Why The Chanel 25 Is The Perfect Effortless Bag For These Young Creatives
Versatile, practical, and chic – meet three young creatives and Chanel’s new signature bag, the Chanel 25. FEMALE teams up with the maison to get you acquainted.
The moniker of the Chanel 25 handbag references when it was introduced: this year – a romantic choice that follows the naming convention of the brand’s most famous bags (the 2.55, for example, was unveiled in February 1955) while alluding to brand founder Coco Chanel’s lucky number (the figure five).
Another name to know? Anna Du Toit, who first found fame as a model, but is now better known as one of Singapore’s most exciting young artists to watch with her outright bizarre yet beautiful paintings and ballpoint pen drawings. Describing herself as “someone who can’t sit still”, this 24‑year‑old Oxford graduate experiments with multiple mediums and is also an assistant curator at the independent arts organisation Gofy, which specialises in programming to promote and support Southeast Asian talents
On Anna: Chanel 25 medium calfskin handbag with metal clasp, and leather and metal chain shoulder strap; cotton tweed blouson jacket with jewelled buttons; lambskin skirt; metal, resin and rhinestone earrings; cotton and satin hair clip (worn as brooch); and metal belt with resin and glass pearls, Chanel
On Anna: Chanel 25 small calfskin handbag with metal clasp, and leather and metal chain shoulder strap; fantasy tweed jacket with beaded braid trim; fantasy tweed shorts with a jewelled button; metal and resin earrings; metal choker with beads and strass; metal chain belt with rhinestones (top); leather and metal chain layered belt; and embellished tweed sandals, Chanel. Socks, stylist’s own
On Anna: Chanel 25 medium faded denim handbag with metal clasp, and leather and metal chain shoulder strap; cotton and viscose hooded sweater; washed denim jeans; metal and lambskin earrings; metal cuff; and leather and grosgrain ballerina flats, Chanel
Designed specifically for those who live dynamically and are always on the go, the Chanel 25 is as big on practicality as it is on attitude. A gently structured hobo that comes in small, medium and large, it’s crafted in supple grained leather so it’s still lightweight and malleable (read: it can fit a lot regardless of size). Two large flap pockets – one on each side and adorned with hardware in the form of the double‑C logo – offer convenience, allowing one to go hands‑free and to move about, in true Chanel style, unfettered.
Its hobo shape might be unexpected, but the Chanel 25 possesses all the codes of a classic Chanel handbag. Clock its quilted pattern finish and gold‑toned metal chain shoulder strap that’s interlaced with leather (the ones on the medium and large sizes boast a slim shoulder pad for extra comfort). The brand’s double‑C logo has also been transformed into a clever metal sliding clasp.
Pull it to the end of the chain drawstring to open the bag to its maximum, then fasten it back to safely secure its contents – a functional design that makes the Chanel 25 perfect for travel and embody model‑off‑duty cool, something Charleigh Dubois would know a thing or two about.
The confident 17‑year‑old is one of the most striking new faces on the modelling scene here, scoring her first editorial jobs while preparing for her O‑level examinations last year: not one, but two spreads in the April 2024 edition of FEMALE. Oh and she appeared on the cover too – how’s that for smooth?
On Charleigh: Chanel 25 small calfskin handbag with metal clasp, and leather and metal chain shoulder strap; fantasy cotton tweed peacoat with jewelled buttons; neoprene swimsuit; denim jeans with a jewelled button; metal and resin earrings; metal and leather choker with rhinestones; long metal and leather double‑tiered necklace; and patent leather and mesh boots, Chanel
On Charleigh: Chanel 25 medium calfskin handbag with metal clasp, and leather and metal chain shoulder strap; denim vest with jewelled buttons; coated denim jeans with a jewelled button; metal and strass earrings; resin cuffs with metal and leather (sold separately); and suede and patent calfskin boots, Chanel
On Charleigh: Chanel 25 small calfskin handbag with metal clasp, and leather and metal chain shoulder strap; sequinned fantasy tweed jacket with braided trim and jewelled buttons; denim jumpsuit; metal and resin earrings; and metal choker with rhinestones, Chanel
The Chanel 25 handbag is a slick combination of the classic and the contemporary in more ways than one. Its unique hobo shape, for example, is both trendy and timeless while the gold‑toned hardware and quilted finish only add to its vintage edge. Besides grained leather, there’s a more casual faded denim finish (see opposite page), while colours span the fail‑proof black and white, playful pastels and the pleasant blue on this page.
Channelling a similar old‑school‑meets‑new‑gen sophistication is Mila Bea, the fast‑rising 16‑year‑old singer‑songwriter who has captured more than 100K streams on Spotify and the hearts of many Gen Zers (every one of her four solo shows so far have sold out) with her honest, self‑penned tunes influenced by indie folk icons of decades past – from Joni Mitchell to Phoebe Bridgers.
On Mila: Chanel 25 large calfskin bag with metal clasp, and leather and metal chain shoulder strap; fantasy tweed peacoat with jewelled buttons; silk headband; metal and leather earring (sold in a pair); and metal choker with fabric, Chanel
On Mila: Chanel 25 medium calfskin handbag with metal clasp, and leather and metal chain shoulder strap; cotton tweed jacket with beaded braid trim and jewelled buttons; denim jeans with a jewelled button; metal earring with strass (sold in a pair); metal and resin necklace; and patent leather and mesh boots, Chanel
Stefan Khoo
On Mila: Chanel 25 small calfskin handbag with metal clasp, and leather and metal chain shoulder strap; iridescent printed tweed vest with jewelled buttons; matching shorts; metal headband with resin pearls and satin bow; metal choker with rhinestones; matching belt; metal necklace with strass and glass; metal and strass bracelets (sold separately); and leather and grosgrain ballerina flats, Chanel. Socks, stylist’s own
PHOTOGRAPHY STEFAN KHOO DIRECTOR JASPER TAN DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ANGELO R RODRIGUEZ STYLING DAMIAN HUANG & PANG JIA WEI HAIR KEITH BRYANT LEE, USING KEVIN MURPHY MAKEUP WEEMING, USING CHANEL BEAUTY STYLIST ASSISTANT JOSEPHINE ANG MODELS ANNA DUTOIT, CHARLEIGH DUBOIS/BASIC MODELS MANAGEMENT & MILA BEA
This article first appeared in the April 2025 Community Edition of FEMALE