After having been chosen by Karl Lagerfeld himself to be the new ambassador of Chanel back in March, Willow Smith has finally debuted as the face of the fashion label in its newest eyewear campaign.
The brand released a statement regarding the decision to make Smith an ambassador and include her in the labels eyewear campaign, explaining she is:
“A multifaceted artist, writer-composer-singer and actress, Willow Smith is the embodiment of her generation’s spirit,”
“Her youth and energy charmed Karl Lagerfeld who has invited her to join the family of CHANEL muses.”
Despite being only 15 years old, Smith truly does seem like the perfect addition to the Chanel brand. Regularly seen in edgy attire reflecting the image of the brand, Smith’s presence in the new ad seems natural.
She appears in the ad campaign through several black and white images as well as two videos, where she is seen dancing in both, wearing two different Chanel frames. While its obvious Smith’s involvement in the ad is a successful one, displaying an effortlessly cool look from her dreads to her septum piercing, her appointment is much bigger than one may initially think.
Because you see, Smith is much more than just the newest face of Chanel, her appointment means a serious lack of diversity in the fashion industry, being addressed head-on.
Mic’s Rachel Lubitz published an article just last week on the issues that have arisen as a result of celebrity kids beginning their fashion careers, arguing it is making the industry ‘whiter’ than ever before. So it’s interesting to see Smith make her debut as Chanel’s newest muse and serve as a fresh face for the fashion industry when it is in dire need of one.
It’s also interesting to note just how much praise Chanel and Smith have received for the new ads, with several articles stating the ’stylish’ campaign was ‘well worth the wait’. If this is anything to go by, it shows that despite the fashion industry being behind the times with its lack of diversity, fashion fans around the world are more than ready for it to catch up, and Chanel is leading the charge.
