A visit to Monaco promises both spectacular sights—that azure sea!—and thrilling action. It hosts the world-famous Monaco Grand Prix, the prestigious Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament, and the elite Herculis track and field meet, attracting thousands of sports enthusiasts every year. The tiny principality was also the favourite summer retreat destination of Chanel’s founder Gabrielle Chanel and its late creative director Karl Lagerfeld. These properties coalesced into a perfect backdrop for Chanel’s latest high jewellery collection launch, the Chanel Haute Joaillerie Sport collection.
Those well-versed in Chanel’s history know that sport has been integral to the house’s design ethos from its inception. Gabrielle Chanel famously declared, “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.” An avid tennis player and horse rider herself, she not only created a design language that was remarkably modern and ahead of its time but also ensured its ultimate purpose was to grant women freedom of movement.
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Gabrielle Chanel on horseback (cir. 1910)
One of the key purposes of Gabrielle Chanel's designs was to grant women freedom of movement (cir. 1917)
Her iconic little black dress was a result of such thinking. With its elegant, minimalist lines, it liberated women from the restrictions of corsets and other constrictive garments and voluminous skirts. Chanel’s use of jersey fabric, traditionally reserved for men’s underwear, was another example of this innovation, creating designs that were comfortable and flexible. Her passion for fusing sporty elements into high fashion even led to the creation of a sport atelier at the haute couture house in 1921, a highly unusual move at that time.
A century later, this revolutionary approach to freedom of movement has found its way into the world of high jewellery and become the central focus of the Chanel Haute Joaillerie Sport collection. The designs needed to be not only visually dynamic but also comfortable to wear. This is the ultimate goal of high jewellery making, but also the most challenging task, given the complex structure and substantial weight of stones and precious metals in these pieces.
Graphic Line necklace in white gold, platinum, sapphire, rubies, onyx and diamonds
Chanel rises to this challenge with the collection of 80 pieces, which are divided into seven chapters—Graphic Line, Chanel Print, Quilted Icons, Sporty 5, Gold Slider, Sweater Sport and Collector Sport. Freedom of movement is best exemplified in the Sweater Sports chapter, which features the collection’s most eye-catching and innovative element: a tube chain named the “sport cord”.
This element resembles the drawstring often found on sportswear items, which are used to tighten waists and necklines. Specially developed by Chanel’s high jewellery atelier, the sports cord is a sinuous chain of interconnected tubes which offers flexibility and creates unusual silhouettes rarely found in the high jewellery realm. In one of the Sweater necklaces, for instance, the sports cord pierces through a choker, appearing as the ends of a drawstring, adorned with 11 emerald-cut emeralds that weigh a total of 37.18 carats. These cords can be detached from the choker and worn as earrings, with or without the emeralds. In several other earring designs, the sports cord allows the earrings to sway and shimmer with every turn of the head, imbuing the pieces with a rare dynamism.
Sweater necklace in white gold, yellow gold, sapphires, red lacquer and diamonds
Gold Slider Black & White necklace in white gold, red lacquer, black lacquer, black and white ceramic, and diamonds
The sports cord also shines in the Gold Slider chapter. A necklace in white gold, onyx, black lacquer and diamonds features two flexible cords made from white gold as the body, with a central slider adorned with diamond-encrusted Chanel lettering. This adjustable slider allows the pieces to be easily transformed from a double-row choker to an elegant, long sautoir.
This adaptability is a triumph of Chanel’s mastery, yet beyond this technical achievement lies a deeper significance: the collection grants its wearer a sense of empowerment. Two pairs of hands are often required to put on complex pieces, but this jewellery’s easily transformable nature celebrates the wearer’s autonomy.
Sporty 5 Black & White necklace in white gold, red and black lacquer, and diamonds
Sporty 5 Collector brooch in white gold, yellow gold, red and black lacquer, and diamonds
Flexibility is further demonstrated in the Sporty 5 chapter, which introduces Gabrielle Chanel’s lucky number 5 to the high jewellery collection for the first time. The numeral 5 is redesigned as a karabiner, another common feature of sports gear, and serves as a quick-release system for the pieces in this chapter, enabling versatility, as seen in a transformable necklace in which the two pendants are interchangeable and can removed and worn as earrings.
Meanwhile, a swivel clasp that can be turned 360 degrees, borrowed from the famous 2.55 bag, is featured throughout the Quilted Icons chapter, serving as both adornment and a release system. Fused with a mesh-like quilted pattern, it represents an aesthetic breakthrough as well as a bold decision to not conceal the necklaces’ clasps, as many high jewellery designs would do.
Quilted Stars necklace in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, yellow diamonds, sapphires and onyx
Quilted 5 ring in white gold, diamonds and red lacquer
Chanel Print Lion brooch in white gold, diamonds and black lacquer
Chanel Print earrings in white gold, diamonds and black lacquer
While the technical breakthroughs are to be marvelled at, the aesthetic appeal is nothing less than you’d expected from the maison. Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, wanted to create a sense of strength with this collection, and this is particularly notable in the Graphic Line chapter. Lacquer in rich reds, blues, greens and blacks adds assertiveness, while the chevron motifs signify energy and speed. Meanwhile, the Collector chapter features a set of five star-shaped brooches features Chanel lettering, the number 5 created in the sort of typography seen on a chronometer and lacquer highlights, emphasising a sense of playfulness rarely seen in high jewellery.
Graphic Line necklace in white gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphire, rubies and onyx
The back of the Graphic Line necklace, where lettering spelling out “Chanel” is visible
Graphic Line earrings in white gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and onyx
Graphic Line ring in white gold, platinum, diamonds, mandarin garnet and green lacquer
Graphic Line ring in white gold, diamonds, sapphire and red lacquer
Graphic Line in white gold, diamonds, spinel, sapphires and blue lacquer
No high jewellery creation is complete without exceptional gemstones. For this latest collection, Chanel once again took an unusual approach by adopting coloured stones, a choice rarely seen in its past works. From emeralds and rubies to mandarin garnets, these brightly coloured gemstones add to the collection’s energy and vibrancy. Notably, five signature pieces—a statement necklace, a pair of earrings and two rings—are each adorned with a rare Kashmir sapphire. It took several years of research and sourcing to find enough stones of sufficient quality to complete this set.
Combining elegance and innovation with refined aesthetics, advanced techniques and exceptional gemstones, the Haute Joaillerie Sport collection embraces Chanel’s sporty side for the first time in high jewellery, proving that comfort and versatility belong in the world of luxury.
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