Many of Chanel's most iconic pieces are packed with subtle, history-filled nods to its game-changing founder, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. The house's classic 2.55 bag silhouette is steeped in fascinating references to the pioneering designer's life. Its fragrance lineup and makeup offerings also include all sorts of homages to the woman behind those interlocking C's. The luxury maison has dubbed plenty of pieces with the fascinating founder's nickname, Coco.
But 2017 is all about Gabrielle for the hallowed house: Chanel's upcoming major launches bear her first name. "Gabrielle is not just a simple name: it’s an invitation to all women to fulfill themselves, to have faith in who they are and to listen to their own voice," according to a release. The Gabrielle bag range will debut this spring, and it was first unveiled on the house's spring '17 runway; Kristen Stewart, Pharrell, Cara Delevingne, and Caroline de Maigret will front the forthcoming campaign, to be released in mid-March. There will also be a fragrance sporting the same name.
Today, the house released a video, Gabrielle: Rebel At Heart, celebrating (and educating us on) what made its founder such a fearless trailblazer. It's the first of four short films in a series; the next three installments will cover the themes of freedom, passion, and allure. The first short outlines how the life of the woman most commonly known as Coco can be summed up in three verbs: to choose, to desire, to be. Gabrielle is described as "a conquerer who transformed her rebellion into an art," and the brief clip is filled with sage advice along the lines of "choose simplicity over excess, comfort over appearance, and intuition over principles," "leave the past behind, and let instinct be your guide," and "desire to look like nobody else."
You'll have to hang tight a bit longer to see the newest bag styles, but in the interim, you can get inspired by the iconic Chanel founder's plucky spirit. Check out the full video, below.