When Paris fell to the Nazis in World War II, Chanel closed her boutiques. She spent the following fifteen years in Switzerland, partly in exile. Her popularity had waned significantly due to her love affair with a Nazi Officer. However, she did make a comeback in 1954, with a collection of reworked designs from her 1930s collections. It has been said that she did not approve of Dior's corseted "New Look" and that this gave her inspiration to relaunch her career. Her comeback was mainly successful in the United States and soon she was dressing Hollywood studio actresses, including Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.

Chanel continued to work until her death in 1971. Today, Karl Lagerfeld is Artistic Director at the House of Chanel, where he successfully combines the classic look with modern designs, techniques and materials." />

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