Sandra‘s Closet

Meet Wanda, the new contemporary bag from the House of Ferragamo honouring the late Wanda Miletti Ferragamo, who took over the reins when Salvatore Ferragamo passed away in August 1960. Until her death on 19 October 2018, at the age of 97, she was the intelligent and steadfast leader of the Salvatore Ferragamo company, overseeing the growth of the entire company from management and finance to inventory and technical issues. Her mission was striving to push forward and maintain her husband’s legacy in the world of quality Italian goods.

Ferragamo’s new creative director, Maximilian Davis, reimagined the bag in three new geometric proportions. «I want each piece to feel playful, but also desirable as an object,» he says. «I want it to stand on its own.»

Compact and sparkly, the micro version of the Ferragamo Wanda bag is my favorite and comes covered in tonal micro-crystals so it can go with yours on your most special occasions. The lines are geometric, with the handle integrated into the panels and Gancini buckles on the sides that are a lovely nod to the Italian brand’s heritage. Carry it as a handbag or crossbody bag with the detachable strap.

TO SHOP THE FERRAGAMO WANDA BAG, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos:© Ferragamo / © Sandra Bauknecht / @georgiashane
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Gucci proudly commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Horsebit 1953 loafer, an enduring emblem of the House’s heritage and savoir-faire, with a new campaign starring actor and Ambassador Paul Mescal and Global Brand Ambassador Xiao Zhan.

Gucci Catalog in 1968

Introduced in 1953, the Gucci Horsebit 1953 loafer revolutionized the world of footwear, blending sophistication with comfort. Its distinctive design, featuring a miniaturized horse bit—a double ring connected by a bar—soon became a hallmark element of the House effortlessly bridging the gap between the heritage of the past and contemporary fashion. Over the decades, the Gucci loafer has evolved into an essential part of the wardrobe thanks to its ability to seamlessly blend Italian craftsmanship, the American outdoor lifestyle, and the classic British equestrian aesthetic.

Ad Campaign in 1990

The legendary Horsebit 1953 loafer encapsulates Gucci’s rich history, with its enduring appeal that transcends generations, it serves as an example of Italian design excellence and elegance.

The new campaign showcases the timeless yet contemporary allure of this style, as both Paul Mescal and Xiao Zhan are captured at ease wearing the original design from 1953. Their portraits elegantly demonstrate how the heritage hardware and silhouette continue to inspire and captivate generation after generation.

Below you can enjoy some making of photos.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Gucci – Creative Director: Sabato De Sarno – Art Director: Riccardo Zanola – Photographer & Director: Heji Shin DoP: Karol Jurga – Styling: Felicity Kay – Grooming: Josh Knight – Set Design: Danny Hyland DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Tiffany & Co. today announces the debut of its latest jewelry collection: Tiffany Forge. Crafted from sterling silver, Tiffany Forge celebrates the unique path that every individual creates. With a design that showcases links that are not closed; rather, they are open and unrestricted, the collection symbolizes a sense of openness to the twists and turns of life.

Tiffany Forge pays tribute to the House’s long tradition of crafting sterling silver masterworks, a metal that is deeply engrained in in the House’s heritage. Over a century ago, Tiffany & Co. set the U.S. standard for sterling silver purity (9.25 parts per 1,000 parts silver) and Tiffany Forge honors this legacy. When conceptualizing the collection’s signature open-link motif, Tiffany & Co. designers reimagined archival designs, including a pocket watch from the 1880s, a bracelet from Blue Book 1958 and a necklace from Blue Book 1975–76.

«Tiffany Forge and the collection’s signature open-link motif proudly honor our exceptional craftsmanship and showcases our hollowware workshop capabilities,» said Alexandre Arnault, Executive Vice President, Product and Communication, Tiffany & Co. «Each design has a bold look and feel. The silver collections have always been an integral part of our legacy and we are excited to expand our silver offering to include Forge.»

The full suite of the new Forge creations is featured in multiple expressions of an open-link motif with bold designs, offered in either high-polished or blackened sterling silver. The collection will include both narrow and wide chain iterations in necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings that play with scale and dimensionality.

