Coco Chanel Essay -- Fashion Designers Essays

Coco ChanelIn his 1993 book, Creating Minds, Howard Gardner attempted to distinguish characteristics that were common to creative people. In doing so, he concluded that many factors were involved in the development of a creator. For instance, the relationship between the Individual, the Work, and Other People (i.e. family and colleagues) (Gardner 9) was elemental in predicting future supremacyes. Likewise, part of his hypothesis focused around the fact that creators typically make their mark in one single genre. He divided the types of work that could be created into seven opposite areas interpersonal, intrapersonal, visual/spatial, logical/mathematical, musical, verbal/linguistic, body kinesthetic (Gardner vii). Gardners rubric for finding commonalties amongst creators, or those people who produce innovative, influential works in their particular domain, has obtain a highly regarded and widely used tool for identifying creative genius. Likewise, one key factors promoting creativ ity was the marginal status of the creator. Gardner briefly mentions the importance of the relationship between the creator and their society (Gardner 42). In my opinion, Gardner gives too little attention to the importance of ones marginal status. I intend to show, through the example of Coco Chanel, that marginality can hold up an imperative impact on the development of ones creativity. Therefore, I will fit Chanel into the prescribed rubric that Gardner outlined in his book, and show how her marginal status be her as well as her work.Part OneThe Personal History of Chanel Chanel was born in 1883, illegitimately (Charles-Roux 9/3) to a father that would soon withdraw from her, and a mother who would die by the time she reached the age ... ... different perspective on things. Perhaps she was creative because she did not know how to be traditional. mayhap what seemed normal to Chanel, what felt natural for her, was simply different from what was normal for others.In any case, I feel that Chanels marginal status was the main catalyst for her success as a fashion designer. Gardner overlooked the degree of importance that should be attributed to a creators marginality. For in the end, to create is to do something original, what has never been done before. And to do something unmatched should mean to be unique. And to be unique and creative means to be marginal.BibliographyCharles-Roux, Edmonde. Chanel and Her World. The Vendome Press London. 1979.Gardner, Howard. Creating Minds. Basic Books New York.1993. Madsen, Axel. Chanel A Woman of Her Own. Henry Holt and Co. New York. 1990.