From Function to Icon
Almost word for word, and shot by shot, Inez & Vinoodh recreated Claude Lelouch’s A Man and A Woman for Chanel’s The Iconic Handbag campaign, a collaborative homage by Virginie Viard to the 1966 French romantic classic that explores the profound theme of falling in love, with Penélope Cruz and Brad Pitt mimicking the roles of Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant.
Classic film aficionados will recall the iconic beach scene with the seaside resort of Deauville in the background—a chance but significant location where Mademoiselle Chanel opened her hat boutique in 1912, and unveiled her first haute couture collection a year later.
Equally memorable is the sensually charged exchange at the restaurant, where in the original film, Aimée’s own Chanel bag was prominently positioned between the actors, as Trintignant delivered the iconic line: “Sorry, do you have any rooms available?”
Decades later, as Cruz delivers the same line to the returning waitress (played by Rianne Van Rompaey), the Chanel bag’s presence has evolved into a symbol that resonates with the film’s portrayal of a trilogy of emotions—fantasy, audacity and freedom—and the courage to embrace our deepest desires.
This unintended yet profound impact was far more than what Lelouch anticipated when budget constraints required the cast to use their own clothes and accessories. The Chanel bag became more than just a prop; it emerged as an emblematic feature that lasts a lifetime.
As the French says: “Pas de présent sans passé”—“No present without the past.”
In exploring the origins of a legend, it requires delving into the decades before Lelouch’s celebrated film; when in the 1920s, Gabrielle Chanel, now affectionately known as Coco, revolutionized women’s fashion, when she declared, “I was tired of holding my purses in my hands and losing them, so I added a strap and wore them over my shoulder.”
While drawing inspiration from the practical straps found on military satchels, Coco added a touch of haute couture to a design born out of the need for freedom of movement: jeweled chains for straps.
They linked to a rectangular bag that showcased Chanel’s iconic diamond quilting, inspired by the equestrian world. Constructed inside-out like a garment, it was then reversed again to sew the various pieces together with the intricate bridle stitch—akin to crafting a bag within a bag.
Its supple and soft surface curved gracefully along sensual lines, leading to the double flap topped with the “Mademoiselle” clasp that opens to reveal hidden worlds embodying Coco’s vision of “the inside must be as beautiful as the outside.”
The interior, lined with garnet-red leather chosen for its clarity and traditionally used in glove-making, cradled numerous pockets—compartments that serve to safeguard mysteries of the night, and protect the secrets of the day from the private worlds the wearer invent for herself.
Coco named the veritable revolution “2.55,” doubling her lucky number 5; a number that symbolizes movement, travel, open-mindedness, and a profound love of freedom.
Like so, the Chanel icon launched in 1955, and quickly became a staple on the shoulders of groundbreaking actresses in the 1960s who exemplified new possibilities for women everywhere. Jeanne Moreau, Delphine Seyrig, Jane Fonda, and of course, Aimée—women who not only carried their couturière bags on screen, but embraced them in their personal lives as well.
When Karl Lagerfeld took the reins at Chanel in the 1980s, he revitalized the classic 2.55, infusing it with modern appeal while maintaining its functional elegance.
He introduced the 11.12—its individual digits totaling Coco’s favorite number—and enhanced it with a more voluptuous quilted padding than that of its predecessor, evoking the plump softness of a cushion reminiscent of those on the fawn suede sofa in Coco’s apartment.
This new iteration—hidden stitches and subtle artisanal touches achievable only by the most skilled craftsmen—culminated at the monogram “CC” clasp, echoing off along the jeweled chains for straps, refined with an intertwined leather ribbon.
Yet, “life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards,” as the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once remarked.
Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of the American President, now on the third day of her private visit to London, leave No. 4 Buckingham Place, home of her sister, Princess Lee Radziwill, to drive to Buckingham Palace, to lunch with Queen Elizabeth. Mrs. Kennedy is wearing a petunia pink suit, high heeled black shoes, and a mink hat with black band. 1968, March 28th
© Photo Bettman/Getty Images
The Chanel icons perpetually metamorphose, manifesting in myriad colors, shapes, and materials with each new collection. It adapts not just to the whims of fashion but to the wearer’s mood, serving as everything from an elegant evening accessory to a faithful companion, from a sleepless night to the rising dawn.
Presently, Virginie Viard—the first woman to lead the House since Gabrielle Chanel—brings these icons into the 21st century, weaving the 2.55 and 11.12 into the fabric of ultra-feminine modernity.
Complementing effortlessly with a pair of jeans, pairing with an embroidered jacket, or enhancing the sleek silhouette of a long coat… each strategic layering mirrors the so-called ‘magical’ mathematical squares, where every element is interconnected, contributing to an essential part of the allure.
The Chanel 2.55 and 11.12 bags have matured into coats of arms worn across the body, their liberated silhouettes revealing aspects of the wearer while also deeply intertwined with the rich history of the House of Chanel.
Much like Lelouch’s film, reenacted in Chanel’s latest campaign, it’s a legacy meant to be passed down through generations; the wearers change, but its significance unwavering. Once serving the purpose of functionality—a mere prop, but now a signature couturière of the House that is instantaneously distinguishable.
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