The collection will be available at Tiffany & Co. stores globally, as well as on Tiffany.com, in October.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Tiffany & Co.
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The eldest of a modest family of eleven children, Jeanne Lanvin was born in Paris on January 1, 1867. From an early age, her independence and strength of character foretold Jeanne’s extraordinary fate. At the age of thirteen, Jeanne earned her first wages working for a milliner on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. In charge of delivering hats all over Paris by omnibus, she found a clever way to save the cost of a bus ticket: she followed the vehicle on foot. Nicknamed the «Little Omnibus», Jeanne had already gotten herself noticed and quickly worked her way up the ladder.

A hard worker, Jeanne Lanvin began her milliner’s apprenticeship a few years later and proved to be quite creative. The hats created by «Mademoiselle Jeanne» were met with great success, and Jeanne started dreaming of opening her own shop. The dream would soon become a reality for the then 22-year-old milliner. Through her many sacrifices and persistence, she managed to get her creations, labeled «Lanvin (Mademoiselle Jeanne) Modes», worn by the most fashionable Parisians.

Portrait of Jeanne Lanvin, 1934 © Studio Harcourt / Patrimoine Lanvin

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

On August 31,1897, Jeanne Lanvin gave birth to Marguerite: her only child, her greatest love, and her muse. From their close bond was born one of the most famous French fashion houses. Nothing was too beautiful for Marguerite. The little girl became the first source of inspiration for Jeanne Lanvin, who designed an incredibly sophisticated wardrobe for her from a very early age. The mother and daughter never left each other’s side. It wasn’t uncommon to catch sight of Marguerite meandering around the hat shelves in the store, where she was often complimented on her elegant outfits. A new opportunity then presented itself to Jeanne Lanvin, who decided to delve into children’s clothing.

This extraordinary mother-daughter relationship is deeply connected to the brand’s history: it was out of her love for Marguerite that Jeanne Lanvin began designing dresses. It was also for her daughter, who by then had become Countess Marie-Blanche de Polignac, that Jeanne launched the legendary perfume Arpège in 1927, as a birthday present. Through this extraordinary bond of maternal love, the brand’s iconic logo was born: a drawing of a woman and her child, imagined by the Art Deco illustrator Paul Iribe.

Marie-Blanche de Polignac, circa 1930 © Roger Schall/ Patrimoine Lanvin

A STEP AHEAD

A true visionary, Jeanne Lanvin captured the spirit of the times throughout her career in order to bring her fashion house to heights of elegance and modernity. The designer was a pioneer in many fields. It was important for her to forge ahead and never fall behind. A jack of all trades, Jeanne Lanvin developed the brand’s business by regularly opening new departments in order to meet the needs of an evolving society.

Hats, children’s clothing, young ladies’ and women’s collections, furs, lingerie, wedding gowns, sports attire, men’s collections, perfumes, and even interior design: through her audacity, Jeanne Lanvin gradually built an empire and heralded a lifestyle revolution. Her career boasts a long list of firsts: Jeanne Lanvin was the first designer to launch a children’s fashion line in 1908; the first to offer a made-to-measure men’s collection in 1926; and even the first to create a mixed eau de toilette in 1933. At its peak, Lanvin had nearly 1,200 employees, many stores, and several branches throughout the world, all thanks to the vision of an exceptional woman.

Modèle Sport, Hiver 1928. Gouache Drawing © Patrimoine Lanvin

TRAVEL JOURNALS

The success of Lanvin was unmistakably due to the curiosity, inventiveness, and creative energy of its founder. With each new collection, Jeanne Lanvin sought to reinvent herself and drew inspiration from traveling, the artists of her time, and everything around her. When she wasn’t working on her next collection, Jeanne Lanvin would frequently travel, taking the time to jot down her experiences and inspirations. Her travel journals were never far from her when she was working, carefully stored away in her office.

In addition to her memories, Jeanne Lanvin would write about objects she had found, fabric samples, or the traditional clothing of the countries she or her close friends and family would visit: Indian saris, Chinese attire, toreador outfits, or ethnic embroideries and materials.

Egypt, circa 1930 – © DR / Patrimoine Lanvin.

AN ARTISTIC SENSIBILITY

Although she mostly kept to herself, Jeanne Lanvin’s artistic sensibility and creative spirit opened the doors very early on to the most avant-garde artistic circles of her time. The designer would frequently socialize with painters from the Nabis movement, in particular Édouard Vuillard, with whom she shared an obsession with color.

