1910–1926
A new kind of wardrobe
Chanel’s millinery business expanded into clothing. Jersey separates, Chanel N°5 in 1921 and the little black dress helped establish an identity beyond couture alone.
The House & Its Designers
Chanel
Paris · 1910
Jersey, tweed and a shoulder bag that made movement easier.
Gabrielle Chanel made ease a defining idea of modern dress. The house’s enduring vocabulary—jersey, tweed, costume jewellery and quilted bags—grew from that approach, then changed in the hands of later designers.
7 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1939–1954
Closure and a contested legacy
Chanel closed her couture business in 1939 and returned in 1954. Her wartime associations and activities remain an important, contested part of her biography; the design history does not erase them.
1955
The 2.55
The quilted shoulder bag launched in February 1955. Its chain strap offered an alternative to carrying a handbag in the hand, joining practicality to a recognisable surface and closure.
1983–2019
Lagerfeld’s reinterpretation
Karl Lagerfeld treated the archive as material for reinvention. Tweed, chains, quilting and the double C became the basis for both runway spectacle and widely recognised accessories.
2019–2025
After Lagerfeld
Virginie Viard led the collections after Lagerfeld’s death and departed in 2024. Matthieu Blazy’s first Chanel show followed in October 2025.
The house in pictures
People, places and objects, with source credits.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
Founder · died 1971
Gabrielle Chanel
Established the clothes and accessories that became the house’s central references.
1983–2019
Karl Lagerfeld
Reinterpreted those references across couture, ready-to-wear and accessories.
2019–2024
Virginie Viard
Continued the house’s wardrobe after decades working alongside Lagerfeld.
Debut 2025
Matthieu Blazy
Brought his interest in material transformation and craft to Chanel.
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
- Classic Flap / 11.12
- The CC turn-lock and leather-threaded chain distinguish this interpretation of Chanel’s flap bag.
- 2.55 Reissue
- A rectangular turn-lock and all-metal chain recall the handbag introduced in February 1955.
- Boy Bag
- A framed flap, substantial chain and squared clasp give this bag a more architectural profile.
- Gabrielle
- A supple upper body contrasts with a structured base and mixed chain straps.
- Chanel 19
- Oversized quilting and mixed-metal chain details create a relaxed flap-bag silhouette.
- Wallet on Chain
- A compact wallet format fitted with a long chain strap.
- Deauville Tote
- A roomy tote with prominent Chanel lettering and handles for different carrying options.
- Coco Handle
- A quilted flap bag with a curved top handle.
- Grand Shopping Tote
- A structured quilted tote with chain handles and a prominent CC motif.
- Petite Shopping Tote
- A smaller quilted shopping tote with chain handles.
- Mini Square
- A compact, square-proportioned version of the classic quilted flap bag.
- Trendy CC
- A quilted top-handle bag distinguished by its engraved metal top plate.
- Vanity Case
- A box-shaped bag inspired by a travelling cosmetics case.
- 22 Bag
- A soft drawstring shopper with chain straps and Chanel lettering.