Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel (19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and business woman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post- World War I era with liberating women from the constraints of the " corseted silhouette" and popularizing a sporty, casual chic as the feminine standard of style. A prolific fashion creator, Chanel extended her influence beyond couture clothing , realizing her design aesthetic in jewellery , handbags , and fragrance. Her signature scent, Chanel No. 5 , has become an iconic product. She is the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century . Chanel herself designed her famed interlocked-CC monogram, meaning Coco Chanel, using it since the 1920s.