The CHANEL 19 was designed by Karl Lagerfeld with Virginie Viard, his long-time right hand, and first appeared at the Autumn/Winter 2019 ready-to-wear show in March 2019, a month after Lagerfeld's death. It was among the last bags he worked on, and Viard succeeded him as artistic director. Chanel calls 19 a symbolic number for the house. Commentators have linked it to the year and to Gabrielle Chanel's birthday on 19 August, and it continues the numbered line begun by the 2.55.
The bag draws on the 2.55 and on Lagerfeld's 1983 Classic Flap but is deliberately softer and looser. The diamond quilting is enlarged and puffed, the structure is very supple, and the double-C clasp is scaled up and laced with leather to match the body. Its signature is the 'gourmette' chain strap, whose links run from silver to aged gold to ruthenium and are threaded with leather. The chain is long enough to wear straight or across the body, and there is also a gold curb chain to carry it by hand. A belt-bag version was offered too.
It launched in three sizes in leather and tweed, in black, beige and white plus the season's turquoise, green, deep red and dark pink. Later versions came in a wide range of materials, from denim to shearling.