Who Owns Chanel?

Chanel is one of the world’s most iconic fashion luxury brands, owned by French billionaire brothers Gérard Wertheimer and Alain Wertheimer. The Wertheimer brothers are the nephew of Pierre Wertheimer, who co-founded Chanel with Coco Chanel in 1910. In 2021 Chanel generated over $15 billion in revenue and over $4 billion in profits, staying as one of the most iconic brands, which managed to be independent, where most of the luxury industry consolidated since the 1990s into two major houses: LVMH and Kering.

Aspect	Description	Analysis	Examples
Products and Services	Chanel is a French luxury fashion and beauty brand. The company offers a range of products, including haute couture, ready-to-wear fashion, handbags, perfumes, cosmetics, skincare, and fine jewelry. Chanel also operates boutiques and sells its products through authorized retail partners.	Chanel’s core offerings include high-end fashion, beauty, and fragrance products, targeting affluent and fashion-conscious consumers. The brand is renowned for its timeless and elegant designs. Boutiques and retail partnerships ensure accessibility.	Chanel haute couture dresses, ready-to-wear fashion (e.g., Chanel tweed jackets), handbags (e.g., Chanel Classic Flap Bag), fragrances (e.g., Chanel No. 5), cosmetics (e.g., Chanel lipstick), fine jewelry (e.g., Chanel Coco Crush), boutique stores, authorized retail partners.
Revenue Streams	Chanel generates revenue primarily through the sale of luxury fashion and beauty products. Income also comes from fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, fine jewelry, and licensing agreements for the Chanel brand. Chanel may have revenue from boutique store sales and e-commerce.	Revenue from luxury fashion and beauty product sales is a significant portion of income, driven by brand exclusivity. Fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, and fine jewelry contribute to diversified revenue streams. Boutique store sales and e-commerce provide additional channels for income.	Revenue from sales of luxury fashion and beauty products, income from fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, fine jewelry, licensing agreements for the Chanel brand, boutique store sales, e-commerce sales.
Customer Segments	Chanel serves an affluent and fashion-conscious customer base that values timeless elegance and luxury. The brand appeals to individuals seeking high-quality fashion, beauty, and fragrance products. Chanel’s clientele includes celebrities, fashion enthusiasts, and those who appreciate classic style.	Chanel’s target demographic consists of affluent consumers valuing luxury and timeless elegance. The brand’s commitment to quality and classic design broadens its appeal. Celebrity endorsements enhance brand visibility.	Affluent consumers seeking luxury fashion, beauty, and fragrance products, fashion-conscious individuals valuing timeless elegance, celebrities endorsing Chanel products.
Distribution Channels	Chanel distributes its products through its network of boutique stores worldwide. The company also sells its products through authorized retail partners, such as high-end department stores. Chanel operates an e-commerce platform for online sales.	Boutique stores offer an exclusive and personalized shopping experience. Authorized retail partners extend brand reach. E-commerce caters to online shoppers.	Chanel boutique stores (e.g., Chanel boutiques in Paris and New York), authorized retail partners (e.g., Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue), Chanel e-commerce website.
Key Partnerships	Chanel collaborates with authorized retail partners to showcase and sell its products. The company may also have licensing partnerships for branded merchandise. Additionally, Chanel forms partnerships with celebrities for endorsements and special collections.	Collaborations with authorized retailers expand the brand’s physical presence. Licensing agreements ensure availability of Chanel-branded merchandise. Partnerships with celebrities create buzz and attract customers.	Collaborations with authorized high-end retailers (e.g., Bergdorf Goodman), licensing partnerships for Chanel-branded merchandise (e.g., Chanel sunglasses), partnerships with celebrities (e.g., Chanel ambassadors like Kristen Stewart).
Key Resources	Chanel’s key resources include its iconic brand name, fashion design expertise, manufacturing capabilities, boutique stores, online platform, marketing and advertising efforts, celebrity endorsements, and a commitment to timeless elegance and quality.	The Chanel brand signifies timeless elegance and luxury. Expertise in fashion design ensures classic and high-quality collections. Manufacturing capabilities maintain product excellence. Boutique stores offer a physical presence. An online platform expands accessibility. Marketing and advertising efforts promote the brand’s classic style. Celebrity endorsements enhance brand credibility. A commitment to quality and elegance is a core resource.	Chanel brand recognition, fashion design teams, manufacturing facilities, Chanel boutique stores, online retail platform, marketing campaigns, celebrity endorsements (e.g., Chanel ambassadors), commitment to timeless elegance and quality.
Cost Structure	Chanel incurs costs in fashion design and production, manufacturing of luxury clothing and accessories, marketing and advertising campaigns, celebrity endorsements, employee salaries (including designers), boutique store operations, and maintaining the online retail platform.	Costs associated with fashion design and production are significant due to the emphasis on luxury and quality. Manufacturing of high-quality products requires resources. Marketing and advertising campaigns are essential for brand promotion. Employee salaries, including designers, are substantial. Retail store operations entail expenses. Maintaining the online retail platform has associated costs.	Costs related to fashion design and production of luxury items, manufacturing of high-quality products, marketing and advertising campaigns (e.g., Chanel advertising campaigns), celebrity endorsements (e.g., fees for Chanel ambassadors), employee salaries, boutique store operations, maintenance of the online retail platform.
Competitive Advantage	Chanel’s competitive advantage lies in its iconic brand name, timeless elegance, commitment to quality, innovative fashion designs, and a diverse customer base. The brand targets both fashion-conscious consumers and those seeking luxury.	The Chanel brand is synonymous with timeless elegance and luxury. Classic design and quality set it apart in the luxury fashion industry. Innovative fashion designs and iconic products keep the brand ahead. A wide range of customer segments ensures a broad reach.	Chanel’s iconic brand name, timeless and elegant fashion collections, commitment to quality, innovative designs like the Chanel jacket, appeal to a diverse range of customers.
Value Proposition	Chanel offers customers timeless elegance and luxury through its high-quality fashion, beauty, and fragrance products. The brand provides classic designs, innovative fashion, and iconic pieces, catering to individuals who appreciate luxury and style.	Chanel’s value proposition centers on delivering luxury and timeless elegance. Classic designs and innovative fashion enhance personal style. Iconic pieces make a statement. Quality and brand exclusivity provide a unique shopping experience.	Experiencing timeless elegance and luxury with Chanel products, owning classic and innovative fashion pieces, making a style statement with iconic Chanel items.

