A NEW ERA FOR Coco Mademoiselle

UGANDAN-BORN CANADIAN actress and model, Whitney Peak, has only just turned 20, which I say to Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, head of global creative resources for Chanel Fragrance, Beauty, Watches and Jewelry, seems very young for the starring role of a brand with such heritage and legacy. But he reminds me that long-time ambassador Keira Knightley’s relationship with Chanel started when she was just 22, and the founder of the brand, Coco Chanel, was only 19 when she arrived in Paris to pursue her dreams.

Keira has become synonymous with the fragrance thanks to a 16-year association (having taken over from Kate Moss in 2007), but Thomas believes the time is right to refresh the campaign. “There’s a moment where the whole thing becomes a bit too expected,” he explains. “I felt we needed to go further – not because it didn’t work anymore, but I just had the feeling that we could get more out of it if we changed things; if we started a new chapter. So, we started asking questions: Is it time for a new face? Time to have a dialogue with somebody new?”

After the iconic faces of Kate and Keira, it couldn’t have been easy to find a muse who can do the brand justice, but Whitney ticks all the boxes.

She is no stranger to Chanel, having served as the brand ambassador for the

US market and muse of the 22 handbag campaign. And she is, obviously, beautiful. “Physically, she is graceful. She has this sense of harmony in her face, which is quite extraordinary,” marvels Thomas. “When somebody photographs very well, let’s just say it makes everyone’s job easy!”

Thomas also believes Whitney brings an authenticity to the role. “An actress is a role of composition, but if the role is already in the blood, it’s more credible. The generation we’re addressing are great believers, but they have the capacity to detect when it’s genuine or not.”

Add to that a common desire to work together – a key consideration for Thomas – and then of course, Whitney has that ‘X’ factor. “It was just obvious to me that she was the right one. She has that contagious, positive energy. She’s disarming. There’s no way you can resist her positive way of engaging with you. It’s the ability to force without a plan, the ambience of a room, a discussion, a relationship… I guess the real Coco Mademoiselle was like that.”

Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel herself was not yet 20 when she first arrived in Paris, inexperienced but with a disarming charm and an appetite for adventure and new experiences. It’s this ‘arrival’ in Paris and encounter with newness that is the story of the new commercial, where you will see Whitney interacting with people and embracing the moment. Her infectious spirit is the embodiment of today’s youth, and it is this young-adult life that is the core of the story, explains Thomas. “It’s about that time when you still have everything ahead of you. You have no experience in life, but you have a fierce belief that destiny is on your side, and you embrace life with an appetite. This is what Coco was about, what Keira was at her time and what Whitney is now.”

The print campaign is usually a still image from the film, but in this case it is totally different, says Thomas, other than the model and styling. “I tried to work on the iconisation of her in the print campaign –her confidence, in a serene way, related more to who she is rather than the moment she is living.”

Ultimately, the message behind the Coco Mademoiselle story hasn’t changed. It’s the story of a young woman who was adamant that the only person who could decide for her, was her. She refused to accept that society would decide on her behalf or that somebody else could understand her better than she could. What has changed in 2023 is the way the story is being told. “It’s a beautiful story that still applies today, an amazing legacy to the world,” says Thomas. “And that is the legacy I wanted to feature.” ■

THOMAS DU PR É DE SAINT MAUR, CHANEL’S HEAD OF GLOBAL CREATIVE RESOURCES, SPEAKS TO US ABOUT THE NEW COCO MADEMOISELLE CAMPAIGN, FEATURING WHITNEY PEAK

WORDS INGRID WOOD

A FRAGRANCE FOR THE BOLD AND FREE WOMAN

Coco Mademoiselle Parfum captures the confidence of Coco Chanel in a bottle – a woman who is comfortable with who she is and where she wants to be.

Classed as an amber floral fragrance, the fresh top notes include bergamot, radiant orange essence and grapefruit. The juicy floral notes of rose, litchi and jasmine are embraced by a wave of patchouli, vanilla, musk and vetiver. Its essence is in the words of the House of Chanel, “Both strong and subtle, youthful but confident, seductive yet not provocative, modern but classic.”

Whitney is a fan of layering the fragrance. (A Hair Perfume and The Body Oil join the line-up of the EDP, EDP Intense, Extrait and L’Eau Privee, so you can too.) “When I get out of the shower, I put my moisturiser on, I do my oil, I put my fragrance on my body and my clothes and hair. Without [my fragrance], I am incomplete,” she says. “When I’m complete, I can fully give myself. My fragrance is the perfect ‘complete’.” yourluxury.africa