Chanel 2.55 Reissue Wallets on Chain

More eye candy for fans of Chanel handbags! The dark silver and light silver Chanel 2.55 Reissue wallets on a chain are quite fabulous. At $1,425 they are $25 less than the permanent collection lambskin style and are the perfect day-to-evening accessory. Featuring a mock-Mademoiselle snap closure, they can be worn as a pouchette, cross-body, or just tuck the strap in to use them as a clutch. Inquire at Nordstrom Seattle.

Chanel Classic Flap Bag vs. Reissue 2.55

One very commonly asked question on our Chanel Forum is on the difference between the Chanel Classic Flap and the Chanel Reissue 2.55 bags. I’ve scoured the forums this morning to educate myself, and our readers about the differences between the two. Let me start with a few historical facts on the Reissue.

HISTORY:

The lock on the Reissue is the original lock, it is called the Mademoiselle Lock as Ms Coco Chanel never married, the ‘CC’ lock was introduced to the Classic Flap Bags only in the 1980s by designer Karl Lagerfeld. The 2.55 in its name refers to the first release of the 2.55 bag in February of 1955. Coco Chanel grew up in an orphanage/convent, therefore, the double chain shoulder strap comes from when the children’s’ caretakers in the orphanage would dangle keys from their waists with the same type of chains as on the Reissue. Also, the zippered compartment on the inside of the front flap of the Reissue is where Coco sequestered her love letters, as she was having an affair at that time. The brownish red color of the inside represents the color of Coco and the rest of the children’s uniforms (the nuns’ were black with white trim: thus, the packaging on Chanel Parfum/Eau de Parfum/Eau de Toilette). The back outside flap of the Reissue actually marks where Coco would stash extra money!

Over the years there have been many variations to the original design of the 2.55, including the leather/fabric, the chain – metal vs. interwoven leather, single flap vs. double flap, and the closure – mademoiselle vs. interlocking CC. The 2.55 refers to all flap-style bags, including variations of the original! The term classic flap commonly refers to the flap with the interlocking CC closure and the leather interwoven chain.

In February 2005, Karl Lagerfeld re-made the 2.55 – exactly as Coco Chanel had made in 1955, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 2.55. It came to be known as the Reissue. Technically the term Reissue should only be used for the bags that were made to commemorate the original – so only those in 2005. However, it has become convenient to call all 2.55s that resemble the original 2.55 Reissues and all 2.55s that have the interlocking CCs Classic Flaps.

Kim Kardashian Style: Chanel Ice Cubes Bag

We reported on the Chanel Cruise 2008 Trunk Show in October; revealing the Chanel Ice Cubes Bags. The Ice Cubes bags have caused quite the stir, creating a huge separation between those that love the line and those who do not. The ice cubes are designed with clear vinyl and then placed on top of metallic lambskin leather which gives it the feel of the classic Chanel quilting. Chanel has released an Ice Cubes line, including a 2.55, a shopper, and pouchette (are there any others?). While some think these bags look cheap, it is evident that Kim Kardashian loves the Chanel Ice Cubes 2.55 Bag! She was spotted leaving Prive nightclub with fiance?/boyfriend?/friend? Reggie Bush over the weekend. Kim showed off her stunning curves in a hot turquoise number and paired it with her Chanel bag from the Cruise 2008 collection. On this girl with this outfit, the bag looks stunning.

Assouline Chanel Luxe Edition

Assouline was the first luxury brand that used its publications as medium by creating luxury illustrated books dedicated to fashion, photography, art and design. The Assouline Chanel Luxe Edition has been produced exclusively for Assouline and features the signature black quilted Chanel leather on the slipcase with three volumes on the inside. Also, the silver metal Chanel logo is found on the outside. The three books focus on Gabrielle Chanel’s revolutionary style which has affected the fashion world that we know today immensely. The focus of each volume is integral parts of the Chanel brand, including Chanel, Fine Jewelry, and Perfume. This piece is not just a coffee table piece, it is a luxurious mixture of fashion and books which will be a conversation starter and a collectors piece. The Chanel Edition is a luxury edition which can ultimately be seen in the black quilted leather outside, red leather inside, and high price tag. This is a perfect Valentine’s Day gift, birthday gift, holiday gift, etc. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $550.

Christy Turlington for Chanel

We recently learned from Chanel that Christy Turlington will be the face for their Spring handbag campaign of the “East-West Bag”, as photographed by none other than Karl Lagerfeld. Christy became famous in the late 80s as a model for Calvin Klein, still pulls off gorgeous looks twenty years later. Very well done, I love it – beautiful woman in a beautiful shoot.

The new Chanel handbags come in two styles with white metal. The available colors include white with black, black with white, burgundy with ivory and brown with ivory. You certainly can not complain about lack of variety. Available around March of this year in Chanel boutiques nationwide.

Accessorize with Chanel in S/S 08

As much as I dislike media attention whore Lindsay Lohan, it seems as if her pathetic drunken binges, drug abuse and ankle-fit alcohol detection devices rang in a new trend. That of anklets. Bizarre, but if it gets Chanel to create the eyebrow-raising 2.55 Ankle Bag, there must be something to it. A fad that will pass as quickly as it came.

Chanel Vinyl Bag

ShopBop continues to bring us a small, eclectic group of vintage handbags. What are we digging the most? The Chanel bags. Chanel vintage handbags show us that the brand is not only timeless but also that their designs continue to be relevant. The newest addition to the vintage collection at ShopBop is a Chanel Vinyl Bag which features signature chain straps with a clear vinyl body and interlocking black letter Cs at the front and back.

The reason this bag doesn’t do much for me is because I have never loved vinyl bags. If I wanted to own a vinyl bag, this could be it. I can picture pairing this bag with large oversized sunglasses and a casual outfit of jeans and a tee. In my mind it looks good. The other thing about a clear bag is to make sure whatever is showing through is not entirely awful. I would opt for oversized colorful pouches to be the innards which will show through with a little pop of color. Dimensions are 12.5″H x 16.5″L x 4.5″D. Buy through ShopBop for $2,860.

Christmas Eve with Chanel and Kwei

My family spends Christmas Eve with family friends who throw an amazing party every year. It is now a staple of our holidays and an event that we look forward to. This year Shannon and I put down our bags for a moment and Vlad took the opportunity to capture a shot.

My bag, a 2004 navy blue and white Chanel bag is a little treat I love to bring out. Small, light-weight, feminine, and still very Chanel. Shannon added a bit of glitz to her outfit carrying a gift from Katherine Kwei herself, a Donna Clutch in metallic water snake.

Chanel Rubber Effect Python Signature Tote

Before we go any further, does Chanel‘s website make anyone else sort of dizzy and motion sick, or am I just way too sensitive to that sort of thing? Websites where brands make their bags run frantically from side to side make my head spin, and that website structure makes me find something else to look at almost immediately.

In this case, however, I persevered in order to find the Chanel Rubber Effect Python Signature Tote. Was my nausea worth it? I think it was, but then again, I do have an unnatural affinity for everything black.
There’s just something so thoroughly Chanel about an exotic black bag. They use the color to greater effect than probably any other major designer, and the python gives the bag a thoroughly luxurious appeal that the brand’s customers expect.
I haven’t seen the bag in person, so I can’t comment with full knowledge about the rubberized finish, but the matte effect is a welcome change from the python that I normally see, which is almost always glossy. Flat black has an edgy, modern quality to it that the brand’s bags have lacked over the past season or two (at least in my estimation), and the finish might have done a bit to make the delicate scales more durable as well. Now that is killing two birds with one stone. More information available via Chanel.com, price available upon request.