Chanel Designs New Trophies for the Annual Boat Race Between Oxford and Cambridge

Chanel, the fashion house, has collaborated with Thomas Lyte, a renowned British trophy specialist, to craft new trophies for the prestigious Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge universities. This marks the first time the iconic competition has received official trophies, set to be awarded at the event scheduled for April 11.

The trophies, designed by Arnaud Chastaingt, director of Chanel's watchmaking creation studio, are streamlined versions of the traditional design, emphasizing the polished silver finish. The women's and men's trophies each sit within a rectangular frame that reflects Chanel's signature colors: a polished white frame with matte black lines for the women, and a polished black frame with matte black lines for the men.

Both trophies feature a gold-plated silver border, symbolizing the "victory and the encounter" between Chanel and the Boat Race. Each trophy took 320 hours to create, underscoring the meticulous craftsmanship involved in the project. The new trophies will join the existing J12 Boat Race trophies, created in partnership with Chanel, which have been awarded since the competition's inception in 1829.

This year, to commemorate the centenary of the Women's Boat Race, the order of the races will be reversed, with the women's race taking place first. The races, covering a distance of 4.25 miles along the River Thames, are traditionally held in late March or early April. The Boat Race, one of the world's oldest and most renowned amateur sporting events, has been a symbol of tradition, precision, and teamwork for over 190 years.