Caveat emptor, I am mostly ignorant of this tidbit from The Cut of Coco by Anka Muhlstein in New York Review of Books: Chanel’s approach reminds me of the services and add-on model to open-source offerings in the software sector:

Far from being upset, she immediately saw the advantage of being copied as a form of free publicity, especially for her perfumes. Once she returned home, she organized a private runway presentation in London and specified in the invitations that her guests were welcome to bring their dressmakers, who would be free to make sketches and take notes. This innovation underscored not only Chanel’s intelligence but also her ambition.