Chanel Takes Its High Jewellery To New Heights With Its Sports-Themed Collection
With its Haute Joaillerie Sport collection, Chanel taps on an exciting new inspiration that subverts the expectation of what high jewellery can be, and how it can be worn.
By RENÉE BATCHELOR - published
Sports and high jewellery may not seem like the most obvious bedfellows, but when it comes to the world of Chanel, this surprising combination makes perfect sense. After all, Mademoiselle Chanel herself was known as a lover of sport. Well ahead of her time, she borrowed not just from the boys, but also from sportswear, pioneering the use of jersey fabric in women’s clothes, and prioritising comfort and ease in her designs for them—a stark contrast to the restrictive corsets that were popular for hundreds of years prior to the 20th century.
For its new 80-piece Haute Joaillerie Sport collection, launched in Monaco earlier this year, sports, in all its forms, served as the main creative inspiration. Says Patrice Leguéreau, the director of the Chanel Jewelry Creation Studio, “In creating the ‘Sport’ High Jewellery collection, I was inspired by Chanel’s sporty style, which is such an integral part of the House’s history: the elegance of the line and the freedom of movement.” But while the House has worked with abstract concepts before, how would Chanel interpret the idea of sport for its high jewellery pieces?
Rings from the Quilted 2.55, Sporty 5 and Graphic Line collections
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The answer it seems is with a masterful blend of creativity, a nod to its House codes and history, and a dose of technical wizardry. Gemstones, of course, are another integral part of any high jewellery collection and this one is no different. This year, the key gemstones were a suite of five Kashmir sapphires—prized for their rarity and velvety blue. These sapphires feature in some of the collection’s most exquisite and expensive pieces, including the stunning Graphic Line necklace.
Keira Knightley wears the Graphic Line necklace and rings
I saw the piece in person at the collection launch in Monaco, but also that same evening on House ambassador Keira Knightley. Crafted from white gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies and onyx with a 10.15 carat cushion-cut Kashmir sapphire centre stone, the necklace encapsulates all of the collections’ key themes—modernity, movement, innovation and dazzling brilliance.
A Vivid Life
Haute Haute Joaillerie Sport has been divided into six chapters that reference Chanel’s House codes: Print, Gold Slider, Graphic Line, Quilted Icons, Sporty 5 and Sweater. The colours in this collection are bold and vivid, instantly grabbing one’s attention— think solid reds, blues and greens, that capture the dynamism of sport. You won’t find pastel gemstones, or interpretations of flowers. Instead the pieces nod to Chanel signatures in fresh and visually exciting ways.
The Print Cuff, for example, is a ultra-lightweight, multi-way piece that has been innovatively crafted from white gold, carbon, black lacquer and red aluminium. It features dazzling openwork that spell the words “Chanel”—a new high jewellery take on logomania. It can also be used in three different ways: an all-black, all-white and half-and-half version.
The Chanel Print Lion brooch
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The idea of sport is also interpreted in ways both literal and figurative. A common thread through the collection are statement rings that are a more subtle version of the diamond-encrusted championship rings given as sporting trophies. These are crafted in gold and diamonds, and given pops of colour, thanks to gemstones such as sapphires, garnets and rubies and also via subtle enamelling details that are colour-matched precisely to the stones. A lion’s head on a brooch is a nod to both the founder’s Leo star sign, as well as to the traditional coat of arms that is oft embroidered onto formal sports jackets.
Other interpretations are more abstract, such as the use of chevron stripes, another motif often seen in the House’s accessories, to convey the idea of speed and movement or the recurring symbol of the number 5 on necklaces and rings that appear in chic chronometre typography. This is a collection that is unafraid to push the boundaries of high jewellery.
Capturing Movement
Sporting references such as sports equipment are another inspiration. A carabiner serves as a connector, and as a centrepiece in pieces like the Sporty 5 necklace. Its purpose is twofold, as it not only hints at its roots, but can also be snapped open to change the look of the necklace. Others like the Gold Slider necklace can be transformed from a choker to a sautoir with the press of a decorative button, an ingenious but practical feature.
The Sporty 5 necklace in white gold and diamonds
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One of the newest innovations in this collection is a tube chain dubbed the “sport cord”. Specially developed by Chanel Jewelry Creation Studio, the sport cord is flexible and supple, allowing pieces to sit exceptionally well when worn, and avoiding the over-formality often associated with high jewellery pieces.
A suite of five star-shaped brooches from the Quilted Icons collection can be worn separately or as a group, or even strung individually on a gold necklace. This is jewellery that fits into the wearer’s lifestyle, rather than waiting for an occasion to be displayed. The refreshing modernity that underlies Haute Joaillerie Sport signals an exciting chapter— one that takes the art of high jewellery into another direction.