Model Loli Bahia is photographed by Juergen Teller [IG] in the apartment of Gabrielle Chanel at 31, rue Cambon in Paris wearing CHANEL COCO NEIGE 2024/25 collection. / Hair by James Pecis; makeup by Lisa Butler

Chanel official [IG] assures us that the new collection heralds a gentle, comforting winter.

AOC can’t verify that weather prediction for major ski resorts in Europe. But if you are wearing Chanel Coco Neige for cocooning at a ski lodge, you probably have global options regarding where to land the plane.

Chanel ‘Coco Neige’ 2018 Debut

The first Coco Neige collection and campaign dropped in 2018, created by luxury visionary uber-talent Karl Lagerfeld and starring Margot Robbie. Coco Neige promoted itself as a combination of high-tech clothing and winter ready-to-wear.

Referencing the Alpine lifestyle, CHANEL codes ran through the new Chanel product classification with tweed looks, Norwegian-inspired sweaters, softly padded and down jackets, and mountain accessories sporting the double C.

Avid skiers take words like ‘high-tech’ and ‘functionality’ very seriously, and it’s best to say that Coco Neige is great for curling up around a cozy fire at the ski lodge, as Lola Bahia is luxuriating at 31, rue Cambon.

Vogue Scandinavia begs to differ, writing “ . . . this collection has spared no expense when balancing fashion with function. The '70s-inspired pieces are fused with high-performance winter sportswear technology.”

Coco Neige was not Chanel’s Maiden Ski Collection

In February 2006, Victoria Beckham enjoyed a winter ski trip to the slopes of Spain’s Baqueria ski resort, attired in “head to toe Chanel skiwear.” Thankfully, the Beckham excursion came before the public debut of Instagram on October 6, 2010, because the haters were out in full force against Beckham for such overt shilling for Chanel.

The magazine editors were a different breed, however, and they generated a lack of supply of select Chanel skiwear items for brand lovers — who frequently adored Lagerfeld as well.

The Kaiser also learned a lesson on being in stock on coordinating items — especially Chanel lovers who wanted branded poles to match their Chanel skis. Like life, filling orders got complicated.

The blog post AOC read was written by a photographer featured here. His ‘c’est la vie’ Chanel complaint was written a decade later in 2016, and not from a sustainability consciousness perspective. His Chanel skis remained in the closet, never used, because after combing the world for matching poles, he had given up the search once and for all.

AOC notes that both skis and poles appear in the current campaign, but Anne doesn’t see any where to buy them info on the Chanel website. Perhaps they are props?

AOC has inquired as to whether or not Coco Chanel actually skied for sport; and we cannot confirm the answer. What we do know is that skiing became the preferred winter sport of high society in the 1930s, also considered the “Golden Age of Couture”. And Coco Chanel was ensconced in alpine resorts during the winter.

In ‘The Stylish Life: Skiing’ by Gabriella Le Breton [teNeues], we are reminded that designers Coco Chanel, Jean Patou and Hermès defined a new fashion era for “active, independent young women”. Le Breton cited ‘la couture sportif’ as being very influenced by skiwear’s sharp silhouettes, perky berets, and fitted knitwear.