The eternal style of a Chanel jacket is no secret, but the details behind the iconic jacket have been since conception in the early 1900s. In exclusive style, The Secrets of the Chanel Jacket were revealed to the Chanel boutique at 835 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago on Nov. 15-16, with Dallas being the only other city to house the iconic collection for viewing the week prior.
Lucky viewers eyed the jackets, which came mostly from a temperature controlled vault in the conservatoire in Paris. The iconic collection featured haute couture and prêt-à-porter (ready to wear) jackets. Specific pieces included the first jacket from 1916 made out of a jersey material of khaki coloring; an ivory, pink and black cardigan believed to be owned by Coco Chanel herself; a classic tweed from 1964; and the limited edition embroidered tiara jacket (only 35 were made). Iconic pieces hung on the walls and models fashioned pieces from the Chanel Spring 2008 and Resort collections, showcasing how the jackets are reinvented each year.
So what makes the Chanel jacket so special? The secrets lie in the details. Paneling, structure, texture, shape and embroidery, all contribute to these timeless jackets. Mary-Adair Macaire, Chanel’s director of global marketing, came from France to take admirers through the secrets.
Coco wanted to make a jacket for women to wear, which was fashionable, yet comfortable, unlike the popular corset. In 1916 she created a jacket out of the same malleable jersey material as men’s undergarments, called tricot, which was breathable, comfortable and still stylish.
From there, Coco’s jackets transformed into cardigan styles, shorter three-quarter sleeves (to show off her many bracelets), trenches and more. With chains sewn to the bottom of the silk lining and numerous panels for custom tailoring, the jackets have impeccable fit.
The tweed jacket, which is one of Chanel’s most requested items, consists of more than a dozen different fibers. These are hand-sewn tweeds, made of fine silk, ribbon and mother of pearl. The embroidery is so important that Chanel commissions a specialized factory in Paris, which it has owned since 2002, called Lesage. For the famous 2007 Tiara jacket it took over 60 hours to hand embroider!
Today Karl Lagerfeld reinvents the jackets with touches of Coco’s personality. As creative director, Lagerfeld incorporates jewelry into accessories for the jackets, like making a broche into a button. In homage to Coco, Lagerfeld creates a new set of buttons each year with symbols Coco was fond of, like her favorite number five from the perfume. From Coco’s foundation to Lagerfeld’s innovation, the Chanel jacket can do no wrong.
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