The Story OF AN ICON

Virginie Viard taps into her love of New Wave cinema for The Iconic Chanel Handbag campaign.

- ALANA SCOTT

Beneath the gentle murmur of "Sorry, do you have any rooms available?", the quote from the 1996 Palme d'Orwinning film A Man and A Woman, echoes a stirring in our hearts, moved by a potent exploration of love in its most profound form. This season, Virginie Viard, passionate cinephile, aficionado of the New Wave and creative director of Chanel, humbly pays homage to Claude Lelouch's masterpiece, a work ablaze with sensuality, encapsulating legendary scenes along the Deauville horizon.

Deauville is a seaside haven where Mademoiselle Chanel herself opened her inaugural hat boutique in 1912, later premiering her first Haute Couture creations there in 1913. A fascinating alignment of fate sees the actress in the film carrying an exquisite Chanel handbag during love-struck scenes, echoing the brand's legacy in this seaside resort with an uncanny accuracy.