11 Photos of Coco Chanel You've Never Seen Before

last updated 19 August 2014

On this day in 1883, the fashion world changed forever—but it didn't quite know it yet. Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in Saumur, France, a tiny town about 300 miles outside of Paris. In a time when women were used to wearing nothing but constrictive corsets and immobilizing hoop skirts, the woman who came to be known as Coco revolutionised clothing by suggesting women could wear pants.

The rest is history. Her brand would become one of the most instantly recognisable and famous luxury labels in the world, and today we're celebrating what would be her 131st birthday by taking a look back at some of the rarest photographs of the designer.

Scroll down to see 11 photos of the designer you've probably never seen before!

An early, undated photograph of Coco Chanel

An early portrait of Coco Chanel, 1910

A portrait of Coco Chanel, 1910

Coco Chanel playing golf, 1910

Coco Chanel in London, 1932

Coco Chanel in Paris, 1929

Coco Chanel on her first trip to New York City, 1931

Coco Chanel with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster, at Chester Races, 1924

Coco Chanel in the French seaside resort of Biarritz, 1928

Coco Chanel at her home in Faubourg, St Honore, Paris, 1929

A portrait of Coco Chanel, 1926

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Hailing from the heart of the South and cutting her teeth on the mean streets of New York, Meghan has six years of experience covering fashion, style, celebrities, culture, and human behavior. A longtime devotee of rap music, tacos, and generally perfect weather, she is excited to put down roots in Los Angeles. Her top three style staples are a good pair of cutoff shorts, virtually any kind of colorful digi-print, and a solid set of shades.