THE 2.55
Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s 2.55 bag was named for the month and year it was released—
February 1955. Spare, sophisticated, and pragmatically designed with a strap long enough
to wear over the shoulder—then a novel idea—the bag quickly became emblematic of the
modern woman. The or iginal design, produced in leather or jersey in shades of black, nav y,
beige, or brown, was distinguished by its quilted exterior and gold chain.
In typical Chanel fashion, there is some lore surrounding these two understated yet powerful
decorative elements. Some historians argue that the quilting was inluenced by the jackets
worn by horse jockeys, whereas the strap referenced the keychains used by custodians at the
orphanage where Chanel spent her adolescence. It is certain that the decorative elements of
the 2.55 correspond directly to Chanel’s tweed suit jackets, which featured quilted linings
and a chain at the hem to maintain their shape.
The 2.55 was revived during the 1980s by Karl Lagerfeld, who cleverly worked the brand’s
famous ‘double C’ logo into the bag’s turn lock. Lagerfeld’s continuous and creative redesigns
of the bag have ensured its status as both a classic and a cult object.CHANEL