The Lasting Appeal Of The Chanel 11.12 Bag Proves That Some Things Just Get Better

There are It bags, and then there are icons. There is no question that the Chanel 11.12 bag belongs firmly in the latter camp. Instantly recognisable, it is at once a symbol of both timelessness and modernity, elegance and ease. When Karl Lagerfeld took the reins at Chanel in 1983, he understood profoundly the inimitable genius of Coco Chanel’s vision and the 11.12 was born— an homage to her 2.55 bag, now updated with the double Cs of her name and her House. Just like how her jersey LBDs liberated women from restrictive garments and uncomfortable fabrics, her 2.55 bag was born out of a couturier’s immense consideration for function as well as form. The chain strap freed the hands completely; its adjustability allowed the bag to be worn in multiple ways. Today, the 11.12 remains at the heart of Virginie Viard’s vision of effortless, empowered femininity for the House.