Table of Contents

Origin Story

Chanel is a luxury fashion brand that has become an iconic symbol of timeless elegance and sophistication. The company was founded by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in 1910 and has since expanded to offer products from haute couture clothing to perfumes, accessories, and cosmetics.

In this history of Chanel, we’ll chart the company’s course over the past hundred years or so.

The first millinery

Chanel was born into relative poverty in the French countryside and, as an adult, worked as a shopgirl, café singer, and then as a mistress to several wealthy men.

One of these men was textile businessman and socialite Étienne Balsan, who permitted Chanel to establish a small millinery on the ground floor of his Paris apartment in 1909. Primarily, Chanel sold decorated hats and other accessories which she designed herself.

Since Balsan’s flat was also a meeting place for the hunting and sporting elite, Chanel befriended other women of fashion who enjoyed displaying their wealth. She used this to her advantage and quickly developed a flourishing business.

The first Chanel stores

At some point, Chanel met English socialite Arthur Capel at one of Balsan’s social functions. Capel recognized her potential as a businesswoman and agreed to finance her first independent store.

The store opened in 1910 and was called Chanel Modes, but the business lease stipulated that it could only operate as a millinery. Three years later, the first Chanel boutique store opened in the coastal town of Deauville.

Deauville was a place where rich women flocked to attend the races and outdo each other in the fashion scene. In addition to hats, Chanel also sold practical, ready-to-wear sports clothes for women that were made from jersey material.

In 1915, Chanel opened the first couture house in Biarritz. The house employed over 300 people and Chanel designed her first Haute Couture collection there.

