Gabrielle Chanel, who designed the 2.55, photographed in 1928; the photographer is not recorded. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Chanel 2.55
What it took directly
- statedThe 2.55's chain shoulder strap took from Gabrielle Chanel's own habit of losing bags she had to hold"I tired of holding my bags in my hand and losing them, so I added a strap and wore them over my shoulder." Gabrielle Chanel, quoted by Josefin Forsberg, Vogue Scandinavia (2024), in a feature built on the house's archive
- documentedThe 2.55's burgundy lining took from Chanel's childhood convent uniform at Aubazine, by a much-repeated story"a deep burgundy leather lining—a detail inspired by Chanel’s childhood uniform at the Aubazine Abbey convent in France." Sotheby's, the auction house, which sells these bags; the story has no primary record in this corpus
- documentedThe 2.55's diamond quilting took from jockeys' jackets at the racetrack, by the same story"The bag’s signature diamond quilting, inspired by the jackets worn by jockeys at the racetrack" Sotheby's, the auction house, which sells these bags; the story has no primary record in this corpus
What it learned to do
- documentedThe 2.55 learned from couture tailoring: sewn inside out like a garment, then turned"Made inside out, just like a couture garment, the pieces are carefully sewn together using a bridle stitch before it is reversed." Josefin Forsberg, Vogue Scandinavia (2024)
The tradition it sits in
- documentedKarl Lagerfeld's Classic Double Flap comes from the 2.55, whose legacy Lagerfeld set out to honour"When Karl Lagerfeld took the reins as Chanel’s creative director in 1983, he honored the legacy of the 2.55 while infusing it with his own artistic vision." Sotheby's, which dates it to 1983; Vogue Scandinavia (2024) gives 1980
- documentedLagerfeld's '2005' handbag (1998) comes from the 2.55, created by Gabrielle Chanel in 1955"In 1998, Chanel released Karl Lagerfeld's '2005' handbag, the descendant of the 2.55 created by Gabrielle Chanel in 1955 and still influential half a century on." Victoria and Albert Museum, collection record for the '2005' handbag
- inferredThe 2.55's quilting comes from a quilted look that ran through Chanel's couture as well, as in a 1965 suit and evening bag"the signature diamond quilting which appears on many of the most iconic Chanel handbags including the 2.55." inferred — the V&A calls the diamond quilting a signature shared by the 2.55 and a 1965 couture evening bag, worn with a suit in quilted 'Arnel' fabric; which came first, the record doesn't say, so this is our reading
- documentedThe 2.55 comes from Chanel's handbags of the 1920s onward, part of her idea of a whole silhouette"Gabrielle Chanel produced handbags in her collections from the 1920s onwards and were fundamental to her concept of a harmonious silhouette." Victoria and Albert Museum, collection record for look no. 28 (1965)
Where the whole form comes from
- documentedThe quilted 2.55 comes from Gabrielle Chanel's dress codes, beside the braided tweed suit and the two-tone pump"invite à décrypter ses codes vestimentaires : tailleur en tweed gansé, escarpin bicolore, sac matelassé 2.55" Palais Galliera, the fashion museum of the City of Paris, page for its exhibition Gabrielle Chanel. Manifeste de mode (in French)
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