Jeanne Lanvin was also a collector, amassing works by Renoir, Degas, Fantin-Latour, Fragonard, and many others. She was highly influenced by the use of light in Impressionist paintings as well as the symbolic works of Odilon Redon. These artistic affinities could often be seen in the brand’s collections. Jeanne Lanvin’s passion for color even led her to open her own dye factory in 1923.

Jeanne Lanvin at a fitting with Yvonne Printemps, circa 1936 – © DR / Patrimoine Lanvin.

THE LANVIN STYLE

Jeanne Lanvin had many inspirations, but elegance, femininity, and modernity were the designer’s key words. In the 1920s, Lanvin stood out for its use of bold colors combined with innovative decorative techniques. Ribbons, embroideries, pearls, and precious details adorned dresses without ever compromising the ateliers’ cutting work and exceptional construction.

The use of black and white was frequently incorporated with the brand’s iconic colors, such as the Lanvin blue. This combination, sometimes interspersed with touches of silver, represented the peak of chic in the mid-1920s. It was the result of geometric research inspired by the Art Deco movement, which was then at the height of its influence.

Embroideries and beading created in the Lanvin ateliers between 1925 and 1935 – © Patrimoine Lanvin.

MADAME LANVIN

The success of Jeanne Lanvin’s fashion house lay in her long years of persistent work. Reserved and meticulous, her unique personality made her stand out from her contemporaries.

«Madame,» as her staff called her, was a demanding boss who, nevertheless, put great trust in the talented individuals surrounding her. Jeanne Lanvin was self-taught and did not draw. She worked a lot with the materials and exchanged her ideas directly with her head seamstresses, who were responsible for creating the models. Refusing to participate in most social events, the designer evolved within restricted and intimate circles of artists, writers, and musicians. It was very rare to see her at a ball or at the Longchamp races, and if by chance you ran into her there, it was because she came to observe the elegant Parisians in order to better anticipate their future desires.

On July 6, 1946, Jeanne Lanvin passed away peacefully at the age of 79. «Madame» Jeanne—the milliner, the designer, the decorator, the perfume manufacturer—left behind an empire in her wake.

After Jeanne Lanvin passed away, her daughter Marie-Blanche became president of the company and continued to design collections until 1950. Several designers succeeded her with the ambition of keeping the brand’s expertise, state of mind, and excellence intact.

Since 2018, it has been a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Lanvin Group, originally named Fosun Fashion Group. Stay tuned for the next post, in which I will tell you how Lanvin does new-tailoring today under the creative vision of Bruno Sialelli, a 31-year-old French designer!

LoL, Sandra

Jeanne Lanvin and a mannequin, 1935 – © New York Times/Rea

Photos: © LANVIN
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Mary Quant (Feb 11, 1930 – April 13, 2023), one of the most influential figures in the fashion scene, died at age 93 peacefully at home in Surrey, UK. Being credited with making fashion accessible to the masses with her sleek, streamlined and vibrant designs, she is also known as the pioneer of the mini skirt and hot pants. While this claim has been challenged by others, it became the trademark of her style, and she is cited as the inventor of this style. However, Mary Quant liberated more than just our legs. Her real legacy was more profound, and her vision of female freedom still feels as fresh as it did back in 1955.

Dame Mary was the daughter of two Welsh teachers but was born in Blackheath, London, in 1930. She gained a diploma in the 1950s in art education at Goldsmiths College, where she met her husband Alexander Plunket Greene, who later helped establish her brand and with whom she married until his death in 1990. The couple had a son, Orlando, who was born in 1970. In 2014, she was made a dame for services to British fashion in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.

The V&A Museum, which hosted an exhibition about Dame Mary’s designs in 2020, wrote: «It’s impossible to overstate Quant’s contribution to fashion. She represented the joyful freedom of 1960s fashion, and provided a new role model for young women. Fashion today owes so much to her trailblazing vision.»

Quant initially sold clothing sourced from wholesalers in her new boutique in the Kings Road named Bazaar, that she had opened in 1955. Being the first concept store in the world, she created a special environment, including music, drinks, and long hours that appealed to young adults. A groundbreaking service at that time – this environment was unique for the industry, as it differentiated from the stale department stores and inaccessible high-end designer store environments that had a hold of the fashion market.

