Chanel loved sports. Whether it was the horse riding she discovered in her youth with her great love, Boy Capel, or her passion for golf, practiced on the courses of the French Riviera. She mademoiselle was also a fervent swimmer, she liked to spend time in Monte Carlo, where she often took refuge, or in the seaside resorts of Deauville and Biarritz.
Today this passion, which has always been one of the guidelines of the brand’s style, is also the protagonist of Haute Joaillerie Sport, the new high jewelery collection designed by Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel Gioielleria Creative Studio and presented on Tuesday in Monte Carlo.
The line, divided into six chapters and developed in 80 pieces, (including 18 necklaces, 16 earrings and 33 rings, as well as bracelets, brooches and a jewel watch) pushed Leguéreau to get closer to the anatomy of the body, in line with the idea of sportswear.
THE STYLIST
For Coco, physical activity was a metaphor for freedom and independence that allowed her to break society’s rules. The designer, in fact, had embraced body awareness and freedom of movement as early as 1921, using jersey for clothing dedicated to free time, creating a “Sport” atelier and even developing a dedicated beauty line. Thanks to their transformability and their modular concept, the Haute Joaillerie Sport pieces form a light ensemble, to be worn as you prefer, between fleece collars and tie rods, stripes and club crests. The motifs and graphics of the jewels revisit the symbols dear to Mademoiselle: the 5 is an inscription from “Chronometer”, the lion is set in a coat of arms and the star is a symbol of victory.
THE SIGNATURE
The brand’s signature is introduced for the first time in high jewelery creations in the form of a precious mesh as in the Chanel Print cuff bracelet characterized by a white gold lattice. The peculiarity of this piece lies in the interchangeability of the bracelet, in gold and diamonds, in printed carbon or half and half. Added to this are the chevron motif that evokes rhythm and speed, and the tubular chains in black, gold and diamond enamel that recall skipping ropes.
There are also carabiners, borrowed from sports equipment, which become real charms, no longer hidden but placed in the center of the jewel, including one redesigned in the shape of the number 5, a rotating closure borrowed from the iconic 2.55 bag and a set of buckles and loops. The chokers are all important: there is the Sweater necklace in white gold, platinum, onyx diamonds and 11 emeralds which recalls the collar of a polo shirt and has two pendant drawstrings made up of 11 emeralds. The latter detach and become earrings.
THE MEDAL
The Graphic Line necklace, on the other hand, resembles a medal with a diamond in the center and a bow made of enamel and gold. Or the Gold Slider necklace, whose slider can be positioned at different points on the chain to wear it in different ways: choker version, double twist or sautoir version.
A distinctive feature of the collection is the combination of precious and high-tech materials: aluminium, exceptionally light and resistant which takes on new colours; carbon fiber and enamel which expand the color palette with shades perfectly matched to the shades of the precious stones.
RESEARCH
The search for the latter has once again confirmed the brand’s expertise in the field of jewellery, showcasing gems never before presented such as the set of five Kashmir sapphires, the result of work lasting several years. A celebration of beauty, challenges and triumphs but above all of the sporting allure deeply rooted in Chanel’s history.
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