Coco Chanel opened her first shop when women weren’t even allowed to open their own bank accounts. Let that sink in. A woman, born into poverty, abandoned in an orphanage, who came from nothing, created one of the most powerful fashion houses in the world. Yet, behind those pearls and perfumes was a woman often haunted by rejection, solitude, and one fatal business decision—she undervalued her name.
I think about Coco often. I walk into boutiques where her initials command thousands of euros per item. People still romanticize her legacy without realizing how much she lost—not just emotionally, but financially. Her story is one of rebellion, style, power, and ultimately, a silent surrender to male investors who never truly understood the source of Chanel’s magic. It wasn’t the tweed. It wasn’t the No. 5. It was her.
When Coco partnered with the Wertheimer brothers, Jewish businessmen who had the money but no fashion instincts, she thought she was securing her empire. But she wasn’t. She signed away her empire. At one point, she owned only 1% of the company that bore her name. Imagine that. Chanel owned almost nothing of Chanel.
And that’s where the true fashion lesson lies—not in the silhouette, but in the signature.
So I say this to every woman in business, every creative soul, every bold entrepreneur: If not now, when? Protect your name. Own your story. Build your empire.
Because without you, darling, the brand is just a name. But with you, it’s a revolution.
The Danger of Undervaluing Your Worth
Coco came from a place of survival. Abandoned by her father, raised by nuns who taught her to sew but never showed her affection. She learned early that life was cruel and business, even crueller. She built a wall of independence so high, she often locked herself inside it. She never trusted people fully, but she trusted money even less. That’s why she gave too much too soon in her first business deal.
Fear does that. Fear whispers, “Take what you can.” Faith shouts, “Hold out for what you’re worth.”
It’s why I am at war with Pitti Uomo against bullying.
In her later years, Chanel woke up. She realised the men she had partnered with had no creativity, no vision, no soul of couture. They had capital, she had culture. And without her, they had nothing but a warehouse of fabric. That’s when she renegotiated. She reclaimed some control, but never full ownership. Chanel, the woman, made Chanel the brand, but in the end, she didn’t own her own name.
Enter Tina Turner—The Ultimate Business Diva
Now let’s talk Tina Turner. Different era. Different industry. Same core message. When Tina left her abusive husband Ike Turner, she walked out with nothing. Not the houses, not the cars, not the royalties. But when she stood in that courtroom and demanded one thing—her name—I felt the chills of female power ripple across time. “He can have everything. I want one thing. My name,” she said. That was the currency of her comeback.
Tina knew that her name was more powerful than any asset in the divorce. It was her identity. Her business. Her freedom. She understood what Coco didn’t have the power to fight for in her time. When Tina walked back into the spotlight, she didn’t just sing. She owned. She toured the world with her name in lights—Tina. Not Mrs. Turner. Not a shadow of her past. A brand built on bruises and brilliance.
Your Name Is Your Power
For women, especially those of us who’ve fought for our own platforms, this is the lesson of a lifetime. Never give away your name. Never sell the very thing that makes you a force. I think of myself, building MenStyleFashion in a world dominated by male editors and old-school gatekeepers. The number of times I’ve been told, “You’re too bold,” “You’re too loud,” or “You’re lucky to be here.” No. I’m not lucky. I built this from nothing. Just like Coco. Just like Tina. And like them, I’ve been underestimated.
When investors or collaborators come knocking, I don’t just read the fine print—I ask, “What happens when they decide I’m no longer ‘convenient’?” The answer must always protect the brand that is me. Because the name on the signature is more valuable than the sum in the bank.
When Talent Is Dismissed
During the war, Coco tried to take back her company citing the Jewish background of her partners as a loophole under Nazi laws. It’s a dark, uncomfortable chapter of her life, but it highlights something deeper—she was desperate. Desperate to reclaim her name, her legacy, her power. When you sell yourself short, when you lose control of your identity in business, you will do anything to claw it back.
But it shouldn’t get to that point.
Women in business are still cornered today. We’re told to be grateful for “opportunities,” when we should be negotiating ownership. We’re invited to the party, but not to the table where contracts are signed. And if we speak up? We’re “difficult.”
Freedom Is the Ultimate Currency
Tina knew better. She didn’t chase revenge. She chased reinvention. And when she went to Europe and rebuilt her career in her 40s, she defied every rule the music industry forced upon ageing women. She wore leather, danced in heels, and rebranded herself not as a survivor—but a queen. And the royalties? All hers.
Coco Chanel died with wealth and legacy, yes, but not ownership. Her name now lives under Wertheimer control, who still run the Chanel empire to this day. The irony? Chanel perfume still sells more than almost any fragrance on earth, and yet she likely wouldn’t recognise the brand’s modern power structure.
Tina, on the other hand, left this world on her own terms. She sold her music catalogue later in life—on her terms. With value attached to the name she never surrendered.
Business Tips for Women Choosing Partners
Here’s what we must learn from these two icons:
- Don’t rush partnerships. Urgency is the enemy of ownership.
- Value your name. It’s your intellectual property. Don’t sign it away for scraps.
- Negotiate from power, not fear. Build leverage before you sit at the table.
- Know who you are. If you’re the talent, you’re the brand. Period.
- Plan for the future. One day you may step back. Make sure what you’ve built still pays you.
If Not Now, When?
Coco Chanel taught me to be fierce. Tina Turner taught me to be free. And both of them remind me, every time I sign a deal or decline an offer, that my name is not just a label—it’s a legacy.
So I say this to every woman in business, every creative soul, every bold entrepreneur: If not now, when? Protect your name. Own your story. Build your empire.
Because without you, darling, the brand is just a name. But with you, it’s a revolution.
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