Chanel No. 5

Chanel commissioned perfumer Ernest Beaux to create a perfume that would complement her clothing lines in 1921. Chanel No. 5 was born after Chanel herself chose Beaux’s fifth perfume sample as the one she liked the most.

Chanel No. 5 offered a combination of jasmine and other floral scents that was more mysterious and complex than single-scented competitor perfumes.

The perfume was marketed in a sleek and simple bottle, and Chanel partnered with a department store and cosmetics company to distribute it outside of Europe.

Post-war resurgence

After Chanel went into exile in Switzerland during the war, she returned to France in 1954 and reopened her Couture House with a fashion show event. Though 71 years of age, she was bored in retirement and, facing a decline in perfume sales, prepared a new collection that included a chain-handled quilted leather handbag.

That same year, Henri Robert succeeded Ernest Beau as her perfumer of choice, with the first men’s perfume to be developed under Chanel’s reign released in 1955.

Chanel’s death and change of ownership

Coco Chanel died on January 10, 1971, with control of the company passed to Yvonne Dudel, Jean Cazaubon, and Philippe Guibourge. Soon after, the company was purchased by Jacques Wertheimer whose father Pierre had once managed the production of Chanel No. 5.

However, Wertheimer was more interested in money than he was in fashion and ceded control of the company to 25-year-old son Alain in 1974. The younger Wertheimer revived the brand in the United States and reduced the number of stores to increase the exclusivity of Chanel No. 5.

In 1983, the company hired famed fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld who breathed new life into its ready-to-wear line. Lagerfeld, who was responsible for turning Chanel’s interlocked “CC” monogram into a style pattern, served at the company until his death in 2019.

Wertheimer and his brother Gerard still own Chanel today, with Alain the chairman and controlling shareholder and Gerard the chair of the company’s watch division.

Key takeaways

Chanel is a luxury fashion brand that has become an iconic symbol of timeless elegance and sophistication. The company was founded by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in 1910 and has since expanded to offer products from haute couture clothing to perfumes, accessories, and cosmetics.
Chanel established a small millinery on the ground floor of the Paris apartment of wealthy socialite Étienne Balsan in 1909. Chanel sold decorated hats and other accessories which she designed herself.
Coco Chanel died on January 10, 1971, with control of the company passed to Yvonne Dudel, Jean Cazaubon, and Philippe Guibourge. The company was eventually purchased by Jacques Wertheimer whose father Pierre had managed the production of Chanel No. 5. The company remains in the Wertheimer family today.

