From Socialite to Ambassadress: How Chanel Ranks Alexa Chung, Diane Kruger, Anna Mouglais and More
By DHANI MAU
Chanel front rows and party lines, especially over the past few years, always draw an elite group of Chanel-clad ladies who might collectively be referred to as “it girls.” Actresses, models, socialites and DJs make up this group but what they all seem to have in common is beauty, great style and some kind of cultural relevance that Karl or someone at Chanel recognizes as fitting with the Chanel brand. That and the ability to look amazing in Chanel and always catch our attention.
About two years ago, Chanel threw a dinner party and announced an “official list” of five Chanel ambassadors: Leigh Lezark, Jen Brill, Poppy Delevingne, Vanessa Traina, and Caroline Sieber. Others, like Elisa Sednaoui and, back in the day, Ines de la Fressange, have been casually referred to as Karl’s muses.
But, there are still others, like Rachel Bilson, Alexa Chung and newest and youngest member Elle Fanning (!), whose “roles” in the Chanel world were undefined, until now. A tip sheet for last night’s Chanel couture show, revealed by the Telegraph’s Belinda White, literally places bold names expected to attend into a carefully ranked multi-tier system. The categories range from “Japanese celebrities” to “Chanel Ambassadress.” Here they are in what I’m guessing is ascending order.
Japanese celebrities: Kiko Mizuhara, Yu Aoi, Ringo Sheena, Ken Hirai, Hiroshi Tamaki, Junya Ishigami
International celebrities: Diane Kruger & Joshua Jackson, Milla Jovovich, Elle Fanning
Socialites: Gaia Repossi, Julia Roitfeld, Laura Bailey, Tatiana Santo Domingo
Chanel Loyal: Inès de la Fressange and her daughters Nine and Violette, Astrid Bergès Frisbey, Charlotte Casiraghi, Tallulah Harlech and Alexa Chung
Les Fidèles: Vanessa Traina, Caroline Sieber, and Poppy Delevingne
Chanel Ambassadress: Anna Mouglais
Since the list only encompasses this show’s attendees, it remains to be seen exactly where people like Harley Viera-Newton, Rachel Bilson and Clemence Poesy stand. Blake Lively must be an ambassadress, right? Maybe there is some master list at Chanel’s headquarters that is only occasionally revised and girls are constantly fighting to ascend the Chanel ladder. We hope, and expect, that Elle Fanning stays on that list for a long time. How adorable is she with that little camera?
Is this whole system a bit ridiculous? Maybe, but Chanel is an institution that takes branding very seriously, so it sort of follows that the celebrities, who are a huge part of that branding, are taken seriously as well.
HC set
