For the first time, CHANEL presents a metal strap reworked in a Tweed motif for the BOY.FRIEND watch. The engraved strap, woven from steel threads, reveals great technical prowess: to recall the richness of the fabric, the Tweed motif had to be deeply and precisely stamped onto it, while at the same time retaining great suppleness to ensure highly comfortable wearing. The realization took many months to perfect. The mastery of this technique made it possible to integrate braiding that highlights the contours of the Tweed strap: the same braiding that marks the contours of the CHANEL jackets, edging the pockets and the bottom of the sleeves. The octagonal form of the deployant buckle recalls the Place Vendôme and the BOY.FRIEND collection.
It was, above all, for her own personal use that Mademoiselle Chanel first began appropriating men’s clothing, even when it meant having to cut, re-sew and tailor... Passionate about movement, she conceived the ideal wardrobe for a woman who, like herself, was active, travelled, drove and played sport. Without hesitation, she boldly blurred the dress codes of the time, choosing materials for their comfort, first working with jersey and then tweed in the 1920s.
Tweed was to have an enduring effect on her stylistic vocabulary. Originally produced in Scotland, tweed is a robust fabric made from carded wool. In her eyes, this woolen fabric, hand-woven and produced in Scotland by the inhabitants of the Highlands, had every requisite quality: the carded wool was supple and fluffy and, uncombed, retained its irregularities, known as “buttons,” giving it a more natural aspect. Mademoiselle Chanel preferred the wool not to be overly washed in order to conserve its suppleness and even prided herself on being able to recognize tweed that had been washed in the River Tweed.
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