Chanel’s high jewellery goes sporty
The French maison’s latest collection is a masterclass on how its founder’s sporty style can come to life in jewellery-making
WHAT HAS HIGH JEWELLERY TO do with sports?
For the less imaginative among us, “nothing” could well be the answer. But for luxury French maison Chanel, “a lot” is more like it.
And that is exactly what it has demonstrated in its latest collection, Haute Joaillerie Sport (Sport High Jewellery), which looks back at the sporting style of its charismatic founder, Gabrielle Chanel, for inspiration.
After all, Mademoiselle Chanel’s creations were all about body awareness and freedom of movement. In fact, the sporty style was so important to her that she created a “Sport” atelier within her haute couture house from as early as 1921, with one of the best-known outfits being the Chanel tennis dress.
For Patrice Leguereau, director of Chanel’s Fine Jewellery Creation Studio, not only is this an integral part of the house’s history, it is clearly also time to showcase this less prominent nugget.
And so he has dived headlong into an 80-strong collection spread across six sparkling chapters, stretching both his imagination and the house’s technical capabilities as he went along.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm
Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
Aesthetically, these are pieces that are refined, streamlined and articulated, so the jewellery moves as the body – and sportswear – does. While chevron motifs evoke rhythm and speed, the generous and surprising use of colour injects energy and dynamism. At the same time, key symbols of the house appear, in new forms and unexpected ways.
To create a collection that is not only elegant but also functional, transformable and comfortable to wear, there needs to be technical savoir faire at the highest level. With Sport, Chanel’s craftsmen were kept busy introducing new materials and developing technical solutions. Among other innovations, there are quick-release clasps borrowed from sports equipment, a swivel fastener taken from the house’s iconic 2.55 bag and a new tube chain that resembles the drawstring.
And of course, what is high jewellery without amazing jewels? With Sport, Chanel has put together its most beautiful ensemble of gemstones yet, showcasing the finest precious stones on Place Vendome alongside complex techniques.
Even as the collection celebrates the house’s sporty roots and the body’s freedom of movement, it is also testament to the maison’s remarkable creativity, technical mastery and laser-like focus on hunting down the most exquisite stones.
Most of all, we love that these imaginative and cleverly designed pieces are unified by a fresh, contemporary aesthetic – and one that carries whispers of Mademoiselle Chanel’s own adventurous spirit.
Ready to discover what’s in the six thematic chapters?
Well, get set and go.
Graphic Line
Defined by its strong chevron motif, the Graphic Line captures your attention with its tapered lines and clean contours. Most of all, it is where the masterpieces of the entire Sport collection can be found.
Not only does its most prestigious set comprising a necklace, earrings and two rings bring together four types of precious stones – diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds – it features five Kashmir sapphires which the maison painstakingly researched and spent years sourcing since 2017.
Totalling over 42 carats, these velvety Kashmir sapphires are all harmonised in shape, cut, crystal and brilliance.
One of these is a centrestone in the necklace, whose chevron motif enlarges towards the front, filling out with no less than a luscious stream of fancy-cut diamonds, and bordered on one side by a graduated line of diagonally-set baguette rubies.
This strong, statement piece holds a surprise at the back – a diamond-paved swivel clasp that mimics that of Chanel’s iconic 2.55 handbag.
Of the five precious Kashmir sapphires, the largest – at 17.18 cts – graces one of the two diamond and onyx cocktail rings in this set. This ring in white gold and platinum can be worn in three different ways, as its ring jacket can be detached from the central ring.
Finally, a pair of earrings in white gold and platinum, with diamonds, emeralds, onyx and a dangling Kashmir sapphire on each side, complete the prized set.
Sweater
Who would have thought the sweatshirt in all its casual, slouchy, comfy form can inspire a set of high jewellery?
In the inventive mind of Leguereau, not only is that possible, he has also gone a step further and designed new, gold tubular chains paired with “eyelets” – reminiscent of drawstrings emerging from a hoodie collar – to add on to necklaces and earrings. For Chanel’s artisans, this means a careful development process to ensure that every element in the chain is positioned correctly, so the requisite level of flexibility is achieved to produce supple movements.
The result? “Sport cords” like you’ve never seen before.
Chanel Print
This particular chapter takes the Chanel logo and merrily deconstructs it, so the letters of the maison’s name scatter in the form of a lacework. A signature creation in this chapter is a one-off pair of cuffs developed in the spirit of sporting equipment. With it, two new materials were introduced for the first time into the maison’s high jewellery world – carbon and anodised aluminium.
These materials were chosen for their light weight and ability to allow for surface treatment respectively, and make up two halves of a set of cuff “shells”. The other cuff is made of white gold and diamonds. The two sets of “shells” can be attached to a central line dressed in diamonds and rubies, and voila – you have a transformable cuff that can be worn in three different ways.
Quilted Icons
Here, Chanel’s distinct and easily recognisable quilted motif is re-imagined to look like openwork fabric. The motif’s weave is made up of articulated crosses – another first for the maison – so they undulate as they sit on the wearer’s skin.
These are joined by Chanel’s iconic number 5, the “CHANEL” inscription and stars – symbols of victory. In particular, the one-off Quilted Stars necklace opens at the front when its centre yellow diamond is pivoted to release a safety clasp. This technical feat delivers a revolutionary approach to high jewellery that is both surprising and oh, so clever.
Sporty 5
Snap hooks are frequently used in the sporting world, but when Chanel chooses to celebrate this humble metal loop, you can expect it to be elevated to iconic status. In this chapter, the quick-release hook comes in the shape of the number 5 – Chanel’s lucky number – and opens when the locking system is pressed, just like the real thing.
The Sporty 5 diamond necklace and earring set is also transformable; the “sport cord” tube chain tassel and the pear-shaped diamond pendant are interchangeable and can also be positioned on the creole-shaped ear motif.
Gold Slider
Who doesn’t want jewellery that is easily adjusted and transformed?
Chanel’s answer to this comes in the form of an adjustable button – akin to a slider that you’d use to open and close a sweatshirt. Here, the circular button is accompanied by a tie-shaped label.
Specifically, the Gold Slider Black and White necklace incorporates key components of the Sport collection, including the tubular chain, the quilted motif and the “sport cord” or drawstring. With the slider, the necklace can be worn short as a choker or long as a sautoir, perfectly representing the freedom and savoir faire that is at the heart of Chanel’s Sport High Jewellery collection.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
