Unpopular opinion: as someone with the attention span of a goldfish, TV shows comprising multiple seasons don’t fare too well with me. After all, what normal person has the energy to keep up with a motley bunch of characters AND their respective character arcs, which keep rotating every season? It’s also completely beside the point that no normal person would spend hours staring at a specific handbag from multiple angles, but I digress.
The logical conclusion for me, therefore, would be to simply skip watching four seasons of an HBO Max show (which are generally rather glum, to begin with) than to try and make sense of the “ludicrously capacious bag” trope that’s been sending shockwaves all across the Internet. But if only life were that logical.
*bague souple chanel ultra grand modele en or blanc ceramique blanche et diamants*
In related news, when we big bag-lovers were breathing collective sighs of relief over the reign (of terror) of mini bags finally nearing an end, Tom from Succession managed to send the entirety of the handbag world into retrograde in one fell swoop! The carryall will forever be associated with the opposite of quiet luxury. But also just in time for a flashpoint in fashion such as this, the house of Chanel has answered our prayers and shrunk its polarizing carryall, the 22 bag, into a mini rendition.
And if you thought the 22 bag was divisive, let me tell you; things are about to get much more heated with the 22 Mini!
A Look Back at the Chanel 22
Writing about handbags, for the most part, is an exercise in the exaggeration of things most people would scoff at. But perhaps I wasn’t entirely in the wrong when I’d complained, not too long ago, about a Жіноча сумка chanel like Chanel. After all, the last major release of the brand had been the 19 bag, and even that merely expanded upon Chanel’s rather uptight lineup of quilted flaps.
And it was as if to prove me wrong that the house debuted a groundbreaking new silhouette in its Spring 2022 Ready-To-Wear show, Летние сандалии chanel. Inspired by the brand’s early aughts hit, the Coco Cabas, the 22 stood in stark contrast to the rest of Chanel at the time – relaxed and bohemian in feel, it was perfect for buyers ever so slightly fatigued by the continual overload of flaps. Plus, at the intersection of a hobo, a tote, and a bucket bag, the 22 is also a spacious affair, a rare feat from the brand whose recent runways Пуховик куртка chanel.
But right from its launch, the 22 had netizens divided over its aesthetic. Often likened to a luxe trash bag, its in-your-face “Chanel” lettering cheapens the look for many. And at an eye-watering price-point, its reported defects, ranging from the glazed leather cracking to the letters falling out – paired with a rampant gifting policy to every influencer under the sun – meant its adversaries were equally as vocal in their resentment about it. Consequently, many longtime Chanel fans were firmly driven to the haters’ camp, unconvinced of the bag’s style and staying power.
The Mini 22 Changed All That
What Chanel did wrong with the 22 bag; however, it has righted with the mini 22. Or so it seems. Released with little fanfare exactly a year after its elder sibling – at the Spring-Summer 2023 show in Paris – the only campaign centering on the Mini features the singer and Chanel brand ambassador, Jennie, from the well-known K-Pop band Blackpink.
And the formula appears to have worked so far. Without the swathes of celebs and starlets hauling it all throughout fashion month – and with Tom having conveniently dissed larger handbags – the Mini 22 has the Chanel girls swooning, prompting sell-outs even before reaching the stores!
But what accounts for the seemingly massive reception of a simple scaling-down of the original 22? Measuring 20 × 19 × 6 cm, the Mini 22 carries forward the viral micro-tote design that was all over the street-style set last year, with a daintier silhouette and just the right amount of punk. And though compact – and immensely cute, might I add – it still manages to fit most phones and smaller wallets! When was the last time a mini-purse could do that without inducing agita? I rest my case.
Furthermore, in addition to the chain strap, the Mini 22 consists of a thin leather sling for crossbody-wear, and an aged calfskin version even comes with a detachable pearl strap by way of some OTT embellishment! And thankfully, the price, though extravagant, isn’t entirely ridiculous (at least, by Chanel standards) – starting from $5,000 after the recent price increase, Has the Chanel Gabrielle Bag Run Its Course.
Chanel Pre-Owned 2005 Camélia print camisole | So, Can the Mini 22 Win Over Skeptics?
It’s been a while since I’ve fangirled over a Chanel, and perhaps that goes to show that, with the Mini 22, the brand might finally be on to something. True to Miss Gabrielle’s original design, the 2.55 – which aimed to empower women with the freedom of movement – the 22 Mini manages to condense the right elements from its larger counterpart without becoming absurdly small or outrageously pricey. But that being said, in an atmosphere wrought with a generally unfavorable consensus against the house, can the Mini help to redeem it?
For a brand of Chanel’s description, a not-insignificant part of its success relies on its perception of unattainability, a hotly debated issue. The brand wishes to make its purchases appear as a landmark moment for buyers. Yet, it also continues to struggle with the issue of ubiquity, consequently resorting to Hermès-like strategies and a steady diet of price-hikes to hold on to a (rather fleeting) image of scarcity.
Unlike its contemporaries, such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel doesn’t have to rely on monogrammed, entry-level pieces to drive revenues. In fact, its seasonal runway pieces, despite being produced in limited runs, have traditionally sold for high prices (yes, even higher than that of its Classic Flaps), signaling that it’s these rarer, less-ubiquitous pieces that the consumers desire. And the Mini 22, which may ultimately prove to be a seasonal release, appears to be just that.
At the end of the day, if you’re not among those to carry “flat shoes for the subway” or “a lunch pail” in your bag, the Chanel Mini 22 will likely house most of your essentials, at least for a night out, if not for the day. And the heavy-handed discussion aside, the strong emotions surrounding the 22 and its mini sister show that Chanel always finds a way to stay atop the grapevine, even if not all its designs are equally well-received.
As for me, though I find myself torn over the Mini 22, I have recently learned to be more forgiving towards mini-purses Chanel Pre-Owned 1995 CC logos shoulder bag?
