IMAGE: CHANEL

The world of Chanel revolves around the letter C, and aside from lending itself to the Parisian label’s name, ‘C’ can also be found in a number of signature elements at the house of Chanel, from logos to leather finishes and more. And before you break out chanting the 5Cs every Singaporean is pretty much familiar with (yes, there’s actually a Wikipedia page dedicated to it), here are 5 extracted from Chanel’s glossary that’s all about the chic and cool fashion house.

Caviar. This fine rounded grain defines the singularity of the calfskin leathers used for the 11.12 bags among others. Elegant, feminine and resistant, it remains one of the favourite materials of the House, and one of the chicest.

CC, IMAGE: CHANEL

CC. The Chanel monogram, an inimitable and timeless seal, we find the CC on the metal clasp on the flaps of the bags and stitched inside on the coloured linings. This clasp was first introduced into the collections in 1973 and has been employed by Karl Lagerfeld since the 1980s. It differentiates the 2.55 bags from the classic 11.12 bags with which it is associated.

CHAINS, IMAGE: CHANEL

Chain. ‘Believe me, I know women, give them chains, women adore chains.’ Gabrielle Chanel chose chains for her bags to free up the hands of women. Since the first chain with metal links, other versions have seen the light of day, interlaced with leather or more imposing like the large gourmette chain of the Boy Chanel. In turn Karl Lagerfeld has added his vision and multiplied the number of chains for ever different ways of wearing the bags, larger or finer, in gold, silver or ruthenium finished metals.

Chevron. The first appearance of the chevron quilting in the Chanel bag collections goes back to the 1960s: Mademoiselle Chanel used it for some of her designs, giving them a modern and graphic appearance. With a V-shape, also known as herringbone, this motif is inspired by the weave of men’s tweed, considered to be indestructible. This previously unseen quilting was thrust back into the limelight with the arrival of the Boy Chanel. Its flap adopts this pure, clean and perfectly geometric graphic design that requires great precision in the cutting of the leather and the positioning of each inlay to ensure the lines perfectly follow each other.

CLASP, IMAGE: CHANEL

Clasp. A piece of rectangular metal equipped with a tourniquet. A double C pierced with another tourniquet. These two clasps, named Mademoiselle for the first (shown above) and CC for the second are the most loyal and most identifiable signatures of a Chanel bag.

Caviar, CC, Chain, Chevron and Clasp. These are just 5 key Cs of Chanel that are all iconic to the French luxury house in their own right. And if you’re new to the Parisian label, take this as an introductory post into the enigmatic world of Chanel, and stay tuned for more to come.

Images: Chanel