Okay, pause everything, Chanel just dropped something that’s lowkey revolutionary (and honestly, about time). It’s called Nevold. Yeah, sounds a bit futuristic, doesn’t it? Because it kind of is. This is Chanel’s brand-new label focused on circular fashion, and it might be one of the chicest pivots luxury has made in a very long time.
Let’s rewind a sec. Chanel, the OG fashion house. Founded in 1910 by the Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, this brand basically rewrote the rules on elegance. We’re talking tweed suits, quilted handbags, pearls for days, all wrapped in that “French cool girl who doesn’t try too hard” energy. It’s heritage, it’s iconic, it’s expensive. And it hasn’t changed much in over a century… until now.
Enter Nevold: Chanel’s shiny new sub-brand designed with circularity at the core. Think pre-owned pieces reworked into fresh designs, deadstock materials given new life, and limited-edition drops made with low-impact processes. This isn’t just an aesthetic side hustle. This is Chanel admitting, maybe for the first time, that sustainability is no longer a trend. It’s a design principle. A business model. A cultural reset.
So how did Nevold even come to be? According to Chanel, it’s part of a wider mission to align its timeless luxury with modern values. And honestly? It makes sense. Luxury has always sold the fantasy of longevity. Investment pieces. Heirlooms. Things made to last. So really, sustainable fashion isn’t a departure, it’s a full-circle moment. Chanel just found a way to make it feel fresh, desirable, and editorial.
But there’s more to it. Nevold is also a sign of how the biggest players in fashion are waking up to the climate crisis and their role in it. For decades, legacy houses have operated on secrecy, exclusivity, and seasonal churn. The idea of transparency? Laughable. Circularity? A side project, at best. But now, pressure from consumers (read: us), regulators, and even younger employees is pushing these institutions to adapt or risk irrelevance.
And Chanel’s not alone. Gucci’s offshoot Vault has been remixing vintage into new designs. LVMH launched Nona Source to resell unused luxury fabrics. Even Balenciaga, yes, that Balenciaga, is making upcycled couture and tracing every seam. The old guard is experimenting, and that’s a huge deal.
Because let’s be real: if the brands that built the idea of “forever fashion” start embracing circularity, the whole industry has to pay attention. It’s no longer a niche thing. It’s high fashion.
And from an economic point of view? It’s kind of genius. Luxury resale is booming. Gen Z are way more likely to buy second-hand than drop £3k on a handbag straight off the runway. Brands like Chanel see the writing on the wall, sustainability isn’t just the ethical move, it’s the profitable one.
Nevold is proof that the past and the future can actually collaborate. That you don’t have to throw out 100+ years of history to be relevant, you just have to evolve it. Responsibly. Creatively. With intention.
So yeah, we’re entering a new era where the most exciting thing about a brand might not be its latest campaign or celeb face but what it does with the waste.