“Reach for the Stars” collection focuses on recurring motifs and historical references
Chanel introduced its latest high jewelry collection titled “Reach for the Stars” on Monday, citing influence from the early Hollywood work of Gabrielle Chanel. The collection, presented at the Kyoto National Museum, revolves around references to celestial and animal symbolism.
The label continues to incorporate founder Gabrielle Chanel’s life story into its jewelry releases. Her time designing costumes for Hollywood actors like Gloria Swanson during the late 1920s and early 1930s was used as a central reference point.
“It’s all about this idea found across the house that whatever theme we explore, it becomes inscribed in the history of the house but it also brings us back to Gabrielle Chanel,” said Frédéric Grangié, president of Chanel watches and fine jewelry.
The collection consists of 110 pieces grouped into three thematic sections, 90 of which were unveiled during the Kyoto event. One segment references comets as symbols of autonomy, connecting to the house’s earlier “Bijoux de Diamant” designs. Another segment highlights lions, associated with strength and Chanel’s Leo zodiac sign.
The “Dreams Come True” set exemplifies the comet theme. It includes a necklace designed to resemble a high fashion neckline with diamond clusters arranged like lace and a black line across the design to create visual contrast.
In the lion-themed segment, Chanel used the motif to communicate authority. The “Be the One” and “Strong as a Lion” pieces employed radiant arrangements with lion features encircled by glitter and star details.
Chanel included 27 pieces in the collection priced in the million-dollar range, with some extending into eight-figure values.
Wings also appeared prominently for the first time in the house’s high jewelry, a choice explained by both Chanel’s 1930s design references and a quotation from 1938.
“If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing,” said the founder, a phrase used by Patrice Leguéreau, who led Chanel’s jewelry creation studio until his death in November at age 53.
Though wings were new to Chanel high jewelry, Grangié said they were previously seen in couture. He also noted their presence in the original “Bijoux de Diamants” collection.
“[Her] short period in Hollywood certainly had an enormous impact on the presentation in 1932 because [it] was very cinematographic, with mannequins positioned like actresses,” he said. “Given those [designs] and a staging that could be a film set, it certainly influenced in the way she conceived and saw high jewelry.”
A necklace titled Wings of Chanel was included to represent Leguéreau’s work. It features openwork elements framing the neck and includes a detachable pendant that converts into a bracelet.
The diamond layout on the wing’s segments is designed to move and fit different body shapes. Technical aspects such as mixed prong settings contribute to the visual impression of lightness, even with over 45 carats of diamonds.
A Padparadscha sapphire of 19.55 carats appears in the center, selected partly for its alignment with Chanel’s numeric themes. Its orange-pink color aligns with the broader visual tone.
Leguéreau “imagined pieces kissed by the light of the sun at sunset and dawn, with these colors that blaze on the horizon,” said the house. “It’s about that magical moment between day and night when the high jewelry sparkles on the skin.”
The set includes a wide range of colors and stones. The “Sunny Days” set features garnets and a 20.64-carat imperial topaz. The “After Midnight” necklace showcases sapphires from Sri Lanka, and the “Dreams Come True” design uses black DLC-coated gold.
A series of five brooches titled “Five Wings” reflects the wing theme further. Each includes a component painted by a Kyoto lacquer artist with generational expertise in the medium.
Leguéreau had “long been fascinated by this idea of excellence pushed to its pinnacle,” recalled Grangié. He had previously worked with lacquerer Yūji Shihou Okada and his son Yoshio Okada, who continues the family practice and was honored by the Japanese government.
The brooches were intended to express Leguéreau’s interpretation of high jewelry as “an art form, a language, and a legacy,” as written by Grangié in a note distributed to attendees in Kyoto.
“It is absolutely essential that we transcribe the creations of Patrice [Leguéreau] and the studio at the highest level of excellence so that these pieces sit in a patrimony on a 20-, 30-, 50-year scale and that one day, when a magistral exhibition on Chanel in our days takes place, they are part of it,” said Grangié. “That’s a clear goal for us.”
Before the collection enters museum spaces again, the priority is transferring it to private collectors. The jewelry division at Chanel, created in 1993, continues to define itself in contrast to older competitors.
Grangié noted familiar themes at Chanel being repurposed — for example, stars integrated into wing elements or used alongside lion designs.
“For Chanel, it is important to always bring themes that constitute this living patrimony that will have a capital importance in high jewelry,” the executive said. “But we are still in this creation phase and that’s what’s different compared to more institutional houses who have two centuries of history and revisit themes that are their own.”
Following 2023’s “Haute Joaillerie Sport,” this collection is presented as a display of the label’s interpretation of technical and aesthetic standards.
“It’s about creations pushed [to their utmost] but with the iron discipline of being a pure player” in terms of craft, gem sourcing and execution,” Grangié said.
This method targets a cross-section of clients interested in both Chanel’s apparel and high-end jewelry. Grangié estimates the audience for such pieces is composed of several hundred collectors globally.
A clock with a figure of Gabrielle Chanel on a base made of diamond-studded black jade — resembling an award statuette — was reportedly sold prior to the public launch.
“The priority of high jewelry is brand elevation, brand equity, so going higher and higher in terms of know-how, exceptional stones in service of a creation that will always be uniquely Chanel,” he said. “The top line is a consequence that follows, that grows, but that’s not the [primary focus] in high jewelry, which is about pulling the activity upwards.”
Grangié added that market volatility has made planning more complex, though development remains on track.
“Instability is likely to persist for a good long while so we are very vigilant,” the executive continued. “But we are staying the course regarding launches, all the programs [planned] for 2026 and 2027 and more than ever, in terms of investment — there’s no change there.”
Plans include new collections as well as continued movement toward vertical integration and expanding retail presence.
Grangié pointed to evenly distributed global demand and sector stability as encouraging signs.
“Not only is it a category that is resilient but it remains afloat and continues to generate growth,” the executive said. “I believe this will continue in years to come and the category itself is very, very, very positive.”
Luxury jewelry brands now account for around 35 percent of a market projected to reach $90.2 billion in 2025, with continued growth expected, according to Statista. Grangié said the potential for further expansion remains “very significant.”
The Kyoto event also marked a recognition of Leguéreau’s contributions. The evening concluded with a drone display above the Shogunzuka Seiryuden temple. Attendees included Japanese actress Nana Komatsu, Thai actress Chutimon “Aokbab” Chuengcharoensukying, and South Korean actress Kim Go-eun.
Grangié described Leguéreau as “the soul of the collection…gone too soon” and suggested that the house’s technical practices and stylistic choices going forward would be shaped by his influence.
“What you have here is a very, very important collection,” the executive said. “I think it will make a lot of sense 20 years from now, 30 years from now because when you think about high jewelry, only the long term prevails.”
