Chanel rises to this challenge with the collection of 80 pieces, which are divided into seven chapters—Graphic Line, Chanel Print, Quilted Icons, Sporty 5, Gold Slider, Sweater Sport and Collector Sport. Freedom of movement is best exemplified in the Sweater Sports chapter, which features the collection’s most eye-catching and innovative element: a tube chain named the “sport cord”.

This element resembles the drawstring often found on sportswear items, which are used to tighten waists and necklines. Specially developed by Chanel’s high jewellery atelier, the sports cord is a sinuous chain of interconnected tubes which offers flexibility and creates unusual silhouettes rarely found in the high jewellery realm. In one of the Sweater necklaces, for instance, the sports cord pierces through a choker, appearing as the ends of a drawstring, adorned with 11 emerald-cut emeralds that weigh a total of 37.18 carats. These cords can be detached from the choker and worn as earrings, with or without the emeralds. In several other earring designs, the sports cord allows the earrings to sway and shimmer with every turn of the head, imbuing the pieces with a rare dynamism.

The sports cord also shines in the Gold Slider chapter. A necklace in white gold, onyx, black lacquer and diamonds features two flexible cords made from white gold as the body, with a central slider adorned with diamond-encrusted Chanel lettering. This adjustable slider allows the pieces to be easily transformed from a double-row choker to an elegant, long sautoir.

This adaptability is a triumph of Chanel’s mastery, yet beyond this technical achievement lies a deeper significance: the collection grants its wearer a sense of empowerment. Two pairs of hands are often required to put on complex pieces, but this jewellery’s easily transformable nature celebrates the wearer’s autonomy.

Flexibility is further demonstrated in the Sporty 5 chapter, which introduces Gabrielle Chanel’s lucky number 5 to the high jewellery collection for the first time. The numeral 5 is redesigned as a karabiner, another common feature of sports gear, and serves as a quick-release system for the pieces in this chapter, enabling versatility, as seen in a transformable necklace in which the two pendants are interchangeable and can removed and worn as earrings. 

Meanwhile, a swivel clasp that can be turned 360 degrees, borrowed from the famous 2.55 bag, is featured throughout the Quilted Icons chapter, serving as both adornment and a release system. Fused with a mesh-like quilted pattern, it represents an aesthetic breakthrough as well as a bold decision to not conceal the necklaces’ clasps, as many high jewellery designs would do. 

While the technical breakthroughs are to be marvelled at, the aesthetic appeal is nothing less than you’d expected from the maison. Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, wanted to create a sense of strength with this collection, and this is particularly notable in the Graphic Line chapter. Lacquer in rich reds, blues, greens and blacks adds assertiveness, while the chevron motifs signify energy and speed. Meanwhile, the Collector chapter features a set of five star-shaped brooches features Chanel lettering, the number 5 created in the sort of typography seen on a chronometer and lacquer highlights, emphasising a sense of playfulness rarely seen in high jewellery.

No high jewellery creation is complete without exceptional gemstones. For this latest collection, Chanel once again took an unusual approach by adopting coloured stones, a choice rarely seen in its past works. From emeralds and rubies to mandarin garnets, these brightly coloured gemstones add to the collection’s energy and vibrancy. Notably, five signature pieces—a statement necklace, a pair of earrings and two rings—are each adorned with a rare Kashmir sapphire. It took several years of research and sourcing to find enough stones of sufficient quality to complete this set.

Combining elegance and innovation with refined aesthetics, advanced techniques and exceptional gemstones, the Haute Joaillerie Sport collection embraces Chanel’s sporty side for the first time in high jewellery, proving that comfort and versatility belong in the world of luxury.

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