Chanel leans into its sportswear roots with an 80-piece jewellery collection that nods to automotive competition

When Chanel debuted its Sport collection of high-wattage jewels in Monaco earlier this year, the house wasn’t specific about what inspired the pieces. But cars, perhaps for obvious reasons, were on the minds of many observers.

There were lavish necklaces in settings that resembled tire tracks, rings with bands and mounts that evoked knobby treads, and bold stripes that wouldn’t be out of place on a race-car livery. But the pièce de résistance of the collection (which was so captivating that we’re inclined to believe the rumour that a single collector bought the piece after seeing it on a Zoom call) is a transformable diamond bracelet made of automotive-friendly carbon fibre. And where better than Monaco, the sovereign city-state home to F1’s most iconic Grand Prix, to unveil such pieces? “It was more about translating a vibrant energy and movement than [about] any sport in particular,” says Patrice Leguéreau, director of Chanel’s Fine Jewellery Creation Studio, of the collection. “But Monaco was, from my point of view, the perfect location to illustrate this energy!”

Infusing a sportif sensibility into the ultrahigh end is something of a Chanel specialty. Its founder, an avid athlete, transformed ready-to-wear in the early 20th century by reimagining the era’s activewear fabrics, such as jersey, into refined clothing for the well-heeled. “It is important to remind one that from the outset, Chanel defined her look by its sporty allure, and as early as 1921 created a ‘Sport’ atelier within her haute-couture house,” Leguéreau notes. Madame Chanel may have never worn a hoodie, but the gold- and diamond-tipped drawstrings on a sapphire, diamond, and red-lacquer necklace are nonetheless a playful nod to her legacy.

And despite being one of the Maison’s more lighthearted collections, it’s full of heavyweight stones and technical prowess. There are multiple—and massive—rare Kashmir sapphires, ranging in size up to 17.18 carats, which Leguéreau says required “yearslong research work.” He employed several new methods to achieve seemingly simple yet intricate designs. One tubular chain demanded that each link be engineered to a precise degree of flexibility. Overall, the approach gives the pieces a sense of movement—in some cases literally: 21 of the baubles can be easily transformed or adjusted without a visit to a jeweller.

The 80-piece collection’s adrenaline-pumping theme is a new twist on the codes Chanel established when she broke boundaries 114 years ago. And it’s a reminder that the best designs always keep driving forward.

This story was first published on Robb Report USA