All of Chanel’s creations have the inimitable ability to tell an entire story. Called simply the “Boy”, this bag imagined by Karl Lagerfeld in 2011 renders homage to Gabrielle Chanel’s one true love: English polo player Arthur “Boy” Capel.
Without getting bogged down by sentimentalism, Lagerfeld’s homage is movingly restrained. The colors are elementary: dull red, profound black, luminous ivory, or lead green. The lines are simple and pure, sized in veal, lamb, or sharkskin, inspired by hunters utility belts, which Chanel herself often wore. A supersize bracelet disguised as a handle that recalls the mythical 2.55 as well as a vintage brushed metallic fastener constitute the finishing touches. Minimalist and without superfluous embellishment, the bag is also more discrete and subtle. The double C logo is eliminated, marking a return to a soft vision of fashion where quality and the emotions evoked take priority over brand identity. A bit timid, this still doesn’t detract from the Boy’s desirability.
What is femininity according to Chanel, if you really think about it, if not the liberty to masculinize your allure? She, who according to Lagerfeld “transformed male undergarments to make dresses out of them”, claimed that fashion had no gender. The singularity of this new bag resides in its ambivalence, its subtle elegance, and its markedly boyish style. It is modern by any standard. No surprise then that the famed designer chose Alice Dellal and her rocker tomboy style for the ad campaigns that put the famous black and white bag center stage.The arrival of a new Chanel bag is always an event, even more so with Chanel’s Boy. Here the expression “object of desire” truly lives up to its meaning.
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