As with all Chanel High Jewelry collections, the basis for Reach For The Stars stems from the life of Chanel herself. This time her quote: “If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing,” provided the impetus for the collection. The pieces are statement-making and intended for red carpet moments—an extension of Chanel’s first and only high jewelry collection in 1932. “Maybe it’s a more classic theme in a way, but at the same time it’s a very bold and sophisticated approach to the glamorous style of Chanel,” said Dorothée Saintville, the brand’s International Product Marketing Director of Watches and Fine Jewelry.
Japanese craftsmanship was a longtime focus of the late Creative Director of Chanel fine and high jewelry, Patrice Leguéreau, who started this collection before he passed away late last year. Saintville stepped in to join President of Watches and Fine Jewelry Frederic Grangié to shepherd this collection to fruition and continue to drive the creative vision and expansion of Chanel High Jewelry.
A hero piece of the collection features a significant padparadscha sapphire. The stone’s intense, warm pink tone with hints of orange and yellow embodies Leguéreau’s intention to capture the sensation of golden hour, explained Saintville. “When Patrice thought about this collection he said: ‘I imagine pieces kissed by the light of the sun at sunrise or sunset.’ ” Imagination, romance, and modernism mark this new collection and the inclusion of wings expands its lexicon. “There is no rule [of the introduction of new symbols],” added Saintville, “it’s part of the endless reinterpretation of our DNA.”