Coco Chanel’s birthday was this week, so we thought it was only fitting to put together a slideshow of fashions inspired by this legend. She revolutionized women’s fashion in the 1920s by appropriating traditionally male fabrics and styles, which helped create women’s sportswear. Although she’s been dead since 1971, her influence continues each fashion season. Check out this biography of the legendary designer.

This is the week when all the crazy Euro designers unveil their couture collections in Paris. Ninety-percent of the stuff that walks down the runway isn’t wearable by any, you know, normal person, but the garments are still pretty to look at. After the jump, the 10 looks that caught our eye and made us say, “Wow, that designer probably did some serious magic mushrooms back in the day.”

What do you think Karl Lagerfeld would do if someone showed up to his show in anything other than head-to-toe Chanel? Club them with a quilted purse? Smother them with a tweed suit? Stab them with a Mary Jane? [Paris, 7/1/08]

Depending on your values, you might think spending more than $1,000 on a handbag is ludicrous. Or you might think a quilted Chanel bag is an investment. If you fall into the latter category, how would you feel about an $18,000 fly-fishing rod? Chanel is offering such a rod, along with a set of monochrome Chanel flies (complete with the double “C” logo on gossamer wings and a quilted black leather box). At first I thought, Coco Chanel must be turning over in her grave! but The Guardian reports that she was a tomboy who fished while dating the Duke of Westminster in the ‘20s. Keep reading to see what else you could buy with $18,000.

I have loved Audrey Tautou ever since she put that spoon to her nose in Amelie. Now she is the face of Chanel No. 5 perfume, replacing Nicole Kidman. This ad is flipping hot. Any woman that is cool enough to pull off a suit and tie is sexy to me. But this begs the question: Why have most of my “Girl Crush Alert!” choices been French?

Previously:

Girl Crush Alert! Marion Cotillard

Girl Crush Alert! Vanessa Paradis