The Most Creative Ways Chanel Has Used Tweed
For over a century years, tweed has been the fashion House’s signature material.
Anyone who is familiar with Chanel knows that tweed has been synonymous with the brand ever since Coco Chanel rose to fame in the 1920s. Many do not know, however, how Chanel’s love of tweed started. Chanel’s interest in tweed began while she was dating the Duke of Westminster, during which she realized the versatility, comfortability, and great potential in the fabric. In 1924, Chanel partnered with a Sottish factory to begin making her first tweed designs which ranged from jackets to sportswear.
Chanel’s tweed designs quickly rose in popularity due to their innovation and impeccable designs. A few years later, Chanel partnered with a French factory to create tweed that could incorporate different materials such as silk and cotton in order to give it a more elevated, high fashion look and feel. Chanel also began dying the material different colours to distinguish her tweed from the typical, classic hues.
Under Chanel herself, Karl Lagerfeld, and newly Virginie Viard, tweed has continued to be a staple for the brand, and with each season the brand’s use of the material grows more creative. From Chanel's original classic tweed jacket to tweed sneakers, the iconic pair have done it all together. Here are the most creative ways that Chanel has used tweed.
Bags
Keeping true to the classics, Chanel often imbues its iconic bags with tweed motifs, combining two super signatures of the maison into a single luxury accessory.
Sunglasses
Set in a makeshift supermarket, Chanel's Fall/Winter 2014 show introduced a line of fuzzy sunglasses that boasted colourful tweed prints.
Sneakers
In the 2010s, the sneaker craze made its way from streetwear to the runway. Capitalizing on the trend, Chanel continued the kitschy theme for Fall/Winter 2014 by emblazoning the sporty shoes with tweed.
Wedding Dress
For the Fall/Winter 1992 Haute Couture season, Chanel presented a wedding dress for the finale, as always. This time, however, Claudia Schiffer modelled a princess-cut gown made with off-white tweed fabric with black piping around the bodice.
High Jewlery
Although not technically tweed, Chanel's first high jewellery collection was dedicated to and inspired by the brand's beloved material. The necklace above, the centrepiece of the collection, is named "Tweed Couture".
Fall/Winter 2022
Rather than settle on a specific item to carry on the tweed legacy, Viard's latest show for the Maison made tweed the focal point of its collection, from the invitations to the lighting displays to the actual garments.