The bolder and more unique pieces in her collection started garnering more attention from media like Harper’s Bazaar, and an American manufacturer purchased some of her dress designs. Because of this attention and her personal love for these bolder styles, she decided to take designs into her own hands. Initially working solo, she was soon employing a handful of machinists; by 1966 she was working with a total of 18 manufacturers. A self-taught designer inspired by the culture-forward «Chelsea Set» of artists and socialites, Quant’s designs were riskier and more unique than standard styles of the time.

Dame Mary named the mini skirt after her favourite make of car, recalled its «feeling of freedom and liberation» . She said: «It was the girls on King’s Road who invented the mini. I was making clothes which would let you run and dance and we would make them the length the customer wanted. I wore them very short and the customers would say, ‘shorter, shorter’.»

In 1988, Quant designed the interior of the Mini (1000) Designer (originally dubbed the Mini Quant, the name was changed when popularity charts were set against having Quant’s name on the car). It featured black-and-white striped seats with red trimming.

Quant’s designs revolutionized fashion from the utilitarian wartime standard of the late 1940s to the energy of the 1950s and 1960s’ cultural shifts. Modern fashion owes a great deal to the trailblazing 1960s designer Mary Quant. She stocked her own original items in an array of colours and patterns. From skinny-rib sweaters, to coloured tights and ‘onesies‘, you will be amazed that Dame Mary also revolutionized the high street with trousers for women, as well as accessories, tights and make-up, while using the daisy brand design that became synonymous with her creations. Quant looks changed the way we dress, proving there was more to Mary than just miniskirts.

Here are some things that you might not know about that are credited to Mary Quant:

THE JERSEY DRESS

Quant saw the potential for easy jersey garments as outerwear in the ’60s. Leading then the jersey dress boom by producing thousands of designs in hundreds of different colors, including different shaped collars, sleeves, zips and buttons, with skirts swishy or straight, the jersey dress became a driving force in the democratization of style.

TIGHTS

Where would the modern women be without stretchy tights, in black, or a choice of colours? Sixty years ago, most women were still unquestionably wearing stockings in the shade «American Tan» (black stockings were a hangover from the Victorian era). Held up by garters, or attached to a separate suspender belt with hard metal clips, stockings were fiddly and uncomfortable to wear. Skirts meanwhile fell below the knee to keep all this hardware, and naked thighs, firmly hidden from view. Mary Quant, always looking to develop new ideas, wanted stockings and tights in bright colors, such as mustard yellow, ginger and prune, as well as black – the perfect accompaniment to her knee-skimming skirts and dresses which enabled women to dance, run and move. She partnered with the Nylon Hosiery Company, set up in 1954 by the Curry family, who had recently emigrated from India. They developed a technique of making long stockings which joined together at the top, and were specially dyed to contrast and co-ordinate with Mary Quant separates. The partnership proved to be long-lived, with an ever-expanding range of new colours and patterned knits, including the 1966 «Highball» glitter stockings in silver, gold, green, blue and red.

TROUSERS FOR WOMEN

From skinny jeans and culottes to harem pants, bell bottoms and power suits, trousers have been an essential part of fashionable women’s wardrobes for over 50 years. This was thanks largely to Mary Quant, who was one of the first designers to promote trousers and suits as fashionable womenswear. When Quant opened her famous boutique, Bazaar, trousers and jeans were popular with female students and subcultures on the outskirts of mainstream fashion. Appropriating trousers for women remained a strong theme throughout Quant’s career, as she pushed towards an increasingly androgynous look, playfully challenging established gender norms.

THE SKINNY-RIBBED SWEATER

As with many of Quant’s designs, the inspiration for the skinny-rib came from childrenswear. In her 1966 autobiography, she describes how she «pulled on an eight year old boy’s sweater for fun» and was «enchanted» with the result. Six months later, Quant had put the skinny-rib into production and «all the birds were wearing the skinny ribs». Pinafores paired with sweaters were the building blocks of Mary Quant’s Ginger Group – the wholesale label she set up in 1963, which promoted good-value, mix-and-match separates.

