THE SWEETEST MOMENT OF COUTURE

Long before fashion rediscovered Y2K nostalgia, Chanel quietly turned childhood into luxury.

Following the Autumn/Winter 2014 Paris Fashion Week show, editors were invited to preview the collection up close — and one accessory immediately stood apart from the rest. Scattered among the tweeds and pearls were pastel bead necklaces that looked almost identical to the candy necklaces many of us wore as kids.

Except these weren’t candy.

Chanel transformed the playground classic into jewellery, replacing the string elastic with delicate settings and weaving in the house’s interlocking C emblems. At first glance, the pieces were nearly indistinguishable from the real thing — the soft chalky colors, the tiny disks, the playful irregular spacing. Only the small CC charms revealed their couture status.

It was a rare moment where Karl Lagerfeld allowed humor into luxury. The piece wasn’t about status — it was about memory. Fashion wasn’t referencing childhood; it was recreating the feeling of it.

Today, the necklace feels almost prophetic. Years before the current obsession with playful accessories, toy-inspired jewellery, and nostalgic styling, Chanel showed that luxury doesn’t always need to be serious. Sometimes the most sophisticated statement is the one that makes you smile.

Not edible — but unforgettable.