Coco Chanel’s story is imbued with mysteries and things left unsaid, secrets that purportedly forged the legend of the Dame aux Camélias. The same goes for the matelassé motif. It was used for the first time during the conception of her emblematic handbag, the 2.55 – no word on its original inspiration. Once more, it’s Chanel that deserves the praise, since Gabrielle made it one of the codes for her brand, a timeless stamp on the female wardrobe. Some say that this method of quilting using stitched rhombuses came to her from the jackets of the jockeys and other such lads that she crossed paths with at the racetrack events she often attended. Others say that it was the horses’ saddle cloths that drew her attention. Perhaps she never even had to leave her own apartment, since the cushions on her sofa would have sufficed to inspire the idea. There is also a hypothesis that the rhombuses are a reference to the stained glass windows in the abbey where Gabrielle Chanel was raised. None of these ideas has been confirmed; and yet none of them are too far out. It’s definitely feasible that something left its mark on her somewhere along the line, but what? Only the Mademoiselle herself knows.
The matelassé motif made its big début within the house on the rue Cambon, but it wouldn’t content itself simply with adorning this lone piece, as emblematic as it is. No, this motif has been released in every domain in which the brand has tried its hand, and on as many pieces as possible. It can be found on leather boots and shoes, or embellishing sunglasses in a number of collections. Even the cosmetics domain hasn’t escaped the omnipresent matelassé: eyeshadow palettes have adopted it, making for an aesthetic connecting thread that perfectly respects all of the elegance and codes of the brand. The rhombuses are shrunk down and adorned with the most precious of metals when they’re applied to jewelry and watchmaking pieces. The new Chanel jewelry collection is entirely dedicated to “matelassé”. Sculpted in pure gold, it yields a collection of rings and a cuff bracelet with generous and feminine lines. Imbued with a sleek simplicity, in a radical vein that’s finely engraved onto white or yellow gold, the Coco Crush collection takes on modern values and, within a trans-generational refinement, turns the visual signature of the 2.55 bag into the it-motif of tomorrow. This graphic chic also tries its hand at the modern game of juxtaposing pieces since, released in three sizes – small, medium, and large – the rings also play with the possibilities of minimalism. And there you have it: a Coco Crush !
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