Behold: Chanel Outstanding Pieces Spring 2011

With the online launch of Chanel Spring 2011 comes the advent of Chanel Outstanding Pieces Spring 2011, which is the special moniker that the French brand uses for the most intricate, luxurious and expensive designs from each of its product categories. Encompassing everything from rare exotic leathers to hand embroidery, these bags are the creme de la creme from one of the finest leather goods companies in the world.

Would you like a Chanel Classic Flap completely covered in glittering crystals? It can be yours. What about a baby pink crocodile Mademoiselle bag? That too. Chanel doesn’t publicly release prices for thes pieces, but the old trope probably applies: If you have to ask, you can’t afford it. I know I can’t, but looking? Looking is free.

Photos via Chanel. For prices and availability, please contact Chanel at (800)550-0005.

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Behold: The Chanel Cassette Clutch

Oh, Karl Lagerfeld is so clever. Or crazy. Maybe both! Yes, probably both. But this time, I think he might be crazy like a fox – the Chanel Casette Clutch is not only kind of hilarious (you know, in a droll fashion sort of way), but it’s totally useable (well, if you’re the type that would use a tiny, clear clutch.)

UPDATE: The clutch is vintage and for sale! Make the jump for more info.

Thanks to lovely commenter V., we’ve been pointed to the real origins of this lovely clutch: ShopLuxirare.com. Several blogs picked up these pictures from Luxuo.com yesterday, who did not indicate that they had taken the pictures from a vintage shop instead of from a press release or editorial, as is far more common. But now we know the truth!

The clutch is a lucite relic from the 80s (ok, nevermind, it seems as though no one is exactly sure when this clutch was made – perhaps as recently as a few years ago), and the shop owner says that it’s one-of-a-kind (take that with a grain of salt.) Not only is the clutch utterly lovely and available for $1500, but ShopLuxirare.com is absolutely chock full of awesome finds, both vintage and contemporary. Even if you don’t want to buy the clutch, you should check out the site for the awesome eye candy. Buy through ShopLuxirare.com for $1500.

Lucite box clutches like this one are sort of popular lately – the Spring/Summer 2010 Fendi lucite clutches are selling out all over the place. The material and shape has a midcentury modern appeal to it that fits in with a lot of emerging trends, so it’s only logical that they’d be popular.

What Chanel did, however, was give the lucite box clutch some 80s cred. At this point in the iTunes universe, cassettes are an object of pure, good-natured nostalgia, and as someone that associates them with my childhood I couldn’t help but smile when I saw this bag. Although we’ve seen the 80s trend wane a bit in the past season, it’s nowhere near over and this clutch is a welcome addition.

For pricing information, please contact your local Chanel boutique.

Photos via Luxuo.com

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And now, behold: The Chanel Segway

Karl “Krazypants” Lagerfeld is at it again. He’s made a bike, which we covered, as well as other sporting equipment like skis. If Krazypants can find a way to put a Chanel logo on something that is already expensive and then charge more for it, he’s all over it. Particularly if it can be done in a wacky, eccentric way that makes everyone go “…waaaah?” And that’s the case with the all-new-for-spring Chanel Segway. It’s got an enormous classic flap stuck on the front of it like a basket on an old-fashioned bicycle and Chanel’s quilted caviar leather covering the wheel wells. I don’t even know what else could be said about this…thing. Except that Krazy Karl is the only person I could ever see riding it, except for maybe Victoria Beckham. And maybe her kids behind her, on mini ones. No price information was given, but their bicycle from several seasons ago was several thousand dollars, and this thing has a motor, so…draw your own conclusions.

Image courtesy of Chanel via NYMag.com

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