Dua Lipa Stars in Campaign for Chanel 25 Handbag
PARIS — Dua Lipa is the new face of Chanel.
The “Houdini” singer, who attended the brand’s haute couture show on Tuesday in a floor-sweeping black cape, stars in the new campaign for its 25 handbag, and it promises to be as catchy as one of her earworm tunes.
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In the film directed by Gordon von Steiner, who was nominated for a Grammy award for his music video for Troye Sivan’s “Rush,” Lipa is shown arriving at a studio in New York City for a photo shoot. As she poses with the 25 bag in a variety of outfits, she sings along to the ‘80s hit “She Drives Me Crazy” by the Fine Young Cannibals.
Chanel was due to unveil the film on its social media platforms on Friday, before the official rollout in March of an accompanying print campaign shot by David Sims.
It’s the start of a major push for the 25, originally teased at the brand’s cruise 2025 collection in Marseille, France, last May and heavily featured in its spring 2025 ready-to-wear show in October.
The Hobo design comes in three sizes, and reprises the signature quilting and braided chain of its 11.12 handbag, itself the focus of a major campaign last year featuring Brad Pitt and Penélope Cruz.
Chanel’s relationship with Lipa began in 2019, when she performed at the opening of the “Mademoiselle Privé” exhibition in Shanghai.
“Since then, the house has really supported me with so many different performances and red carpets events and just really been there for me throughout my career,” the singer said in a statement provided exclusively to WWD.
She has worn Chanel for key red carpet events including the 2024 Time 100 Gala and the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles in 2023.
Lipa memorably donned a bridal look from Chanel’s fall 1992 haute couture collection, which was sported by supermodel Claudia Schiffer during its runway debut, at the Karl Lagerfeld-themed Met Gala in 2023.
And she performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London last year in a custom design embellished with pearls, crystals and Chanel’s signature camellia flower.
“Us now working together felt like a natural step, doing something that might last forever. It’s really exciting, like a dream come true. I think it’s the beginning of something really special,” Lipa said.
Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion and president of Chanel SAS, said the house was drawn to the pop singer’s energy.
“She’s one of the women of the moment,” he told WWD. “She embodies a certain freedom, a certain feeling that’s in tune with the world today and, I hope, with Chanel.”
He added that the bag, which comes with two large pockets on the sides, is spacious enough to carry a computer, alongside other daily essentials. It retails from 5,400 euros for a small jersey version, and is also available in lightweight grained leather and denim.
“It’s also our way of adapting to the active lifestyles of our customers,” Pavlovsky noted. He noted that the bag can be worn with smaller bags attached, like charms, or alongside its classic 11.12 worn crossbody, as seen at its Métiers d’Art show in Hangzhou, China, in December. “When you leave home in the morning, you often have more than one bag.”
Lipa, who launched her own book club in 2023, said the size was perfect for carrying all her essentials, as she’s frequently traveling. “There’s a place for my books, a place for my sunglasses, maybe a notebook or two, and even a place for my crystals. It’s just the perfect everyday bag,” she said in a statement.
“For me, this campaign is about the freedom of movement, self-expression and embracing that on-the-go energy. It’s powerful, yet playful, and above all, joyous. It’s a similar spirit that I share as an artist, so it immediately resonated with me on many levels,” she added.
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