Timothée Chalamet: The new face of BLEU DE CHANEL fragrance unveiled
The iconic French luxury house, Chanel, has officially announced Timothée Chalamet as the new face of its BLEU DE CHANEL fragrance. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the upcoming campaign, which will showcase Chalamet as the ambassador of the fragrance and highlight it in a fresh and invigorating light.
Joining the ranks of Hollywood legend Brad Pitt as a fragrance ambassador for the renowned brand, the talented young actor vividly portrays the intricacies of the fragrance through his lively and subtle quirks, driven by the instinct to live beyond the confines of conventional norms.
Shot through the lens of acclaimed photographer Mario Sorrenti, the highly anticipated campaign will capture Chalamet’s essence as he embodies the multifaceted BLEU DE CHANEL man.
This forthcoming campaign marks the first time you’ve officially collaborated with a beauty and fashion house. Why is the timing right for you to become the new ambassador of BLEU DE CHANEL?
I didn’t have to sell myself on anything when I was asked to become the new ambassador of BLEU DE CHANEL. The decision was not dissimilar to agreeing to do a film. I am lucky to be at a place in my career where I have the opportunity to curate and choose projects that strike my passion. When so many fingers in the glove feel like they fit, it becomes a no brainer. You just immediately become excited and go all in.
CHANEL has a celebrated, layered history of being a disruptive leader in fashion and beauty. What elements of the brand speak to your own sensibilities?
There’s a subtle assertiveness with CHANEL that’s not in your face in the most refined, chic way. This made me feel great about working with the brand. There is also a level of confidence, respect, and timelessness regarding the creative leaders and everyone associated with the brand, both past and present.
Is there a memory of fragrance that sticks out to you from your childhood?
Growing up, my sister danced at Rosella Hightower dance school in Mougins, South of France. Once, our mom took us to a perfumery in Grasse. I loved the experience, and I got a cedarwood-scented room spray to bring back to my bedroom. I accidentally sprayed it on my clothes, and the smell was overwhelming. Yet I remember very vividly feeling at the time that it was a creative expression to curate the scent of my room. That felt very French and nostalgic.
BLEU DE CHANEL, not unlike yourself, relates to a man deeply connected with himself and the world. The scent plays with many dualities—juxtaposing shadow and light, dusk and dawn, and woody notes with fresh undertones. What does BLEU DE CHANEL represent to you?
What I like about BLEU DE CHANEL specifically is that, not unlike movies and storytelling in general, the scent and the narrative behind it are open for interpretation. It comes down to subtle assertiveness and the unique interpretation of the person who is wearing it and how the fragrance ultimately makes them feel. That’s all that’s important—it doesn’t matter what I think.
There is so much nuance and subjectivity that revolves around the power of scent and what it represents, evokes, and invokes. What role does fragrance play in helping to shape, inform, and bolster one’s identity and how we show up in the world?
What jumps out to me is identity. It’s such a topical word right now. Creative empowerment and how you style yourself to not fit in a box isn’t anything new but continues to be amplified by social media.
I was thinking, as I was on my way here today, that scent is something that cannot come across in visual media. It’s one of the last bastions of creative self-expression that hasn’t been commodified in that visual space.
It’s really for you similar to how the way in which clothes feel on your body can never come across to anyone, whereas how they look and fall on your body are what comes across to everyone.
What is your earliest memory of a CHANEL fragrance?
My grandmother bought my sister CHANEL N°5 for Christmas.
This collaboration between Chanel and the magnetic rising star at the height of his career is a powerful union – and we’re obsessed.
[Via GQ Middle East]