The Deep End

Chanel Sports by Well Styled WC on Polyvore.com

The ever-classic Coco Chanel once said that "in order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different." Almost 96 years after the launch of her fashion house, Chanel has certainly proven to be more than just different. Pioneering, elegant and timeless, Coco pushed the boundaries of fashion and style, influencing all who came after. I wonder if she had any idea how adventurous her label would become.

Couture never ceases to shock me. Every now and then I find something embedded in the glossy, eccentric pages of Vogue that leaves me in awe or sincere astonishment. Case in point:  Chanel sports accessories. The collection of athletic gear includes tennis rackets, bicycles, small inflatable watercrafts, footballs, bocce ball sets, skis, and finally surfboards. So over the top, so extreme, so runway. I immediately find myself wondering who actually owns this gear.

My favorite piece from the Sports 2010 line (I know, this is old news, but Chanel is never stale) has to be the surfboard--sleek, beautiful and commanding. I choose to look at it as art, a lovely extension of luxury couture, and isn't that what we see on the runway anyway? So, what do you think--stunning and surreal or outlandish and excessive?