Sports and athletics were foundational concepts for Coco Chanel, who dedicated a special section to it in her ateliers in 1921. To the legendary designer, sport was synonymous with that freedom of movement and the kind of autonomy that created the difference between her and the couturiers who still imagined women forced into corsets and excessively decorative clothing. With the Haute Joaillerie Sport collection that was recently presented in Monte Carlo, sport is reimagined and reinterpreted as attitude, as ease, and as innovation. 

Chanel’s artistic director of jewelry, Patrice Leguéreau, has imagined a collection of 80 pieces—23 of which are unique and 21 are transformable—that follow the body’s anatomy, and center the symbols of the brand, the number 5, the star, the lion alongside the name Chanel. This collection marks a major milestone for the label, which becomes a motif in jewelry for the first time.

Another notable element is a choice of spectacular stones, which are the most resplendant presented by the Maison so far, beginning with a set of 5 extraordinary Kashmir sapphires. Prioritizing function alongside form, the Maison opted to include front-closure necklaces in order to simplify their use. Alongside platinum, diamonds and onyx, materials such as carbon fibre, lacquer, and aluminum are introduced, colored in the same exact shade as the stones they support. Tubular chains recall the cords of hoodies, while the 5—which entered the Maison as an iconic jewelry symbol in 2021—transforms into a carabiner, and the closure of several necklaces recalls that of the famous 2.55 bag.

Among the most breathtaking pieces is a ring with a 35-carat Sri Lankan sapphire of extraordinary purity, which is set in another diamond ring. Another noteable piece from the collection is a cuff featuring white gold and diamonds, two central stripes of rubies set on red aluminium, and a modular carbon fibre segment.

An Art Deco spirit takes hold in the sharp graphics of the lines and dominates a majority of the collection. The central stone of many rings and necklaces rotates on itself, creating a uniform pavé effect. For those who lean towards less mainstream color combinations, Chanel presents an ultra-chic ring that combines an octagonal tsavorite and mandarin garnets. Another unique piece from the collection appears in the form of five star-shaped brooches with different symbols that can only be purchased as a set, but once they’re in your possession, they can be mixed and matched for a completely distinctive look.