Chanel Revisits the 11.12, 2.55, Girl and Boy bags

Get ready to fall in love with Chanel’s iconic bag styles all over again as Karl Lagerfeld has taken a look back at elements of some of Chanel’s stylistic vocabulary, reinterpreting a few of the house’s most famous handbags for autumn/winter 2016.

The key 11.12 style, otherwise known as the Classic Flap bag, is back and appears in a laser treated faded denim, lending it an air of elevated urbanity.

The cult favourite 2.55 is revisited and 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 clutches and a camera case.

The Meanwhile the Boy Chanel bag appears to be patterned with pins, a special embroidery pattern by the Montex Atelier composed of silver tube beads and multi-coloured round beads, and which required more than 20 hours of work.

Another version of the Boy 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.

Meanwhile, the Girl bag is resurrected in a clutch format in quilted leather or mixed with tweed. It has a detachable leather-interlaced chain that allows it to be hand-held or worn over the shoulder – practical and timelessly chic.

Want something a bit jazzier? No problem. For evening, there are clutches in leather, lizard or python with chains made of leather, metal and fantasy pearls. And resin minaudières adopt the shapes of a dual compartment sewing-box or a bobbin of golden thread, paying homage to the Chanel ateliers and their treasures.

The bags are available now at the Chanel boutique at 169 Sloane St, London, SW1X 9QF.