Chanel and her 2.55 bag: a success story

It is clear that each creation of Madame Coco automatically became a fashion icon. But if there is an iconic Chanel piece, it is, without a doubt, the 2.55 bag from the French Maison. Coco Chanel created it in February 1955, so this same year, the bag has turned sixty years dressing the world of fashion. This makes it an absolute success story.

Coco Chanel created this iconic bag to eliminate the tyranny of handbags. Something that many women think nowadays. The visionary designer decided to incorporate an ideal chain into a small bag, perfectly designed, to be able to hang it from the shoulder and not have to carry it continuously by hand. It is, therefore, the first clutch with a chain in the world.

The original Chanel 2.55 bag is made up of a 20-centimeter long box, made of padded material. The interior is lined with maroon-colored leather (this is a memory of Madame Coco’s childhood and her years in the Saumur orphanage). The bag designed by Chanel in 1955 has three pockets, one of which is specifically designed to store lipstick. In addition, the closure is made up of a double flap that incorporates the emblematic logo of the Maison, its double “C”. In this double flap we would find a secret pocket. This original luxury piece incorporates a chain made of metal with a leather strap that runs inside and adjusts the length of the handle.

Currently, Chanel’s 2.55 bag (named after the year it was created, 1955) is still the order of the day. Of course, every season, the Kaiser invents a reinterpretation of this iconic handbag with a chain. We have seen it succumb to an endless number of colors and materials, but always maintaining the essence of the original piece and the packaging that Madame Coco gave to a unique bag.

All the production of Chanel’s 2.55 takes place in one place, a small town near Paris, where master craftsmen put all their knowledge to the test to make these pieces. Each bag is made completely by hand, as tradition dictates and has more than 180 phases in its manufacture. In addition, there are more than ten people who must intervene in a production process like no other. In total, it takes about 18 hours to finish one of the characteristic bags of the French Maison. Chanel thus manages to keep alive the memories of her soul and creator.