Cover The new collection of bracelets, brooches, rings, earrings and more unveils five new tweed jewellery weaves in five different colours (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
The new collection of bracelets, brooches, rings, earrings and more unveils five new tweed jewellery weaves in five different colours (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
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The new Tweed de Chanel line intertwines precious stones, meticulous craftsmanship and rich heritage together in an impressive collection
As with all good stories, this one begins with a love affair. Gabrielle Chanel met the Duke of Westminster in the mid-1920s, amid the vast, wild hills and valleys of the Scottish countryside. Chanel, however, was not sartorially equipped for the punishing landscape and weather, and had to borrow the duke’s tweed jackets for the couple’s outdoor excursions. One love affair became two, and Chanel adapted the warm, woolly fabric with its distinctive weave for her fashion collections.
The eponymous maison holds that Chanel was the first fashion designer to take on tweed, conventionally used only in menswear, and interpret it into clothing for women who shared her interests: travelling, driving and outdoor sports. Tweed became one of the key style codes in the brand’s fashion collections, instantly recognisable for its irregular colours, intricate pattern and versatile design.
Above The greatest challenge for Chanel's craftsmen was making the jewellery light and comfortable to wear (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Above The making-of of the Tweed Pétale necklace (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
The greatest challenge for Chanel's craftsmen was making the jewellery light and comfortable to wear (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
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Fast forward a century, and Patrice Leguéreau, director of the brand’s fine jewellery studio, has deepened the impact and success of the Tweed de Chanel line first launched in 2020 with 45 jewellery pieces.
“Ever since I joined Chanel in 2009, I have been fascinated by tweed. One of the first people I met was François Lesage, and I remember him showing me his archives of embroidery and tweed. I was immediately drawn to this material and its history. While jewellery has often drawn on the codes of couture, it is exceptional for a fabric to serve as the point of departure for a jewellery collection,” he says. “The first collection was an introduction. I wanted to present this fabric that was so central to the Chanel universe, and which became the inspiration for a jewellery collection for the first time. It was a question of laying the foundations, almost literally.”
Leguéreau’s new collection, launched in London in June, comprises 63 pieces and explores more colours and materials than the introductory range, bringing in key icons and motifs from Chanel’s archives. The director requested squares of tweed woven specially for him so that he could examine the fabric intimately and draw inspiration for this second collection.
Above Tweed Cambon necklace in yellow gold, white gold, diamonds, yellow diamonds and rock crystal (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Above Patrice Leguéreau requested squares of tweed woven specially for him so that he could examine the fabric intimately and draw inspiration for this collection (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Tweed Cambon necklace in yellow gold, white gold, diamonds, yellow diamonds and rock crystal (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
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“The idea was to penetrate more deeply into the material, to zoom in on the detail, and to enrich this founding theme of the house with even more precious design and craftsmanship,” he explains. “I wanted to weave a tweed from precious stones, to create bolder shapes, to compose a unique story with every piece in the collection.”
The collection, which consists of plastrons, necklaces, sautoirs, bracelets, brooches, rings and earrings, unveils five new tweed jewellery weaves in five different colours, each adorned with an icon dear to Gabrielle Chanel: the ribbon, the camellia, the star, the sun and the lion.
“The Ribbon celebrates lightness, flexibility, movement and curves, using white materials including pearls, diamonds and white gold; Camellia unfurls into a joyous, rose-tinted world of sapphires and spinels,” Leguéreau says. “The Star is an exploration of blue in all its shades, from onyx to sapphire to lapis lazuli, with small stars scattered through the tweed like embroidery. The Sun is radiant, with pieces that are bolder and more opulent, paved with gold and a multitude of yellow stones. And finally, the Lion flaunts its unrivalled power in a world where the dominant energy of red creates a tweed of great richness and flamboyance. Each of these families thus expresses a different spirit, density and volume.”
Above The Tweed Mademoiselle necklace in white gold and diamonds (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Above Keira Knightley attended the Tweed de Chanel high jewellery dinner at the British Museum in London, wearing the Tweed Mademoiselle necklace in white gold and diamonds, the Tweed Pastel bracelet in white gold, diamonds and cultured pearls and the Tweed Dentelle earrings in pink gold and diamonds (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
The Tweed Mademoiselle necklace in white gold and diamonds (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
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Above Kylie Minogue performed at the Tweed de Chanel high jewellery dinner at the British Museum (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Kylie Minogue performed at the Tweed de Chanel high jewellery dinner at the British Museum (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
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Upon seeing the collection, one could be forgiven for believing that the pieces—particularly the showstopping necklaces—would be heavy and rigid, given the gridded, stone-studded structures. A closer inspection of the jewellery—we asked that a necklace be removed from its display so that we could handle it and inspect its movement—would prove this a definite misconception.
Leguéreau says that he wanted to “go further in the interpretation by creating a veritable fabric of precious stones that is light and supple”. As such, to emulate the softness of the fabric, the settings of the jewellery have been reimagined to incorporate minuscule hinges, rings and articulations in gold and platinum threads, which lend a surprising suppleness to the structure of the ornate, intricate pieces.
The interweaving of gold, pearls and precious stones, the variety of stone sizes and the play of openwork were also designed to recreate the fleecy, textured thickness of tweed, while even the backs of the pieces—we flipped the necklace around—were meticulously crafted to allow for comfort and softness against the skin.
Above Tweed Camélia necklace in pink gold, white gold, diamonds and pink sapphires (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Above Tweed Pétale earrings in pink gold, white gold, diamonds and pink sapphires (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Tweed Camélia necklace in pink gold, white gold, diamonds and pink sapphires (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
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“You can’t imagine the ingenuity and inventiveness deployed by the craftspeople in our workshops in reproducing the flexibility and fluidity of the fabric using metal and precious stones. It was a real challenge at times,” Leguéreau says. “It was absolutely imperative that the jewellery should be light and comfortable to wear, as if you are being draped with a piece of fabric.”
A monumental undertaking it may have been, but a fan of the brand, or any jewellery lover, would argue that it’s well worth the effort. Because this is a fascinating collection, not just for pushing the boundaries of design and gem quality in the realm of fine jewellery, but also for the shining thread of jewellery craftsmanship that Chanel has now woven into the rich fabric of its heritage.
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