Key Highlights

Chanel Overview:
- Iconic Luxury Brand: Chanel stands as one of the world’s most renowned and revered luxury fashion brands, celebrated for its sophistication and elegance.
- Ownership: Founded by Coco Chanel and Pierre Wertheimer, ownership of Chanel is now held by French billionaire brothers Gérard Wertheimer and Alain Wertheimer.
- Financial Success: In the year 2021 alone, Chanel achieved a remarkable feat, generating a staggering revenue that exceeded $15 billion, with profits surging beyond $4 billion.
- Independence in Luxury Industry: Noteworthy is Chanel’s exceptional feat of retaining its independence, a rarity in the luxury industry that has largely gravitated toward consolidation under two major conglomerates, LVMH and Kering.
Origin and Founder:
- Coco Chanel’s Vision: Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, the visionary founder of Chanel, established the brand in 1910, laying the foundation for an enduring legacy of style and creativity.
- Diverse Offerings: Beyond its inception as a fashion brand, Chanel has impressively expanded its repertoire to encompass an array of products, including haute couture clothing, luxurious perfumes, exquisite accessories, and high-end cosmetics.
- Elegance and Sophistication: Central to Chanel’s identity is its embodiment of timeless elegance and unparalleled sophistication, making it an internationally recognized symbol of class and refinement.
Founding Years:
- From Humble Beginnings: Coco Chanel’s early life, marked by modest beginnings in the French countryside, contrasts remarkably with the grandeur her brand would later achieve.
- Creative Pursuits: Her journey encompassed diverse roles, from a shopgirl and café singer to the mistress of affluent men, all of which contributed to her creative growth and exposure to high society.
- Fateful Partnership: Étienne Balsan, a textile businessman and socialite, played a pivotal role by providing Chanel with the space to establish her initial millinery in his Paris apartment in 1909.
- Rapid Rise: Chanel’s creative prowess shone as she designed and sold embellished hats and accessories. Her connections with the elite in Balsan’s social circle propelled her business to flourish.
First Stores:
- Catalyst for Success: Arthur Capel, an English socialite, recognized Chanel’s entrepreneurial potential, leading to his financial backing for her first independent store.
- The Birth of Chanel Modes: In 1910, Chanel Modes emerged, and subsequently, the brand’s reach expanded with the inauguration of its first boutique in the picturesque town of Deauville in 1913.
- Revolutionizing Fashion: Deauville’s emergence as a fashion hub for affluent women attending races allowed Chanel to introduce not only hats but also innovative ready-to-wear sports attire crafted from jersey fabric.
- Haute Couture House: Chanel’s pioneering spirit led to the establishment of the first couture house in Biarritz in 1915, where her haute couture collection was brought to life.
Chanel No. 5:
- Perfume as Art: Chanel’s artistic vision extended beyond clothing, as she engaged perfumer Ernest Beaux in 1921 to craft a fragrance that would harmonize with her fashion lines.
- A Fragrance Icon: Chanel No. 5, born from meticulous selection among Beaux’s perfume samples, offered an intricate blend of jasmine and floral notes, setting it apart from single-note competitor fragrances.
- Elegance in Simplicity: The perfume’s allure was encapsulated in an elegantly understated bottle, and Chanel’s strategic partnerships facilitated its distribution, transcending European borders.
Post-War Resurgence:
- Triumphant Return: Chanel’s reemergence in 1954 following her wartime exile to Switzerland was marked by the revival of her Couture House through a captivating fashion show.
- Innovations Abound: Despite being 71 years old, Chanel’s creative spark remained undiminished. She countered declining perfume sales by introducing a novel collection that featured the now-iconic quilted leather handbag with a chain handle.
- Fragrance Renaissance: Henri Robert’s succession of Ernest Beau as the brand’s perfumer heralded the launch of Chanel’s first men’s perfume under her leadership in 1955.
Change of Ownership:
- Passing the Torch: Following Coco Chanel’s passing in 1971, the brand’s control transitioned to individuals such as Yvonne Dudel, Jean Cazaubon, and Philippe Guibourge.
- The Wertheimer Influence: The Wertheimer family’s entry came through Jacques Wertheimer, whose father, Pierre, had played a role in the production of Chanel No. 5.
- Family Legacy: Jacques Wertheimer’s focus on the financial aspect led to the succession of control to his son Alain Wertheimer in 1974, ensuring the brand’s enduring legacy within the family.
Karl Lagerfeld Era:
- A Design Maestro: The hiring of Karl Lagerfeld in 1983 marked a transformative phase for Chanel, characterized by his innovative approach to reinvigorating the brand’s ready-to-wear line.
- Symbol of Identity: Lagerfeld’s ingenious incorporation of the interlocked “CC” monogram into a distinct style pattern became emblematic of Chanel’s modern identity.
- Legacy Continuation: Lagerfeld’s profound impact on the brand endured until his demise in 2019, solidifying his status as a key figure in the Chanel narrative.
Current Ownership:
- Family Guardianship: Ownership of Chanel remains firmly within the Wertheimer family, with Alain Wertheimer serving as the chairman and controlling shareholder and his brother Gérard Wertheimer overseeing the company’s watch division.
Key Points:
- Eternal Elegance: Chanel’s legacy centers on its embodiment of timeless elegance and sophistication.
- Genesis by Coco Chanel: Founded by the visionary Coco Chanel in 1910, the brand’s journey began.
- Support from Balsan: Chanel’s millinery took root in Étienne Balsan’s Paris apartment in 1909, flourishing with her unique designs.
- Ownership Evolution: Following Coco Chanel’s demise, ownership transitions occurred, eventually consolidating within the Wertheimer family.