Biarritz became Coco Chanel’s second major fashion base after Deauville.
Chanel opened a shop in Biarritz in 1915, during the First World War. The resort attracted wealthy clients and offered an important market while Paris was affected by wartime conditions. The Biarritz location helped Chanel develop from a milliner into a designer of complete womenswear collections.
Her clothing emphasized ease, practicality, and movement. She used jersey and other comfortable materials, creating garments that contrasted with the elaborate silhouettes still associated with prewar fashion. Biarritz therefore played a major role in the commercial expansion of the Chanel brand.
Deauville is often mentioned first because Chanel opened an early shop there in 1913. Biarritz was a separate and later location, not another name for the same business. The two Atlantic resorts were crucial stepping stones before Chanel’s Paris couture operations became dominant.