Margaret Qualley renites with nature in a film for Chanel (All photos: Chanel)
1. It has all the codes of Chanel that you know and love.
Designed by creative director Virginie Viard (known for resurrecting the brand’s long-time classics and reinvigorating them with a fresh take), the Chanel 22 bag adopts the French fashion house’s most iconic codes, namely the quilted leather and metal chain interlaced with leather.
2. It gives you the freedom of movement and spirit, just like Gabrielle Chanel intended.
The French fashion designer revolutionised women’s clothes in the 1920s by popularising trousers and liberating women from corsets. She introduced ease and comfort by borrowing elements from menswear, such as pockets and tweed. This bag has been designed with the same ethos. Created for the modern woman on-the-go, this functional and lightweight accessory is a genuine ally for daily life.
3. It is a refreshing alternative to the of-the-moment micro bags.
Fashion has been obsessed over the past few years with mini bags, but as super chic and adorable as they are, they are not the most practical little things. Enter the Chanel 22. With its roomy interior that perfectly encapsulates the “carry-all” attitude, it is the big change we have all been waiting for.
4. It comes with the thoughtful Chanel practicality that doesn’t compromise on style.
The bag features a magnetic button closure and purse-like drawstrings (to ensure your things don’t spill out), with an inside zipped pocket and a removable pouch held in place by a snap hook. This functionality coupled with its modern and fresh look make it a worthy contender for your lifetime bag.
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5. It has new Chanel signage, which is all the style stamp of approval one needs.
The bag is adorned with a CHANEL signature across the front composed of gold or lacquered metal letters and a CHANEL Paris medallion with an openwork double C that dangles from the straps, offering new ways of brandishing the label that long-time fans are bound to love.
6. It can double as the world’s most stylish pillow.
Normally, we would never condone using your designer handbag as a pillow, but with its plush silhouette and extremely supple yet resistant calfskin leather, you can rest your head on this cushy tote, whether you are on the Eurostar from London for an impromptu shopping trip in Paris or when you are chauffeur-driven home after a big night out, absolutely worry-free.
7. You can choose one in Pantone’s colour of the year.
With its finger ever on the pulse, Chanel offers a version of the bag in a shade that is a pretty close approximation of Pantone’s colour of the year for 2022, sending it down the runway two months before it was even announced by the de facto global authority on colour. Very Peri, described as “a dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a vivifying violet red undertone”, signals that purple tones are the ones to love this year. So, why not start with the Chanel 22 in this fresh shade?
8. It is available in five other colours.
Besides purple, the bag is also available in two shades of pink to perk up all your fresh, summer looks. Of course, you can opt for it in the wear-with-everything shades of black, white and navy blue.
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9. It comes in three sizes, so you can find the best fit for your life.
Whether you like your bags oversized or triple extra oversized, the Chanel 22 has got you covered with three versions: small (35x37x7cm), medium (39x42x8cm) and large (48x45x10cm).
10. There is a backpack version for all the cool kids.
And we don’t just mean the Gen Zs. The once humble backpack known for toting books, binders and gel pens has long since graduated to become a fashion essential, especially the elevated versions in luxe leather. This bag in shiny calfskin is definitely too cool for school, in the best way possible.
11. It is the newest chapter in Chanel’s long numerological tradition.
Rooted in numerology, which was of great importance to Gabrielle Chanel, the 22 bag was named after the year it was created, just like its predecessor, the Chanel 19, created in 2019. The number is also symbolic for the house because in 1922, it created its fragrance N°22, following the extraordinary success of Chanel N°5.
12. 22 is a powerful number.
For the more spiritually inclined, the 22 in tarot cards is one of the Master numbers and holds so much strength it can turn dreams into reality. In numerology, it represents the fulfilment of one’s greatest aspirations. How’s that for an empowering bag?
13. It is the perfect companion for luxe resort getaways.
If you are checking into the rainforest pool villa at The Datai Langkawi, this roomy bag can fit all your poolside essentials, from oversized sunglasses and SPF50 sunscreen to your favourite beach read and S’well water bottle. It also goes oh-so well with your gorgeous silk caftan ensembles.
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14. You can go matchy-matchy with looks from the Spring/Summer ’22 collection.
For that perfectly coordinated ensemble, you can go all out and do colour on colour on colour with the latest Summer collection. The purple bag is a perfect match for look 50, a purple tweed skirt suit, and the pink option works with look 43, a coral pink knitted cropped top paired with hot shorts and a cardigan.
15. It is the stylish solution for all trendy mums out there.
Big enough to carry your homemade snacks or a colouring book for your children, with a removable pouch that is perfect to store baby’s Binky, the Chanel 22 is the answer to all fashion-loving mothers’ sartorial and practical needs.
16. It perfectly encapsulates that quintessentially Parisian je ne sais quoi.
Imagine the Chanel 22 casually propped on the table while you are cutting into a croque madame at L’Avenue. Or if you are just enjoying the warmth of a Parisian summer with a lazy stroll along the Seine, bag tucked under your arm. C’est très chic, non?
17. There is a beautifully shot campaign that helps you imagine the different scenarios where you might carry the bag.
In a series of images and films lensed and directed by iconic fashion photographer duo Inez & Vinoodh, we delve into the unique personalities of three Chanel muses, Whitney Peak, Lily-Rose Depp and Margaret Qualley, while getting a glimpse of their lives from different locales, from the calm ambiance of Los Angeles and the healing open spaces of Palm Springs to the fast-paced beat of New York, showcasing just how versatile the Chanel 22 bag is.
18. You can take the bag on a night out with friends, just like Whitney Peak.
In her film that is an ode to the nightlife of New York, the actress, whom you will recognise from the 2021 reboot of Gossip Girl, and her stylish confidants assemble at their favourite haunts across the Hudson River, with her trusty Chanel 22 bag keeping her company throughout her night-time urban wandering.
19. You can spend a glamorous day alone with the bag, as Lily-Rose Depp shows.
From the kiss of dawn to the rays of the setting sun in dreamy Los Angeles, the actress and model is depicted in her film dressed to the nines, complete with the Chanel 22 bag and enjoying her own fabulous company, indulging in such activities as lounging by the pool, roller-skating indoors and admiring the LA night skyline from a cliff.
20. You can reconnect with nature with the Chanel 22 by your side, like Margaret Qualley did.
Echoing her childhood in a ranch in Montana, actress Margaret Qualley escapes to the desert in her film, the ideal setting for a reunion with nature. Whether she is driving through it or traversing it with a horse by her side, she is slowing things down in the beautiful, barren land of Palm Springs, with only her essentials packed into her Chanel 22 bag.
21. It is a great investment piece.
The cost of Chanel handbags is only ever going to go in one direction — up — so now is always the best time to buy one. Plus, they are constantly in high demand on the resale market. It is the perfect girl’s investment, where, instead of buying stocks, you collect Chanel bags and see them go up in value.
22. You can pass it on to your children.
And they, on to theirs, and so on and so forth. A Chanel is for life and beyond. Timeless, classic, eternal.
This article first appeared on Apr 25, 2022 (Spring/Summer 2022 issue) of The Edge Malaysia.
