The Chanel Spring/Summer 2022 show was easily one of the season’s most upbeat presentations – models bounded down the runway in fun, vintage-tinged swimsuits, floaty chiffon dresses and pastel tweed suits, complete with sly winks and smiles.
That playful vibe is something rarely seen in today’s typically sullen fashion shows; Chanel artistic director Virginie Viard was in a nostalgic mood. “I used to love the sound of flashbulbs going off at the shows in the eighties, when the models were on a raised runway. I wanted to recapture that emotion,” she said in a statement.
That fun, irreverent spirit is perhaps best captured in the Maison’s key accessory for the season: the new Chanel 22 bag, which takes its name after the year of its creation.
And much in line with Chanel’s tradition of naming bags after key events in the brand’s rich history, the number 22 has special significance within the Chanel lexicon. Cue the N°22 fragrance, which was created in 1922 and was the house’s second perfume after its iconic firstborn, the N°5.
The Chanel 22 is quite a marked change from its brethren, the Chanel 19; a hobo-style number, the 22 is a much more pliant and cushy design (thanks to the extremely supple calfskin).
If the Chanel 19 is that cool, insouciant sophisticate, perhaps the 22 bag, with its fluid shape, can be thought of as its more free-spirited, liberal sister. Or rather, she’s that woman who’s constantly on the go who needs a stylish bag that’ll actually fit the things that people carry around on a day-to-day basis (no, those Instagrammable micro bags won’t cut it).
The Chanel 22 (available in small, medium and large) comes with all the features synonymous with the house including the quilted leather and metal chain interlaced with leather, as well as drawstrings to make sure things don’t spill out (thoughtful Chanel practicality, we say) and a detachable interior pouch.
The most visible features, however, are the Chanel plaque on the exterior, composed of gold or lacquered metal letters and a sizeable medallion dangling from the straps like a collectable coin.
Below, a closer look at the new Chanel 22.