No bag—dare I say it—is quite as iconic as a Chanel. So it comes as little surprise that the French fashion house is once again trending across social media. Yet, rather than the perennial focus on the Classic Flap, the laptop-friendly Chanel 25 or even Matthieu Blazy’s upcoming designs—set to drop very soon, I’m keeping tabs—it’s a vintage-inspired silhouette that’s commanding attention, already spotted on the arms of several famous faces.
Dubbed the Chanel Preppy Coco online—or, by some, the Chanel 26, with fashion fans predicting it will become the year’s staple style—the bag features two elongated shoulder straps, a sleek East–West shape (wider than it is tall) and the signature interlocking C motif at the front. Its official name, however, is the Chanel Small Flap Bag, and it sits within the brand’s Pre-Spring 2026 collection, firmly rooted in one of the house’s most beloved categories: the Classic Flap.
More importantly, it’s already been spied on both Dua Lipa and Jennie Ruby Jane—proof, if ever you needed it, that this particular Chanel is in high demand.
Adding to the intrigue is the house’s quiet sense of secrecy around the design. On the Chanel website, only dark blue and a pale green—almost cream in tone—are currently available, retailing at £3,910. That’s a notable contrast to the signature 11.12, which now hovers around the £8,500 mark.
Meanwhile, Instagram is awash with sightings of burgundy, blush pink, yellow and mint green iterations, suggesting limited stock has been quietly distributed to select boutiques across the globe, making certain shades all the more covetable.
Yet, the real reason behind the bag’s popularity, I’m told by those fawning over it, is that it simply feels more Chanel. Where recent releases, such as the Chanel 25, leaned into contemporary trend territory, the Small Flap Bag taps into the house’s enduring codes, and, in doing so, has won over a loyal contingent of long-standing fans. Now to see how quickly these sell out…