In 2018 Chanel moved its global headquarters to London and announced a ban on fur and exotic skins.
- Global presence: Chanel operates hundreds of boutiques worldwide (more than 300, with stores across Asia, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Oceania).

At a glance
- Revenue: about US$19.7 billion (2023)
- Operating income: about US$6.4 billion (2023)
- Net income: about US$4.0 billion (2021)
- Employees: around 32,000 (Aug 2024)
- Ownership: Wertheimer family
- Notable initiatives: Fondation Chanel supports health, gender equality, and arts; No.1 de Chanel beauty line launched in 2022 with natural ingredients and eco-friendly packaging; climate and sustainability goals to reduce emissions and switch to renewable energy.

Logo and brand
Chanel’s logo features two interlocked Cs. The brand is famed for timeless, elegant designs that blend luxury with practicality, and its products are iconic parts of fashion history.