Chanel Coco Crush Jewels ALL-I-C

Coco Crush, gold on the loose

Chanel has expanded one of its iconic jewellery lines, which first appeared in 2015: Coco Crush. The workshops have given the precious gold quilting an unprecedented flexibility. In this imaginary interview, Coco Crush tells us all. Isabelle Cerboneschi

Gracie Abrams, American musician-singer-songwriter, wears Coco Crush earring, bracelets and rings, quilted motif, in 18 Beige Gold, diamonds. ©CHANEL Fine Jewellery

INTERVIEW

What’s your name?

Coco Crush: My name is Crush, Coco Crush.

Where does your name come from?

My first name is that of one of the greatest ladies of fashion. Gabrielle Chanel, aka Coco. As for my surname, it means that I was born from a gesture: a pattern engraved in gold to give the effect of crushed quilting. And let’s not forget that ‘crush’ also means ‘a sudden infatuation’. That’s often the effect I have on people.

Mathilda Gvarliani, model, wears Coco Crush earrings, bracelets and rings, quilted motif, in 18K Beige Gold and white gold, diamonds. ©CHANEL Fine Jewellery

What do you do for a living?

I beautify women. And don’t tell me that’s a frivolous business, because it would be a misjudgement. A woman who wears me around her neck, on her finger, on her ears, her wrist, where her pulse beats, feels supported by beauty, light and gentleness, and more powerful too.’

What qualities does it require?

Flexibility and rigour. I’ve inherited these qualities from the woman whose name I bear. She had incredible style and ran her business with a masterful hand. How could it have been otherwise? When you were born a woman and penniless at the end of the 19th century, the prospects for the future were rather bleak. It took rigour and an iron will, or gold in my case, to succeed in rising to the top as she did. As for flexibility, that was a given from the very beginning: Coco Chanel quickly got rid of the corsets that restricted women and invented outfits made from materials that were unexpected at the time, such as jersey, giving them unprecedented freedom of movement.

Coco Crush supple choker, quilted motif, in 18K Beige Gold @ CHANEL Fine Jewellery

What do you like to wear on a daily basis?

Nothing. It’s other people who wear me. Women who love freedom and don’t like jewellery to constrain them, but want it to accompany them in their every move. Jewellery that can move with them, that can dance through life. I leave rigidity of mind to others…

When were you born?

That’s a very indiscreet question. I have no age. I am of today, yesterday and tomorrow.

Akon Changkou, model, wears Coco Crush supple choker and earring, quilted motif, in 18K Beige gold and white gold, diamonds. ©CHANEL Fine Jewellery

Allow me to insist.

Very well, but try to keep up, because it’s complicated. I was officially born in 2015 but in reality, I was born long before that. My origins date back to 1906 when Gabrielle Chanel discovered the quilted horse blankets at the home of her lover at the time, Etienne Balsan, a young heir who owned stables. I was born again in 1955 when she decided to create a leather bag with this famous quilted pattern: the 2.55. Then in 2015, I appeared for the first time as a jewel. I was brought to life from a gesture: incisions carved into gold. And finally, I am reborn in 2026. Jewellers have given me new flexibility by connecting my quilting with a mesh effect adorned with a sliding clasp. Worn around the neck, I fit perfectly, like a ray of golden beige light, yellow gold, white gold, or sprinkled with diamonds.

Gracie Abrams, wears Coco Crush supple choker, an earring, bracelets and rings, quilted motif, in 18 Beige Gold, diamonds. ©CHANEL Fine Jewellery

You mention beige: beige gold is quite unusual. Where does it come from?

Beige was one of Coco Chanel’s favourite colours. It was the painter Paul César Helleu, a friend of hers, who suggested she use beige, the hues of wet sand, during a walk in Deauville in 1912. Coco, as I’m allowed to call her, made her mark with a very limited colour palette: black, white and beige. And in 2015, when I was born, the House of Chanel had the idea of using a beige gold, less cold than white gold and softer than yellow gold. A shade that goes well with the House’s clothing. But don’t ask me about the composition: it has been patented and remains a well-kept secret.

Jennie, South Korean singer and CHANEL ambassador, wears Coco Crush necklaces and earrings, quilted motif, in 18K Beige Gold and white gold, diamonds. ©CHANEL Fine Jewellery

You said earlier that you want to empower women. How can a woman feel more powerful by wearing jewellery?

Imagine where I come from. I am made of gold, a material that was born in the sky at the heart of supernovae. I come from millions of asteroids that have bombarded the Earth for billions of years! I am a child of the stars. Once extracted, I was put through the ordeal of fire and then forced to take on a specific form. Before ending up on a woman’s skin, I went through so many adventures! That made me stronger. And I am able to pass on that strength to the woman who wears me. Furthermore, do not forget the significance of jewellery: for a long time, it has carried so many meanings, whether as a sign of belonging, a symbol of power or wealth, a messenger, a witness, a legacy… Jewellery is so much more than a simple ornament.

Do you ever dream?

Of course! Like any object with a soul. My dream is to sparkle and make the person who wears me shine. I also like the idea of adorning men’s necks. I wish to live in broad daylight or in the dead of night, and above all not to spend my time hidden away in a safe. But my dearest dream has already come true: to spread the seeds of beauty…