Why Karlie Kloss’s CHANEL Maxi Bag Still Works, 10 Years On | UK

カーリー・クロスのCHANELバッグ、なぜ10年後もかっこいい？NYスナップから2025年ショーへ

Karlie Kloss’s 2015 New York look is not memorable because it is elaborate. Its appeal lies in proportion: a large CHANEL flap bag set against a concise leather jacket, denim and very little visual noise.

Karlie Kloss and the CHANEL Maxi Classic Flap Bag

In 2015, Karlie Kloss was photographed on the streets of New York carrying a large CHANEL Maxi Classic Flap Bag. She wore it with a grey roll-neck, a black leather jacket and slim denim—a deliberately restrained setting for a bag with unmistakable presence.

Karlie Kloss carrying a large black CHANEL Maxi Classic Flap Bag in New York

The scale works because the rest of the silhouette stays clean. A cropped jacket keeps the upper body compact, the narrow colour palette lengthens the line, and the chain is worn casually rather than arranged too perfectly.

Why the large bag does not overwhelm the look
Keep the colours limited and the jacket concise. When the bag carries the visual weight, fewer competing details allow the quilting and chain to stand out.

More than one street-style moment

Kloss’s connection with the House extends beyond this bag. After appearing in CHANEL runway shows, she became the face of the COCO NOIR fragrance campaign in 2014.

Whether in a tightly controlled campaign image or an unguarded street photograph, she has a useful quality for strong fashion: the clothes and accessories remain visible, but they do not wear her.

Watch the CHANEL Métiers d’art 2026 show

Matthieu Blazy’s first CHANEL Métiers d’art collection brought a cast of distinct personalities into a New York setting. Jackets, coats, dresses and flap bags are worn as parts of individual lives, rather than as one prescribed uniform.

That idea returns us to the 2015 photograph. A CHANEL bag need not be reserved for a perfectly formal look. Against leather and denim, carried without ceremony, its structure can appear even stronger.

Back with CHANEL in New York in 2025

On 2 December 2025, CHANEL presented its Métiers d’art 2026 show in New York. Kloss attended and shared her own photographs the following day, writing, “New York loves you!” to Matthieu Blazy and CHANEL.

A decade separates that street photograph and this appearance. The styling is more polished, but the principle remains familiar: a clear silhouette, a limited palette and enough confidence to let a strong CHANEL piece look natural.

Selected pieces to explore