Despite having died forty years ago in 1971, Coco Chanel's legacy lives on. An extraordinary and colourful character, Coco was a pioneer in the world of fashion who defined an era of style with her classic, timeless designs and redefined what it was to dress as a woman. A firm believer in elegance and the wearing of perfume, she had a lot to say about life - whether it was how to achieve your dreams or the importance of putting on make-up.

In honour of what would have been her 129th birthday (19 August), we've selected some of her lasting pearls of wisdom in the gallery below. Simply click an image to launch the gallery.

Picture credits: Getty Images and Rex Features

Life according to Coco Chanel