With a star-studded alfresco dinner in West Hollywood, the French house celebrated its new baubles, an homage to Gabrielle Chanel’s original designs
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
The celestial-inspired, open-air celebration was hosted by Chanel in honor of its 1932 High Jewelry collection.
Under the night sky, young Hollywood turned out for Chanel’s celebratory dinner introducing its new 1932 High Jewelry collection on Thursday, October 20. Marion Cotillard, Phoebe Bridgers, Whitney Peak, Andra Day, Alexandra Shipp, Jurnee Smollett, Greta Lee, Cazzie David, Kaitlyn Dever, Rainey Qualley, and C cover girls Kenya Kinski-Jones, Gia Coppola and Dree Hemingway all gathered for a first look at diamond-encrusted designs created by Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel Fine Jewelry Creation Studio. The pieces, in conversation with Gabrielle Chanel’s first and only high jewelry collection that initially debuted in 1932, were organized around three recurring symbols: the sun, moon and orbiting comets.
A sun-inspired Soleil piece from Chanel’s 1932 High Jewelry collection.
It was Chanel who pioneered fashion house forays into diamond-encrusted creations upon launching her Bijoux de Diamants High Jewelry collection, with designs channeling the heavens. Ninety years later, the house’s expansion on its legendary founder’s innovations revealed new pieces inspired by the same celestial bodies, similarly set with diamonds and colorful gemstones.
The new collection harks back to the 1930s, when Gabrielle Chanel debuted the first high-jewelry collection.
From left: Marion Cotillard. Maggie Rogers and Phoebe Bridgers.
From left: Jurnee Smollett. Chriselle Lim.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform.
From left: Ciara Bravo. Alexandra Shipp.
Leguéreau took inspiration for all 77 of his new designs on display during the evening from the 1932 collection’s many claspless pieces, which wrapped organically around necks and wrists. Among the sparkling baubles making the rounds in West Hollywood were onyx and diamonds set in white-gold shooting star shapes as well as crescent-moon earrings and bracelets. Some of the new collection, a total of 13 creations, were convertible designs, including a necklace in yellow gold set with white and yellow diamonds—derived from the sun’s glowing orb—which transformed into a ring for a more minimalist look.
Frontwoman Karen O takes the spotlight.
As guests took a fresh glimpse at the distant heavens, Karen O donned yellow and white gold eye glitter—shades matching the collection’s precious metals—and took to the stage with her band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. After performing electrifying songs and new cuts from Cool It Down, the band’s first new album in 9 years—and dancing with Maggie Rogers who paired her gamine haircut with Comète earrings—the frontwoman captioned an Instagram post for the evening, “Had fun being a leather and diamond clad Cinderella for the night as the house band for Chanel.”
Feature image: Maggie Rogers joins Karen O on stage at the Chanel 1932 High Jewelry collection party.
October 22, 2022
Discover more CULTURE news.
