Chanel’s “Reach for the Stars” 2025 High Jewellery Collection: A Celebration of Freedom, Light, and Gabrielle Chanel’s Timeless Spirit

In July 2025, during Paris Haute Couture Week, Chanel invited its global VIP clients and members of the press to its historic Place Vendôme maison to experience its newest high jewellery collection: Reach for the Stars. This collection is not merely a display of opulence; it is an immersive journey into art, light, and imagination. Every piece tells the story of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s legendary life while reflecting the modern woman’s independence, confidence, and ambition.

Within the elegantly curated spaces of Chanel’s Parisian maison, each jewel appeared almost alive, resonating with light and shadow. Visitors could sense the interplay between the design’s meticulous craftsmanship and its narrative intention, where diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals became extensions of emotion and storytelling. The experience was carefully orchestrated to allow the audience to feel the jewels’ presence, movement, and energy, transforming what could have been a static display into a living dialogue between wearer, object, and imagination.

Reach for the Stars is structured around three symbolic motifs: the comet, the wings, and the lion. The comet pays homage to Gabrielle Chanel’s debut 1932 Bijoux de Diamants collection; the wings echo her mantra: “If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing”; and the lion, Chanel’s zodiac sign, Leo, recalls the majestic lion sculptures she cherished in her Rue Cambon apartment. These motifs not only reflect key elements of Chanel’s life and philosophy but also form the conceptual backbone of the collection, elevating each piece from ornamentation to storytelling.

This collection also marks the final creative achievement of the late Patrice Leguéreau, Chanel’s high jewellery artistic director since 2009. His visionary approach shaped the house’s high jewellery into a signature blend of technical brilliance and poetic storytelling. Under Leguéreau’s guidance, Chanel’s high jewellery transcends mere decoration; it captures movement, light, and emotion. Speaking about Reach for the Stars, he explained, “We wanted to create pieces of jewellery that are illuminated by the rays of the sunset and beyond, with those colours blazing across the horizon. Capturing that magical moment between day and night when High Jewellery sparkles on the skin.” This philosophy underscores the collection’s essence: jewellery as an extension of the wearer’s spirit, alive with color, light, and narrative.

The comet motif embodies freedom, flight, and exploration. Gabrielle Chanel’s 1932 Bijoux de Diamants featured stars draped across the shoulder, forehead, and wrists, marking her only high jewellery collection and cementing the celestial symbol in the house’s aesthetic. In Reach for the Stars, the comet motif is reimagined with a lighter, more ethereal approach. Chains of gold and onyx suggest the comet’s gentle descent across the body, while rings extend across the hand and necklaces wrap around the neck like celestial trails. Diamonds cascade like meteor showers, and black onyx rod beads echo the dramatic lines of a black couture gown, as seen in the Dreams Come True necklace. The Dazzling Star necklace, set with diamonds and black lacquer on a slender chain, refreshes the comet motif with a youthful and contemporary touch, reinforcing Chanel’s vision that stars are eternally modern. Beyond aesthetics, the comet symbolizes hope, ambition, and the courage to shine—values intrinsic to Chanel’s identity and to the modern woman who wears these jewels.

Wings reflect elegance, lightness, and freedom, embodying Chanel’s love for feathers and their natural grace. In high jewellery, such lightness is achieved through meticulous craftsmanship: delicate articulations and almost invisible settings make these pieces float on the skin. The Wings of Chanel necklace exemplifies this concept, featuring a 19.55-carat Padparadscha sapphire. Its pendant and chain can be worn separately, allowing the piece to transform into a bracelet, demonstrating the collection’s versatility and dynamic approach to high jewellery. Other pieces, like the Pink Hour necklace adorned with pink sapphires and the double ring spelling out “star” in pearls, diamonds, and pink and yellow sapphires, capture the warm glow of a Californian sunset—evoking the romantic, golden-hour light that characterized Chanel’s Hollywood era. Through wings, Chanel translates freedom and elegance into jewellery, enabling movement, self-expression, and an intimate connection with the wearer’s body.

