Reach for the stars: The secret of constant rebirth in CHANEL jewellery

Tatler Asia

18-06-2025

Beneath a twilight sky awash with shifting hues, comets streak across the heavens, lions stride with majesty, and wings soar aloft. CHANEL's Reach for the Stars collection orchestrates a delicate symphony between Haute Couture, Haute Joaillerie, and the enduring legacy of Mademoiselle Chanel.
Since the days when logos first became emblems of luxury, Gabrielle Chanel shaped a world where willpower triumphed over convention, offering women a refined yet defiant French lifestyle, marked by symbols laden with meaning. Faux pearls, once deemed unsuitable for the modest woman, were worn by her as a daring statement against prevailing norms. The camellia, beloved for its understated beauty and enduring vitality, remains a timeless emblem of the house, gracing the lacquered screens that stood elegantly in her apartment at 31, rue Cambon in Paris.
Today, these motifs continue to echo across the CHANEL universe, from Haute Couture to fine jewellery. In Reach for the Stars , the house revives and reinterprets them: the lion, the comet, and, for the first time, a new emblem: wings. Transformed into luminous masterpieces, these motifs honour the maison's storied past while ushering in a new chapter of celestial beauty and boundless aspiration.
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Above Chanel designed clasp-free jewellery that moved with the body
Above These motifs honour the maison's storied past while ushering in a new chapter of celestial beauty and boundless aspiration
First introduced in Mademoiselle Chanel's groundbreaking 1932 Bijoux de Diamants collection, the comet symbolises freedom, a tribute to the woman who crafts her own independent path. It was a visionary gesture, ahead of its time. Chanel designed clasp-free jewellery that moved with the body, embodying her belief that jewellery should accompany a woman's rhythm, never constrain it.
In Reach for the Stars , the Blazing Star comet unfurls in gleaming gold and onyx, while the Dazzling Star necklace captivates with its twin diamond-studded pendants, framing the neckline with elegance and intent.
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Above Jewellery should accompany a woman's rhythm, never constrain it
Above Jewellery should accompany a woman's rhythm, never constrain it
The lion, Gabrielle Chanel's astrological sign, featured not only on the buttons of her iconic tweed jackets but also as treasured statuettes in her personal quarters. It entered the CHANEL High Jewellery universe in 2012, where it came to symbolise strength fused with poise: power cloaked in elegance.
Above The Comet symbolises freedom, a tribute to the woman who crafts her own independent path (photo: Chanel)
Above The Comet symbolises freedom, a tribute to the woman who crafts her own independent path (photo: Chanel)
In Reach for the Stars , the lion returns in two striking interpretations: one, a pendant encircled by stars and set with shimmering white and yellow diamonds; the other, a sculpted profile rendered in fluid lines and encrusted with precious stones, seen in the Embrace Your Destiny necklace. Both renditions embody the lion's duality; its grace in the hunt and its quiet grandeur in the roar.
This season, the lion is reimagined from both frontal and profile perspectives, now adorned with ethereal wings, becoming a celestial emblem in its own right. As Gabrielle Chanel once reflected: 'The aura of personality radiates from the simplest things.'
Perhaps the image CHANEL devoted the most attention to in this collection is the wing. Making its debut in the maison's High Jewellery line, this motif is both delicate and resilient, evoking one of Gabrielle Chanel's most timeless quotes: 'If you were born without wings, don't do anything that will keep them from flying.'
Winged creations blur the boundaries between Haute Couture and Haute Joaillerie. Like the perfect bespoke garment, each detail is designed to move in harmony with the body: light as lace, fluid as satin, and sculpted to trace a woman's curves with the same precision as a couture gown.
At the pinnacle of the collection stands the Wings of CHANEL necklace, crowned with a rare 19.55-carat padparadscha sapphire. Radiating a pink-orange glow reminiscent of the sky at dusk, this marks the first time CHANEL has included this singular gemstone in its high jewellery repertoire.
Above The Wings, subtly exuding authority and grace (photo: Chanel)
Above The Wings, subtly exuding authority and grace (photo: Chanel)
The lion, Gabrielle Chanel's zodiac sign, continues to channel the quiet strength of the modern woman. In pieces such as Strong as a Lion and Be the One, the majestic creature appears crowned with clusters of diamonds or poised in sculptural profile on pendants. In The Sky is the Limit, the lion is paired with wings, forming a supple necklace that subtly exudes authority and grace.
Above CHANEL reasserts that haute joaillerie is not merely a showcase of precious materials, but also a canvas for storytelling (photo: Chanel)
Above True beauty lies in the freedom to hold one's head high and the courage to shine in one's own light (photo: Chanel)
With Reach for the Stars , CHANEL reasserts that haute joaillerie is not merely a showcase of precious materials, but also a canvas for storytelling: an invitation to dream, to draw strength, and to embrace courage. As with the collection's closing image: The Silhouette Clock, where the figure of Gabrielle Chanel stands atop a jade pedestal, gazing skyward. It offers a quiet reminder that true beauty lies in the freedom to hold one's head high and the courage to shine in one's own light.
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