Chanel

The house of Chanel was founded in 1910, but its jewellery department did not open until a century later. The spirit of Coco Chanel shines through all the brand's jewellery collections, with its designers finding their inspiration in the intimate world of "Mademoiselle". Lire la suite
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Chanel, the height of French elegance


The name Chanel evokes haute couture and perfumery, and of course Coco Chanel, who turned convention on its head at the beginning of the 20th century. She removed feathers and other frilly decorations from hats, shortened skirts and eliminated waistlines to create more freedom of movement, created simple, practical clothes, and even wore her hair short! Founded in 1910 with the opening of a hat shop in Paris, ""Chanel Modes"" evolved to become the empire we know it as today, and to be the very definition of French elegance. From the introduction of jersey for making clothes to the creation of N°5 perfume in 1921, Gabrielle Chanel popularised a new style, her very own, especially cardigans and trousers for women, in the period between the two wars. But the jewellery Chanel was designing at this time had nothing on that created by the most famous jewellers on Place Vendôme. For in the House's spirit of simplicity, their outfits were paired with costume jewellery. Indeed, while its creations are often described as ""genre pauvre"" because of their plainness - just think of the famous little black dress - Chanel aims to make a clear distinction between simplicity and austerity. Yes the outfit should be simple, but accessorised.

Chanel jewellery is first and foremost costume jewellery

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Coco actually became the queen of costume jewellery. Rhinestones, fake pearls and semi-precious stones soon adorned ""Mademoiselle Chanel's"" outfits, herself a fan of coloured stones and especially the oriental pearls that she regularly wore as necklaces. A creator at heart, she couldn't resist pulling apart the expensive jewellery she received from her friends, the Duke of Westminster and the Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, with an ice pick to create her own jewellery.Byzantine-inspired brooches with motifs of flowers and animals - the camellia and the lion being favourites of Coco Chanel - and even shells, make Chanel's jewellery instantly recognisable. The House opened its own jewellery workshop in 1924, producing multicoloured bracelets decorated with the Maltese Cross. These were the brainchild of Italian jeweller Fulco Di Verdura, who actually lent Chanel the style of jewellery that is still transparent today, such as the chains adapted from sketches by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Coco Chanel's only fine jewellery exhibition


""If I chose the diamond, it is because it represents, along with its density, the greatest value in the smallest volume"". In 1932, French diamond dealers were struggling to recover from the 1929 crash. They chose to call on Gabrielle Chanel to help them recover, despite the displeasure of Place Vendôme's historic jewellers. And so Coco designed her only ever fine jewellery show, Bijoux de diamants. True to herself as ever, she favoured creation over ostentation and lightness over excess. Chanel got rid of clasps, designed necklaces which remained open, and drew inspiration from stars, feathers, fringes and ribbons. ""I want,"" she said, ""the jewel on the woman's finger to be like a ribbon"". The dressmaker turned jeweller also adopted other, more geometric motifs, like those she had seen every day in the orphanage of the Cistercian abbey of Aubazine where she spent most of her childhood. An abbey whose interlacing stained glass windows was the inspiration for the interlocked Cs in the Chanel logo. The The jewel can be regarded as a symbol of woman's freedom; this is a woman who can choose her own diamonds. And Gabrielle Chanel once again chose freedom when she decided to exhibit her fine jewellery collection at her home in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré rather than in her Parisian boutique.

Jewellery according to Chanel - the spirit of Mademoiselle


Yet it was not until 1993, more than 60 years later, that the house opened their Chanel Jewellery department. This was during the ""Karl Lagerfeld period"" of the company. Alain Wertheimer took over the reins of Chanel SA in 1976 - and remains the director to this day. He is the eldest son of Pierre Wertheimer, to whom Coco Chanel, who was always a poor manager, sold her company in the 1950s while retaining its directorship. With Karl Lagerfeld as artistic director of the fashion department, Chanel managed to regain its lustre. Inès de la Fressange is now the face of the brand. Chanel jewellery launched itself with the re-release of the Comet necklace, originally designed for the 1932 collection. In 1997, Chanel's first watch and jewellery boutique opened, unsurprisingly in Place Vendôme, and more precisely in the private mansion at number 18. The opening of their jewellery design studio in 2009, under the leadership of Patrice Leguéreau, helped to establish Chanel as one of the great French jewellery houses. The following year, the fine jewellery collection Plumes de Chanel allowed the company to really make its mark on the sector. The spirit of Coco Chanel still shines through the house's jewellery creations. This was highlighted in 2012 with the unveiling of 80 new pieces from the Bijoux de Diamant collection on the occasion of Coco's 80th birthday. Le Lion, the 2013 fine jewellery collection, is a direct tribute to Gabrielle Chanel, the lion being her astrological sign and emblem. ""As if to guard Mademoiselle's secrets and watch over her for eternity,"" the lion remains, more than ever, one of the favourite themes of jewellery according to Chanel.