A. Before she became a fashion designer, Coco Chanel was just a young woman determined to change her future. Her real name was Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. She wasn't born rich or famous. In fact, she grew up in deep poverty. Her mother died when she was just eleven and her father, unable to care for his five children, sent Gabrielle and her sisters to a Catholic orphanage*. There, Gabrielle was raised by nuns who taught her to read, write and, most importantly, to sew. Life at the orphanage was cold, strict and lonely but she dared to dream bigger than anyone around her. Dressed in her black-and-white uniform, Gabrielle had no idea that one day she would turn black and white into symbols of timeless elegance.

B. When Gabrielle left the orphanage at eighteen, she had nothing but her sewing skills and a vision of her future. She found work at a local sewing shop, working as a sewing assistant during the day and singing in cafés at night, earning just enough to survive. It was while singing in those smoky cafés that she got her nickname, 'Coco.' Some say it came from a song she often performed called Who Has Seen Coco? As a young woman, she owned very little but was rich in ideas and ambition.

C. Coco Chanel had always desired to design hats and clothes. In 1910, at the age of 27, she took a brave step for a woman of her time: she opened a tiny shop in Paris and began designing hats. People in high society laughed at the idea of a poor orphan girl calling herself a designer. But Coco's hats were elegant, simple and unlike anything Paris had ever seen. Her minimalist style soon caught the attention of influential French actresses, who began wearing Coco Chanel's hats on stage and in public. Their support gave Chanel's brand the first spark of recognition that it needed so much.

D. As her hat shop's reputation grew, Coco Chanel began to develop new ideas in fashion. She believed that women should be able to move, breathe and live beautifully – not be trapped by fashion. So she went on to create dresses without corsets. Without them, women could finally feel confident and free. At first, people laughed at her designs.' Where are the corsets and the lace?' they asked. But gradually, women began to fall in love with Chanel's relaxed but elegant style. One by one, they started buying her dresses and soon Chanel was a rising star in fashion, creating a sensation across Paris.

E. Around 1918, inspired by her love of horse riding, Chanel began designing trousers for women. At a time when trousers were considered clothing only for men, she adapted them for women, combining elegance and individual style with freedom of movement. Her designs gave women a new sense of freedom, not only in fashion but also in society. For the first time, women could wear what they wanted, rather than what they were expected to wear. Another fashion revolution came when Coco Chanel cut her hair short and showed off her sun-tanned skin. At a time when women were expected to have long hair and pale skin, her short haircut and golden tan inspired women to change their style and accept a modern look.

F. In the 1930s Coco Chanel designed costumes for Hollywood films and was close friends with famous figures such as actress Marlene Dietrich and artist Salvador Dalí. By 1935 her fashion house employed around 4,000 people and was worth millions. Her designs were admired not only in Paris but around the world. Chanel had come a long way from the girl who once sewed in an orphanage and sang for coins in smoky cafés. She once said, 'Where you start doesn't matter. It's what you do next that counts.' Her own story proves exactly that. Coco Chanel started with nothing and through talent, ambition and fearless innovation, she introduced a new world of fashion.

* orphanage: ობოლთა თავშესაფარი

This is a true story told by Keith Wilson, an old school friend of the legendary rock singer Freddie Mercury.

I met Freddie at St Peter's – a British-style boarding school for boys in Panchgani, India. Back then, I knew him only as Farrokh and later as Fred Bulsara, not as Freddie Mercury. Though I was a year younger, I soon became friends with him. Freddie was friendly and good-natured. He was quiet and shy with strangers, but lively and funny with us. We were part of a lively group of friends, always finding ways to have fun and enjoy a little freedom from the strict rules of boarding school life. Freddie often acted as the peacemaker in our group. He hated it when anyone argued and always found a way to make us laugh and forget our quarrels. At school he was excellent at sports, especially boxing and table tennis and loved winning. Freddie also took pride in his school achievements and enjoyed collecting his awards and certificates. However, what made him especially popular was his clear musical talent. From an early age he could hear a new Elvis Presley song once and then play it perfectly on the piano. Many of us were amazed by this ability. I remember once he received a box of chocolates – a rare treat in those days. Normally, most of us would share a bit and keep the rest for ourselves, but Freddie was different. He offered all his chocolates to everyone and even gave me a few extra to take home to my sister. He was always like that – kind and thoughtful. But above all, Freddie loved his mother. From school we all wrote letters home, but while most of us sent only a few lines like, 'I'm fine, hope you're fine too, miss you', Freddie always wrote long letters to his mother telling her in detail about everything that was going on. He also kept all her letters with great care and often reread them whenever he felt homesick.

After Grade 11, Freddie moved to Mumbai to live with his aunt and we lost touch for many years. In 1974, I met him by chance in a London restaurant. A man walked over from a nearby table and asked if I was Keith Wilson. I didn't recognise him at first, as he looked completely different from the schoolboy I remembered, but when he said he was Freddie Bulsara, I was overjoyed. We chatted for a few minutes. Then he left with his friends. The funny thing was, that I had absolutely no idea that Freddie Bulsara was, in fact, Freddie Mercury.

I wasn't into rock music and this was long before the internet, so it was impossible for me to connect my old school friend with the famous musician everyone was talking about. Later, when I asked for the bill, the waiter told me that Freddie had already paid it. I was pleasantly surprised, but that was just like him. A few months later, when I went to a music store to buy some albums, I saw Freddie's face on an album cover. Curious, I asked the assistant about it and that's when I discovered that my old school friend Fred Bulsara was now the rock star Freddie Mercury! Despite all the fame, those same gentle, innocent Bulsara eyes were still looking back at me from the album cover. A couple of years after Freddie's death, I returned to India for a visit. Some of our old school friends got together and we raised our glasses in memory of our dear friend – Farrokh Bulsara, the boy who became a rock star but whose heart stayed the same.