“Karl Was My Magic Dust”: Claudia Schiffer On Her Most Treasured Chanel Handbag & Fondest Memories Of Her Friend

The environmental crisis has also strengthened Schiffer’s resolve to invest in pieces that will last a lifetime. “I am the kind of person who finds it difficult to part with things,” she shares. “Each piece is, after all, a memory, so I want my daughters to wear my treasures and take these special pieces into the future.” Clementine and Cosima will inherit her most beloved 11.12, which Karl hand painted outside his atelier in the early ’90s. “The pattern was so intricate and the bag so beautiful, that I could not stop admiring it. Karl must have noticed and at the end of the day he gifted it to me,” she notes of the sweet memento.

Claudia wearing a favourite jumpsuit, Sergio Rossi sandals and all Chanel spring/summer 2021 accessories. 

Her collection of capacious yet elegant 11.12s have also become a building block of her everyday uniform, as modelled in these images captured exclusively for British Vogue in her garden this spring. “The simplicity of the envelope style, the perfect proportions and gold chain handle immediately elevate whatever you’re wearing,” she says of the throw-on-and-go ease of the 11.12, which she reaches for whether she’s on the school run or en route to dinner with friends.

Describing her favourite Chanel accessory in three words – “iconic, timeless, elegant” – is like defining Claudia – Cloudy to her friends – herself. The former law student, who pressed paused on her degree to pursue the magical world of fashion modelling, soaked up everything she could from industry legends such as Karl, who taught Schiffer the ways of the world, but also just how to be herself.