FALL - WINTER 2016/17 HANDBAGS AND SMALL LEATHER GOODS COLLECTION ~ Titina Penzini

The CHANEL Fall-Winter 2016/17 handbags and small leather goods collection revisits the great classics of the House of CHANEL.

Karl Lagerfeld reinterprets several fundamental elements of CHANEL’s stylistic vocabulary, starting with the emblematic quilting of the House that we discover here as an ultra-light version on the flap bags, the shopping bags and even a backpack, uniting comfort with elegance. The designer has also reinvented the iconic CHANEL bag and in particular the 11.12 which, this season appears in a laser treated faded denim. The 2.55 is attached to a clip hanger with a discreet little mirror. It comes in aged or metallic leather as well as overstitched beige suede split calfskin inspired by the toiles used in the ateliers to make the handbag prototypes. This same material covers the drawstring, flap and bowling bags, plus the clutches and a camera case. Meanwhile the BOY CHANEL bag appears to be patterned with pins. The Montex Atelier has created a special embroidery composed of silver tube beads and multi-coloured round beads, and which required more than 20 hours of work. Another version is embellished with precious braiding. A key detail in the collection, the lacing inspired by corsetry that cleaves the dresses and boots, is also present on handbags in leather or combined with tweed. The Girl bag adopts a clutch format in quilted leather or united with tweed. Functional thanks to its numerous pockets, its leather-interlaced chain is detachable at one end allowing it to be hand held or worn over the shoulder. For evening, the clutches in leather, lizard or python play the ultimate luxury card with chains made of leather, metal and fantasy pearls. As a tribute to the ateliers and their treasures, the resin minaudières adopt the shapes of a dual compartment sewing-box or a bobbin of golden thread.

Karl Lagerfeld has also conceived a line of accessories dedicated to Smartphones and tablets: the cases covered with tweed (including two versions woven by the House of Lesage) or with quilted or exotic leathers are designed to accommodate the devices in style. On certain models the iconic chain alternates gold and silver links.

The CHANEL Fall-Winter 2016/17 handbags and small leather goods collection will be available in boutiques from September 2016 onwards.