Breaking Down Chanel’s A$AP Rocky Partnership

Chanel famously doesn’t make menswear — but in the teaser for its first Métiers d’Art show under creative director Matthieu Blazy, it was a man, A$AP Rocky, who got the bulk of the attention.

In the spot, directed by surrealist French filmmaker Michel Gondry, Rocky stars alongside actress (and longtime Chanel ambassador) Margaret Qualley, who commutes to work on the New York subway while Rocky sprints through the streets and even swims across the East River to surprise her at her destination with an engagement ring.

It’s Rocky’s first official appearance as a house ambassador, which Chanel announced on TikTok on Sunday. While the teaser itself was also posted on Instagram, the ambassadorship announcement was not; the brand’s choice of social channel emphasises its shift towards a new generation of consumers under Blazy.

Despite not officially having a men’s fashion line — though it does offer men’s fragrance, skincare and eyewear — Chanel is looking to tap the power of male figures like Rocky to continue pushing its own cultural relevance forward. In the US in particular, Chanel’s partnerships with men have largely focused on talents who are at the intersection of hip-hop and style, helping the brand move away from an image of grande-dame stuffiness. Working with Harlem-born Rocky is particularly relevant right now — the Métiers d’Art show will be staged in New York on Tuesday.

“Chanel being such an old house, they have to be able to speak to that younger consumer,” said stylist and costume designer June Ambrose. “Rocky has taken European fashion, couture and the idea of something that’s aspirational and incorporated it with something that’s very authentic to who he is.”

Chanel’s Ambassador Approach

The maison has worked with male ambassadors before. French actor Gaspard Ulliel became the first official ambassador for its fragrance for men, Bleu de Chanel when it launched in 2010, holding the role until his death in 2022, with Timothée Chalamet taking the baton in 2023. Chanel has also featured actor Brad Pitt in ads for Chanel No. 5, while Pharrell Williams has partnered with the brand on several occasions, including starring in and composing the soundtrack for its 2015 Métiers d’Art film, co-designing a capsule in 2019 and starring in its 2020 eyewear campaign. Rapper Kendrick Lamar was also announced as an eyewear ambassador for the brand this year; Rocky, who became creative director for eyewear brand Ray-Ban in February, is limited to other categories at Chanel.

Historically, these partnerships were more focused on eyewear and beauty, but the Rocky teaser — combined with Blazy’s arrival — has stirred up conversation around Chanel potentially making a menswear entry.

At the very least, the appointments — and their reception — are a sign of the universal appeal of many of Chanel’s pieces. Take its buzzy collaboration with French shirtmaker Charvet: Though technically designed for women, they are inspired by archival photos of Gabrielle Chanel wearing her boyfriend’s Charvet shirts; Rocky appears to be wearing one in the teaser, too.

Prior collaborations have also showcased Chanel’s versatility. K-pop star G-Dragon, for instance, has been a brand ambassador since the late 2010s, appearing in campaigns for products like the Gabrielle handbag. The unisex appeal of Chanel also ties back the brand’s connection to hip-hop, a genre filled with stars like Lil Nas X and Young Thug, who are known for their gender-bending style.

“It makes sense that [Chanel’s] male muses feel very confident in their masculinity, that they can interpret a very feminine silhouette in a very masculine way, in a very authentic way,” said Ambrose.

Not only is Rocky part of the house’s longer-term strategy surrounding male partnerships, but it’s also a bridge to Blazy’s own creative past: He worked with Rocky during his tenure at Bottega Veneta, putting him at the forefront of a paparazzi-style campaign for the brand in 2023. He also worked with actress Ayo Edebiri, the first star to be named a Chanel ambassador after Blazy’s appointment, while at Bottega. He’s connecting with the brand’s past, too: Soon after naming Edebiri, Chanel also announced the return of Nicole Kidman, longtime face of Chanel No. 5. Qualley’s appearance in the Métiers d’Art teaser is another follow-on to her relationship with the brand under Virginie Viard.

While Chanel is drip-feeding ambassador announcements to audiences, its historic competitor Dior, on the other hand, released a crop of new creative director Jonathan Anderson’s brand faces in rapid succession — including Greta Lee, who followed him from his time at Loewe.

When it comes to celebrity partners, Chanel has earned a few coups against Dior so far: A$AP Rocky, for one, is the partner of Rihanna, who became the face of Dior’s J’Adore fragrance in 2024. To boot, Edebiri was one of Anderson’s darlings while at Loewe.

The viral teaser is one more step for the maison in its battle to win the hearts of modern consumers as they await the next iteration of Blazy’s Chanel following his knockout debut show in October.

“More and more, it’s gotten out of this perspective that this is a brand for ladies who lunch,” said Aria Hughes, editor-in-chief of media platform Complex. The goal, she added, is to get young consumers to feel that “this is luxury that I want to be aligned with.”