Chanel’s Spring 2015 runway was the first one in a while that we weren’t huge fans of. For the first time in several season’s, the brand’s mixture of luxury and kitsch felt a little bit off; where the Chanel Graffiti Backpacks had been a deft mix of high and low, the grunge-y spring messenger bags that seemed intended as their successors reached just a little too far. And what were those bags made to look like cardigans? Now that the collection is in stores, though, some of our questions have been answered and it’s clear that there’s still plenty to like.
First of all: the weird cardigan bags are now known as the Chanel Girl Bag, and they are still weird. They will likely not be one of the more well-received of Chanel’s recent structural experiments, but hey, sometimes that’s how experiments go. On the other hand, if you ever wanted to tie a sweater together by its sleeves and wear it as a bag, you’re in luck.
The real winners of the collection are the pieces that appear to be water-colored, as well as the Classic Flaps and Boy Bags that were refreshed with chevron instead of diamond quilting for the season. Chanel is calling the former the 11.12 bag, and Kristen Stewart will be its public face.