PVC RAINWEAR

In the 1960s, Quant was «bewitched» by polyvinyl chloride (PVC), «this super shiny man-made stuff and its shrieking colours… its gleaming liquorice black, white and ginger.» (Quant by Quant, 1966). The plastic-coated cotton was a new material in the fashion world, having previously only been used for protective garments. Quant launched her «Wet Collection» in April 1963 at the Hôtel de Crillon, Paris, featuring entirely PVC garments. The show was attended by influential fashion editors, and it earned the designer her first magazine cover for British Vogue, featuring a brilliant-red PVC rain mac.

LOUNGEWEAR AND HOT PANTS

Writing in 2012, Quant recalled how she discovered the «house-wear» market in the US around 1965 and decided to bring this new concept to Europe. She designed «a collection of jersey tops and hotpants in striped jersey-knit fabrics with matching bras, pants, socks, leg warmers and minis – all using knitted fabrics of various thicknesses and weights». The idea of special clothes for lounging in at home was quite a change in mindset for most of the British public – who only had the ubiquitous dressing gown until then. The range included brightly coloured jersey and stretch towelling one-piece suits, with short zip-up versions and full-length styles that included feet. These easy-to-wear garments were the ultimate in comfort and freedom, made in the fun colours that were at the heart of Quant’s brand. Quant’s experiments with loungewear can be seen as the forerunner to the contemporary «onesie» craze.

WATERPROOF MASCARA

Quant also made her mark on the makeup world. Her cosmetics line, with its daisy logo and colorful crayon formulations, shared the same sunny, childlike outlook as her fashion. And she brought the world a truly innovative invention: waterproof mascara.

BOB HAIRCUT

Mary Quant made London swing in the early 1960s. But her look was completed by the liberating geometric haircuts of Vidal Sassoon. In 1964, Vidal Sassoon provided Mary Quant, then 34, with her signature haircut, that is now as closely associated with Quant as Sasson. The Bob is the most trending hairstyle at the moment again.

One of the most important figures in fashion, Quant’s influence can still be seen on catwalks. Rest in Peace, Mary, thank you!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Mary Quant, V&A, AP
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It is the end of an era! After 10 years, Jeremy Scott is leaving his role as creative director of Moschino. The Kansas City-native, 47, has been at the helm of the Italian luxury brand since 2013, carrying on the important legacy Franco Moschino left behind. Scott reignited the late designer’s tongue-in-cheek, humorous take on high fashion with his fantastical collections that I have been a huge fan of since decades!

Jeremy Scott’s first collection for Moschino was F/W 2014 (click here, to see the outfit post).

His first collection was for F/W 2014. It launched a thousand debates on the role of fashion in the annals of art, consumerism, and social commentary. Scott has penned a fundamental chapter in the legacy of the brand with his fearless and show stopping pop-camp style and incisive humor – true to the renowned codes of the House.

With Massimo Ferretti last month at the Moschino F/W 2023 show.

«I am fortunate to have had the opportunity of working with the creative force that is Jeremy Scott,» said Massimo Ferretti, executive chairman of Moschino’s parent company Aeffe in the official statement. «I would like to thank him for his 10 years of commitment to Franco Moschino’s legacy house and for ushering in a distinct and joyful vision that will forever be a part of Moschino history.»

With Jeremy backstage at his last show for Moschino in February.

Jeremy Scott said: «These past 10 years at Moschino have been a wonderful celebration of creativity and imagination. I am so proud of the legacy I am leaving behind. I would like to thank Massimo Ferretti for the honor of leading this iconic house. I would also like to thank all my fans around the world who celebrated me, my collections, and my vision for without you none of this would have been possible.»

I am really sad seeing Jeremy leave Moschino. I have been such a huge fan of his work and can only wish him the best. Thank you for all these dreams you have created for me.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Moschino, © Sandra Bauknecht / Nadia Krawiecka
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Louis Vuitton announces Pharrell Williams as its new Men’s Creative Director, effective immediately. His first collection for Louis Vuitton will be revealed this June during the Men’s Fashion Week in Paris.

Pharrell Williams is a visionary whose creative universes expand from music, to art, and to fashion – establishing himself as a cultural, global icon over the past twenty years. The way in which he breaks boundaries across the various worlds he explores aligns with Louis Vuitton’s status as a Cultural Maison, reinforcing its values of innovation, pioneer spirit and entrepreneurship.

