Was Coco Chanel secretly a New Yorker? She did wear a lot of black, and she was quick with a comeback. Legend has it that designer Paul Poiret once looked her LBD up and down and asked who she was in mourning for, and she shot back, “For you, monsieur.” That seems like grounds for immediate OG New Yorker status. If not, then this should do it: A Chanel Watches and Fine Jewelry flagship has just been planted on Fifth Avenue at 57th Street, jewelry crossroads of the world.
The store, says Frédéric Grangié, president of watches and fine jewelry at Chanel, “is a celebration of our dedication to savoir faire, but also of Gabrielle Chanel’s lucky number 5. And the first Chanel boutique on one of the world’s most recognized shopping streets. It will house our complete universe of watches and jewelry and will have more high jewelry and patrimony pieces on display than any boutique in the United States.”
The exclusive display of patrimony items, one-of-a-kind historical pieces that are not for sale, begins with the 55.55 necklace, inspired by the iconic Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle and named for the carat weight of the diamond at its center. But keep coming back for more: Grangié will show a new set of patrimony pieces four times a year, and this will be the only place you can see them. The store was designed by Peter Marino and has the residential feel Chanel fans are used to, but with such novelties as a touchscreen on the second floor that allows clients to have conversations with the creative teams in Paris. “There will also be,” Grangié says, “a customization service for all Coco Crush rings.”
The boutique will introduce Lion Solaire, a high jewelry collection inspired, says Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, by a “lion that is strong, scintillating, forceful, and incisive. He is slightly frowning. You can immediately feel his strength.” Welcome to New York, lion. We’ve been waiting for you.
The Perennials
This story appears in the February 2024 issue of Town & Country.
