For Chanel, a bag signs off a silhouette: an essential accessory, it punctuates a look. Presented at the runway show for the Autumn-Winter 2018/19 Ready-to-Wear collection, the Chanel 31 Bag has a strong personality and announces a new attitude.

Its line, its supple construction and its multiple ways of being worn means it can change shape on a whim while its colours are distinctly contrasting. Its audacity underlines an identity anchored in the history of the House. True to himself, Karl Lagerfeld gives his creation a double dose of mischievousness. Its name is not only a nod to Chanel’s famous address on the rue Cambon, but also a play on the equally famous French expression, “se mettre sur son 31”, translating in English as “dressed to the nines”.

The Chanel 31 is several bags in one. A tote with built-in handles, it can be held in the hand or folded in half to become an oversized clutch. Knotted inside is a double strap in two-tone leather that offers a third way of being carried, over the shoulder. Always and never the same: it alternates between being laid-back and strolling, chic and in a hurry, practical and urban, or all the above at once. Available in several sizes, from a clutch format- XS or XL, to a large tote, the Chanel 31 is punctuated with a CC tourniquet clasp- the most loyal and identifiable signature of a Chanel bag.

Surprisingly light and supple, it exists as a two-tone lambskin version, beige and black in the purest Chanel tradition, plus an array of dynamic new colour combinations: pink/red, red/orange, royal blue/hot pink, green/pink beige, pink/pink beige and red/pink beige. It’s available as an all-black version in a shiny, crushed and quilted calfskin, and in keeping with the silhouettes of the collection, the Chanel 31 also comes in tweed and fabric printed with autumn leaves.

Imbued with the spirit of Chanel, the Chanel 31 Bag has all the ingenuity, aesthetics, daring, creativity and practicality of every accessory by the House. Discover it in boutiques from September 2018.