While she was working at the tailor'sworking at the tailors she met andshe started a relationship with the French playboy and millionaire Etienne Balsan who was a military officer, whom she met at a concert she performed in. From him Coco acquired the habits and tastes of the wealthy. While living with him she began designing hats, which started as a hobby, inspired by the fact that she disliked the ostrich feather decorated hats of the day, and later turned into a more serious pursuittrade. Later she left Balsan and took over his Paris apartment.
In 1909 she opened a shop on the ground floor of Balsan's apartment in Paris . Balsan's apartment was a place of gathering for the hunting elite and they brought their mistresses along. This gave Chanel the opportunity to sell her hats to the ladies.
During this time she started a relationship with Arthur “Boy” Capel who was a friend of Balsan's. With the m o ney he loaned her she acquired the location at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris by 1910. There was already a couture shop in the building so she wasn't allowed to sell couture clothing there . The two men, Balsan and Capal helped her find customers among the women of society. Her hats were worn by popular French actresses of the day, which helped to establish her business . In 1913, Chanel introduced women's sportswear at her new boutiques in Deauville and Biar r itz . Chanel's designs were simple opposed to the opulent look worn by the ladies who came to these resort towns. As her customers fled Paris at the beginning of the war to these seaside resorts her stores flouris hed.
The war affected fashion . Women were doing the jobs that men used to do and they needed comfortable, warm clothing. And the notion of dressing for themselves and not their men started spreading among women. Chanel's designs became popular. During the war she opened another shop in Paris , on Rue Cambon. Here she sold flannel blazers, straight linen skirts, sailor tops, long jersey sweaters and skirt-jackets . In 1915 her fashions became known throu gho ut France for it s simplicity. She relocated her couture house to 31, Rue Cambon and simple day dress-and-coat ensembles and black evening dresses in lace or jet-embroidered tulle were previewed there .