What was Coco Chanel’s first major fashion-business specialty?

Coco Chanel’s first major fashion-business specialty was millinery, or hatmaking.

Chanel began creating hats while living in the social circle of Étienne Balsan. Her designs attracted attention because they were relatively simple and modern compared with the elaborate hats then popular among fashionable women.

In 1910, she opened a hat shop at 21 Rue Cambon in Paris under the name “Chanel Modes.” This business established her as a designer before she expanded into clothing, accessories, and fragrance.

Millinery is sometimes overlooked because Chanel is now more strongly associated with suits, handbags, costume jewellery, and perfume. Her early hats nevertheless provided the commercial foundation for the Chanel brand. The shop’s address also became historically important because Rue Cambon later housed the fashion house’s headquarters and flagship operations.