Coco Chanel closed her fashion house in 1939, at the outbreak of World War II.
The closure affected Maison Chanel’s couture operations in Paris as France entered wartime conditions. Chanel said that it was not an appropriate time for fashion, and about 4,000 female employees lost their jobs. Her apartment above the couture house at 31 Rue Cambon remained associated with her during the occupation.
The date is sometimes confused with 1940, when Germany invaded and occupied France. However, Chanel’s shops had already closed in 1939, when the war began. Jewellery and perfume activity continued in limited form, so “closed her fashion house” refers chiefly to the couture and fashion business rather than every Chanel-branded operation.
Chanel eventually returned to fashion after a long postwar absence. At age 70, she reopened her couture house in 1954, beginning a late-career revival that restored her influence over modern womenswear.