«I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men’s Creative Director. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.»  declares Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO.

Billionaires Boys Club

Pharrell Williams is a visionary recording artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer, and entrepreneur with 10B combined global music streams to date. He excels as a fashion designer and entrepreneur with his Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream apparel among other brands. In the fall of 2019, Williams teamed up with David Grutman and opened both Swan and Bar Bevy in Miami’s Design District, and The Goodtime Hotel in 2021. In 2020, Pharrell founded Humanrace™, a product company with a mission to empower all individuals in their pursuit of wellbeing across product and people.

LoL, Sandra

Pharrell Williams’ The Goodtime Hotel 

Photos: © Louis Vuitton / Erik Ian – Billionaires Boys Club – The Goodtime Hotel
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When Gabrielle Chanel adopted tweed as her own, it was to gift its comfort to elegant, sporty and resolutely modern women. When Patrice Leguéreau, Director of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, took his inspiration from it in 2020, it was to create the first High Jewelry collection dedicated to tweed, with as its central masterpiece the « Tweed Couture » necklace.

Positioning the elements of the strands of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace on the sheet before setting.

Re-created today, this technical and aesthetic tour de force now forms part of the CHANEL High Jewelry Patrimoine. And it assures tweed a definitive place among the major inspirations of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Creation Studio.

Assembly of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

Taming tweed. Transforming its softness, reinterpreting its weave and the irregularities that deepen its fleecy qualities, and mastering its suppleness in gold, pearls and gemtones. This is the dream that is realized in the « Tweed Couture » necklace. Unfolding in a host of radiating lines of varying lengths, it evokes a dense yet astonishingly light weave, created through a number of innovative processes.

Threading the chain that creates the horizontal weave of the tweed through the strands. First mounting of the chain before dismantling it for setting of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

The first of these is the articulation of rose gold and platinum threads to create minuscule hinges, rings and joints that infuse the whole structure of the necklace with suppleness. They are complemented by settings of equal lightness, in which each stone appears to be freed from claws or beads, to be fully revealed in the light.

Assembly of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

Rows of infinitely delicate pink sapphires, intense and crystalline red spinels, velvet-smooth pearls and diamonds of dazzling clarity weave the warp and weft of the tweed to re-create its downy thickness. A row of pearls, meanwhile, punctuated in the center by a 10.20 carat DIF type IIa cushion-cut diamond, delicately accentuates the base of the neck. Finally, the back of every element has been polished to ensure the necklace is as light and comfortable as tweed.

Adjustments of the center stone, a cushion-cut diamond of 10,20 carats of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

In its perfect embrace of the curve of the neck and its re-creation of the tweed weave, the « Tweed Couture » necklace elevates suppleness to the level of a creative principle, as exalted by the mastery and savoir-faire of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Atelier. In its freedom and inventiveness, it celebrates the uncompromising boldness of Mademoiselle and takes its place in the CHANEL High Jewelry Patrimoine.

«The « Tweed Couture” necklace, which combines most of the technical challenges we had to face in 2020, was the most ambitious piece in this High Jewelry collection. For example, more than 980 articulations were assembled to create the exceptional suppleness of the necklace. That’s why today, CHANEL is proud to donate this exceptional piece to the Patrimoine department as a precious testimony of our creativity and savoir-faire.» – Patrice Leguéreau

Gabrielle Chanel and the tweed jacket of her English Duke lover changed fashion for ever. The fabric was also the inspiration for Virginie Viard’s F/W 2022 collection for CHANEL.

TWEED BY CHANEL

In the 1920s, Gabrielle Chanel had a love affair with the Duke of Westminster and discovered the lifestyle of the English aristocracy.
The Duke had an indisputable influence on the designs of Mademoiselle, who notably borrowed his tweed jackets to offer reinterpretations of them in her collections.
Tweed is a thick, soft woolen fabric that takes its name from the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders. While it has been part of the CHANEL vocabulary of style since the 1920s, it entered the Maison’s world of jewelry in 2020, with an initial collection of 45 High Jewelry pieces.

