Jenny (Mengqi) Lei
Assignment 1
CHANEL
Chanel is a Parisian fashion house that was established in 1909. The company is a
purveyor of luxury goods, namely ready-to-wear, leather goods, accessories, beauty,
skincare, jewelry, and footwear, as well as haute-couture creations. Although
predominantly serving women, Chanel also has divisions for menswear and soon,
childrenswear, to debut in 2016.
COMPANY
Chanel is a prestigious and influential brand in the luxury apparel and accessories
industry. Headquartered in Paris but internationally recognized and cherished, its
310 storefronts can be found all over the world in boutiques and high-end
department stores. Chanel places #85 on Forbes’ list of the World’s Most Valuable
Brands – between Adidas and Goldman Sachs, for reference. It is valued at 6.7 billion
dollars, and employs over 10,000 employees.
PRODUCT
Chanel is a company that designs and distributes fashion and beauty products
always with an emphasis on luxury and brand. All Chanel products (except beauty
and fragrance) must be purchased in store and are not available online. Merchandise
rarely goes on sale, and this maintains the exclusivity of the brand.
The most iconic, quintessential products by Chanel are the 2.55 flap bag and the
No.5 fragrance. The quilted flap bag was launched in February of 1955 (hence the
name), and has remained a highly sought after and relevant design for over seventy
years. The interlocking C’s are unmistakable even today, and a typical flap bag retails
for around $4000. The Chanel No.5 scent was invented in 1921, and captured a
fresh, flowery essence like nothing before. Chanel also sells a range of apparel,
footwear, and skincare, leather accessories, and jewelry. Fragrance and beauty are
available to be purchased online, and compose 55% of Chanel’s sales. Most
importantly, everything with the Chanel logo or namesake (from espadrilles to
watches to lipstick) keeps in sync with its brand image: premium, classic, and
