Who created the Chanel logo’s interlocking C design?

Coco Chanel created the Chanel logo’s interlocking C design.

The logo consists of two opposing, interlocking letter Cs and is associated directly with Coco Chanel. It became a defining mark of the house and appears on products, packaging, boutiques, and advertising. The symbol is generally dated to the period when Chanel’s business was expanding in the late 1910s and early 1920s.

The design is often surrounded by legends claiming that it was copied from stained-glass windows at Aubazine Abbey, where Chanel lived as a child. Those visual similarities are frequently discussed, but the specific origin story is not documented conclusively. The strongest attribution remains to Chanel herself.

The logo should not be confused with the perfume bottle’s separate design history or with Karl Lagerfeld’s later branding work. Lagerfeld revived and popularized many Chanel house codes after becoming artistic director in 1983, but he did not originate the interlocking Cs.