If you’re a loyal fashion devotee, the chances of you saving up for the iconic Chanel handbag from your first paycheck is higher than you putting money aside for health insurance. When it comes to Chanel, the design house’s iconicism goes beyond trends and fads, which is why a handbag designed by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel in 1955, remains to be on the top of every style connoisseurs must-have list. The 2.55 square-framed leather arm candy, now known as the 11.2 revived version, carries the same appeal and impact. As an ode to the original design, the brand launched a new campaign, paying homage to a forever classic.
The Chanel Iconic
Lensed by popular fashion photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, it features the models wearing the 11.12 bag in pristine white colour and classic black, strutting around the chic Parisian neighbourhood. Keeping the focus strictly on the star of the shoot, the images capture the handbag in its full glory, making the model an accessory to the pochette.
Tracing The History
Coco designed the 2.55 originally in 1929, but in 1955, she introduced the shoulder strap version, which later became the most important accessory in fashion. Every aspect of the bag has her history etched to it. The colour of Coco’s uniform influenced the burgundy leather with which it was lined in the initial years from the time she was raised at the orphanage. The quilting texture on the handbag was motivated by the male stablehands, who wore jackets with a similar surface. Another unconventional feature that it carried was the secret chain compartment that didn’t exist in other bags of that time; it was specifically designed by her to stash her secret love letters.
Evolution From Coco’s 2.55 to Lagerfeld’s 11.12
In the 80s, when Karl Lagerfeld joined Chanel as the creative director, he revamped the classic flap and created the version we see swaying on the ‘it’ girl shoulder today. He introduced the signature double CC intertwined lock, interlaced the metal chain with leather and incorporated 4 functional pockets. Lagerfeld’s design has been carried by significant figures like Princess Diana, Beyonce, Kate Middleton, also including the millennial brigade of Bella Hadid, Kristen Stewart and Kylie Jenner.
