Gabrielle Bonheur " Coco " Chanel (/ ʃəˈnɛl / shə-NEL; French: [ɡabʁijɛl bɔnœʁ kɔko ʃanɛl] ⓘ; 19 August – 10 January ) [2] was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post– World War I era with popularising a sporty, casual chic as the feminine standard of style. She is the only fashion.