Work on « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

The most expensive piece in the 2020 collection, the « Tweed Couture » necklace has been reproduced for the occasion in order to join the pieces in the CHANEL High Jewelry Patrimoine department, such as the « 55.55 » necklace from the “N°5” High Jewelry Collection.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL #TweedDeCHANEL #CHANELHighJewelry
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In her ateliers on rue Cambon, Gabrielle Chanel always kept two tools to hand: a pair of scissors suspended from a ribbon which she wore round her neck as a sautoir, and on her wrist the indispensable tool of any seamstress, a pincushion.

In 2023, Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of the CHANEL Watchmaking Creation Studio, has borrowed this tool to create the Mademoiselle Privé Pique-Aiguilles watch.

«I like the image of this functional piece of jewelry that adorns the wrists of seamstresses,» says Arnaud Chastaingt. This essential dressmaking accoutrement generally takes the form of a metal cuff topped with a generously sized dome-shaped cushion. On a technical level, it enables dressmakers to keep and organize their pins and needles where they can see them, to help them as they work. «I am fascinated by the design of objects whose architecture is the product of a practical need. In terms of style, the pincushion commands authority on the wrist, with presence and impact. Its outsize format does not detract from its comfort in any way, and it adapts to all wrists. I love the random design of needles on the surface of the cushion. Organized or disorganized, the pinheads pricked into the fabric dome create a decorative effect that evolves with the progress of the seamstress’s work. I have adopted the spirit of this tool to create a watch. While its architecture has the boldness of simplicity, its oversized dial flirts with excess and offers an incredible space for expression. I dreamed of this creation as a blank canvas for the most audacious Métiers d’art. I have imagined five tableaux for this collection: a lacework of camellias, a composition of iconic bags, jewels strewn on black tweed, a diamond embroidery, and a jacket at the pattern stage.»

Each of these pieces tell a story, a story unique to CHANEL, a story of Couture and of Haute Horlogerie to which only CHANEL possesses the secret.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL #MademoisellePrivé #CHANELHauteHorlogerie
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A longstanding mainstay within the House’s collections, «The Jackie» experienced a well-chronicled rise to icon status—ever since its debut in 1961, the handbag’s perpetual presence on the arms of celebrated figures around the world crystallized its everlasting association with their signature sophistication. Jackie Kennedy was spotted in the ’70s carrying the G1244 bag by Gucci, that was the perfect accessory to match her iconic tortoiseshell glasses. Eventually, Gucci renamed the bag in her honour, dubbing the style the «Jackie» bag.

Today, Dakota Johnson finds herself at the latest inflection point of the line’s celebrated chronology in which a certain attitude encounters a certain era, marking the beginning of a new chapter through the House’s latest campaign. Johnson makes her way through everyday moments in Los Angeles with different versions of the Jackie 1961, each with its own personality, each perfectly paired to the occasion. The film and imagery, captured by Glen Luchford, pay homage to the style’s storied origins as spontaneous snapshots highlight the silhouette’s intrinsic versatility and enduring elegance, reflecting a state of co-existence that spans decades and personas.

The Jackie 1961
Following a distinguished line of reiterations, each emblematic of its time, today’s Jackie 1961 emerges to transcend the traditional with its sleek silhouette and universal attitude. The selection is presented in three different sizes—mini, small, and medium—in a wide range of colors that highlights the design’s inherent versatility. Clean lines bring the focus to the unique piston closure, as well as the quality of the material itself, whether natural grain, patent, or precious leather, or the emblematic GG Supreme canvas.

A beautiful new iteration: The Jackie 1961 crocheted raffia and leather shoulder bag

A longer, removable shoulder strap, either in leather or as a chain, enhances the Jackie 1961’s adaptable personality and practicality. Within each collection, the House introduces creative interpretations, including in woven raffia and straw as well as with velvet tapestry patterns for Cruise 2023.

My favorite this season: The Jackie 1961 small leather shoulder bag in green

The original model introduced in 1961 became expressive of the 1960s and 1970s jetsetter lifestyle for which Gucci was known and new sensibilities were brought to the signature style in 1999 and 2009, drawing from a contemporary intuition and attitude and ever- assuming new characters that defy definition – fitting seamlessly in any wardrobe.

TO SHOP THE GUCCI JACKIE 1961, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Gucci and Getty Images
Art Director: Christopher Simmonds Photographer & Director: Glen Luchford
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