The lion, another recurring symbol in Chanel’s universe, represents strength, audacity, and courage. Historically, lions appear on Chanel jacket buttons, handbag clasps, and even interior decor, reflecting both power and guardianship. In this collection, lions are interpreted in two distinct ways: a sculpted, noble profile symbolizing majesty and a stylized form, with a resplendent mane surrounded by stars, evoking drama and fantasy. The Embrace Your Destiny necklace features two lion profiles, each adorned with pear-shaped diamonds, allowing the necklace to drape like a scarf across the neck—a gesture reminiscent of Chanel couture’s daring and elegance. Meanwhile, the Sky is the Limit necklace unites all three motifs, presenting a winged lion shimmering amidst a cascade of diamonds and crowned by a star, symbolizing infinite possibilities. Lions in Chanel jewellery go beyond ornamentation; they are a metaphor for the wearer’s inner strength and a reflection of Chanel’s vision of the empowered woman.

Beyond the motifs themselves, the collection’s appeal lies in its interplay of light, color, and texture. Gold, diamonds, onyx, and colored gemstones are meticulously arranged to create depth and movement, capturing light from every angle. Each piece is carefully calibrated for balance and wearability, allowing it to move with the body. Detachable elements add versatility, transforming necklaces into bracelets or earrings into pendants, making the jewels dynamic and interactive. This emphasis on tactile experience ensures that the collection is not just visually stunning but also physically and emotionally engaging, letting each wearer feel the jewel’s energy in motion.

Chanel high jewellery has always centered on celebrating the female spirit, and Reach for the Stars extends this philosophy to a new height. The comet represents freedom and exploration, wings embody grace and elegance, and the lion conveys courage and power. Together, they construct a portrait of the modern woman: confident, independent, and unafraid to pursue her dreams. The jewels serve not only as accessories but also as instruments for expressing personality, ambition, and individuality. In every curve of a chain, in every cascade of stones, the collection communicates a narrative that resonates deeply with those who wear it.

The collection also speaks to Chanel’s ongoing dialogue between history and modernity. From the 1932 Bijoux de Diamants to the 2025 Reach for the Stars, high jewellery has evolved while remaining true to the house’s ethos: innovation rooted in elegance and timelessness. Designers reinterpret historical motifs while pushing creative boundaries, turning each jewel into a narrative artifact that chronicles a woman’s journey, dreams, and self-expression. Every piece is thus a bridge between past and present, offering the wearer a tangible link to Chanel’s heritage and philosophy.

Chanel demonstrates through Reach for the Stars that high jewellery is more than a symbol of wealth or status; it is a medium for storytelling, culture, and emotion. The collection transforms jewellery into a lifestyle statement, empowering women to embrace their freedom, elegance, and inner strength. Each diamond, gemstone, and chain resonates like a star in the cosmos, connecting wearer and universe, tradition and innovation, elegance and individuality. The collection embodies a celebration of light, artistry, and personal expression, allowing the wearer to experience the transcendence of jewellery as an art form.

From the Dazzling Star to Embrace Your Destiny, from Pink Hour to Sky is the Limit, each piece stands alone as a work of art while forming part of a cohesive narrative. Reach for the Stars embodies Chanel’s philosophy of integrating art, culture, and personal empowerment into high jewellery, offering a visual and emotional journey that celebrates light, freedom, and ambition. It is both a tribute to Gabrielle Chanel’s enduring legacy and a reflection of the contemporary woman’s pursuit of dreams, elegance, and self-expression. Every moment spent wearing these jewels is a dialogue with the cosmos, a celebration of life, and a statement of unshakable confidence.

Through this masterful interplay of motifs, materials, and light, Reach for the Stars exemplifies the full spectrum of Chanel high jewellery: from heritage and narrative to craftsmanship and emotional resonance. It is a collection that celebrates the constellation of qualities that define the modern woman—freedom, elegance, strength, and the courage to reach beyond the stars. In every diamond’s sparkle, every colored stone’s glow, and every meticulously crafted chain, Chanel invites its audience to dream boldly, shine brightly, and carry forward the enduring spirit of Gabrielle Chanel.