Paris—This summer, as the world turns its attention to the Paris Summer Olympics, Chanel introduces “Haute Joallerie Sport” (Sport High Jewelry), a new high jewelry collection designed by Patrice Leguéreau, Director of the Fine Jewelry Creation Studio. The collection celebrates the athletic season with a blend of elegance and functionality, echoing the essence of Paris.
Leguéreau’s collection is inspired by the anatomical lines of the female form, creating ultra-light pieces that offer freedom of movement. Featuring sporty motifs like chevrons and racetrack-inspired contours, the collection marks the debut of the iconic Chanel signature in high jewelry.
“I wanted to convey the spirit of the city, mixing rationalist architecture, sinuous skyscraper lines, and the nighttime atmosphere of shopping arcades,” said Leguéreau. The collection pays homage to Milan’s tradition of color in design, inspired by luminaries such as Gio Ponti and the Memphis Group.
Milan’s Monochromatic Treasures:
Asimmetrico Earrings: Inspired by César Pelli’s Milanese architecture, these earrings are bold yet feminine, designed to be both sensual and sculptural.
Moonstones Choker Necklace: Reflects Milan’s often misty weather.
Cielo Stellato Necklace: A tribute to Milan’s planetarium star mosaics, featuring gray sapphires, gray spinels, and blue spinels forming a star motif.
Milanese Color Prism:
Baroco Necklace: Embraces color and creativity with a variety of hues and baroque-cut gemstones.
Green Tourmaline Ring: Features irregular baroque-cut gemstones paired with a gourmette style chain.
Spinelli Di Fuoco Plastron Necklace: Highlights a spectrum of hues with red, pink, purple, violet, gray, orange, amber, and scarlet spinel cabochons, each set uniquely to move fluidly with the wearer.
“In combining these two apparently opposite faces of Milan—one concrete, the other intangible, each with its own character—this high jewelry collection gives us a true, in-depth, multi-dimensional view of the city,” said Castaldo.
Pomellato’s “The Dualism of Milan” collection debuted last week, offering a nuanced tribute to the city’s dynamic essence.
Leguéreau drew inspiration from Chanel’s sporty style, emphasizing the blend of elegance and performance. The collection incorporates technical innovations, such as quick-release fittings inspired by sports equipment, transformed into genuine clasps and centerpieces. For example, a karabiner redesigned as the number 5 and a swivel clasp inspired by the 2.55 bag.
The collection also features advanced materials like carbon fiber and aluminum, combined with precious stones to create ultra-lightweight, durable pieces. Leguéreau highlights the significance of the sapphires in the collection, calling them “the finest ensemble of stones ever presented by Chanel.” The painstaking search for each stone ensured a harmonious and high-quality ensemble, embodying Leguéreau’s vision of color.
The innovative use of materials and techniques, such as molding carbon and laser engraving, showcases Chanel’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of high jewelry design. Each piece is meticulously crafted to sit perfectly on a woman’s body, allowing for freedom of movement.
Leguéreau, who has a background in both sports and high jewelry, has been with Chanel for 15 years. His career includes stints at Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, and he specializes in modeled engraving and gemology. At Chanel, he continues to innovate, transforming beloved codes such as the comet, feather, camellia, wheatsheaf, quilting, and pearls into spectacular new creations.
With this collection, Leguéreau combines technical brilliance, precision, and artistry to create a narrative that incites excitement and wonder, much like an athlete pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
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