Chanel rolls into cycling with $12,000 bike and bejewelled bicycle clips

The French fashion house with a German boss is introducing a very retro-looking bicycle in its spring/summer 2008 collection. The CC-inscribed bicycle will have eight gears, Chanel’s signature quilted leather touches and will be available in Chanel boutiques in time for Christmas.

Now headed by Karl Lagerfeld, the House of Chanel was founded by Coco Channel in 1909 and became famous in the 1930s for its sports collections for women.

Lagerfeld likes bikes:

“When I was a child in Germany my parents gave me six bicycles - six bicycles, because I was a very spoilt child, hein? - and none of the other children had any because it was after the war, you know? But I wouldn’t share, no, no, no. But I would instead come to school every day on a different bicycle and the other children would be very jealous.”

As well as a bicycle, the House of Chanel is also to release jewel-encrusted bicycle clips and a rather snazzy ankle bag that doubles as a bicycle clip.

This isn’t the first time the worlds of bicycles and haute couture have mixed. In 2005, there was the Armani range of bikes; Sir Paul Smith loves bikes and bike clobber; and, of course, London bike shop Velorution staged a fashion show in the summer called Prêt à Rouler. Prada even has a range of ‘Bicycle’ shoes (sadly, not SPD-compatible) and, bang up to date, Cynthia Rowley’s Spring 2008 collection included gold bicycle pendants on models riding cruisers.