IMAGE: CHANEL

Have you ever wondered why the 2.55 is called 2.55? Well, that’s the month and year when the iconic bag was created, in February 1955 when Gabrielle Chanel took the fashion world by surprise and came up with this timeless silhouette that defied the very notions of a purse back in the day. The addition of intermingling chain links allowed women to carry their bags over the shoulder, giving them a whole new way of expressing themselves while keeping their hands free for everything else.

Amongst all the signature handbags currently available at the French luxury house (off-hand you can probably name the 11.12 (Classic), Boy Chanel, Chanel’s Gabrielle and Chanel 19), the 2.55 is the only one Gabrielle Coco Chanel created, whilst the rest were all deeply inspired by her. And since its revival back in 2005 to mark the bag’s 50th anniversary, the 2.55 is officially part of the line-up of handbags that are reimagined in new colours and materials season after season. Think you know all about the 2.55? Challenge yourself and see if these 5 facts ring a bell.

IMAGE: CHANEL

01 – 180 operations and manual gestures go into the creation of each 2.55 handbag, from the assembling of leather parts to the selection of hardware, as well as the meticulous stitching and craftsmanship that makes it a stellar piece till this very day.

02 – The diamond-quilted texture is inspired by the world of equestrian/horses so loved by Gabrielle Chanel, one that has gone on to become an unmistakable icon of the house.

03 – The 2.55 is furnished with the iconic Mademoiselle Turnlock, identified by a rectangular shape and equipped with a tourniquet (what Chanel refers to as the bag’s opening mechanism) that also bears the luxury brand’s logo (zoom in, and you will notice that it spells CHANEL).

IMAGE: CHANEL

04 – The rows of flat metal links were the OG strap, established way before the leather-interlaced chain you’ve come to know and love. The latter can be spotted on bags like the 11.12/Classic Handbag created by Karl Lagerfeld, but the flat-linked chain was the original design that’s now available in gold-tone or ruthenium-finished metal.

IMAGE: CHANEL

05 – While the definitive 2.55 comes in Aged Calfskin (otherwise known as crinkled leather), it also comes in printed cotton, tweed and velvet, all of which are contemporary fabrics built with the modern day woman in mind.

IMAGES: CHANEL