Last year, Blake Lively became the face of Chanel’s handbag line. It was said that Blake was hand-chosen by Karl Lagerfeld, acting on advice from Anna Wintour – Wintour is a big fan of Blake’s Mall Girl aesthetic, and Blake has already scored two Vogue Magazine covers. Karl Lagerfeld photographed the ads himself, and the end result was… not all that exciting. The images weren’t bad or anything, they were just kind of boring. Blake said in a magazine interview that getting the Chanel contract was a dream come true, and that she had turned down other modeling offers because she was holding out for Chanel. When she finally did get the contract and everyone saw the boring ads, SOME critics were like, “Eh, why did Karl Lagerfeld choose a Mall Girl to represent Chanel? DOWNMARKET.”
Still, the ads ran and most people just kind of ignored them. Blake was “the face” of Chanel’s handbags for a year, and I haven’t seen any new Chanel ads with Blake this year…? I kind of suspected that Blake’s contract had run out and she was simply not asked back, which freed her up to become the face of Gucci’s new perfume, Premiere. I coverd her Gucci ad earlier this month – it was pretty boring too. Blake is simply a boring model, in my opinion – she’s pretty, she’s got a wholesome, slightly budget Mall Girl vibe, and I’m simply not buying her as “the face” of a major brand. But here’s the thing – rumors are flying that Blake has pissed off Karl and the House of Chanel! But why?
Reports have swirled of a rift between Chanel and Blake Lively, who’s an ambassador for the fashion house and appeared in ads for its Mademoiselle handbag last year. But she skipped Chanel’s couture show in Paris last month and then announced a deal to be a spokeswoman for Gucci fragrance Première, which will go on sale in September. She then wore a gorgeous yellow Gucci gown to the New York premiere of her film “Savages.” This all led some to believe there was friction with Chanel. But sources say all is fine.
“Blake is still an ambassador to Chanel and regularly keeps in touch with designer Karl Lagerfeld. She was invited to the couture show but couldn’t make it because she was promoting ‘Savages.’ She still wears Chanel whenever she can.”
Lively, who famously doesn’t have a stylist, has publicly proclaimed her love of the Parisian house, telling reporters at the time of her Mademoiselle campaign announcement: “I had other opportunities, and I would say, ‘Thank you so much, but I am holding out for Chanel . . . That’s who I want to be the face of.’ And people would say, ‘Well, that’s unrealistic. They only hire Europeans,’ and I said, ‘Well, how great. I’ll be the first then.’ ”
A rep for Chanel did not get back to us.
I would love it if Karl and Blake (and Anna Wintour!) were all part of some massive, Chanel-clad bitchfight. But I think this is what really happened: Blake got her Chanel contract, Karl shot some unimpressive ads, Blake’s promotion of the brand didn’t do much, and it didn’t add anything to the image of Chanel, plus Karl was roundly criticized by his staff for hiring Blake. Some time passed, Blake’s contract ran out and she got the hint and signed on to Gucci. It wasn’t some massive bitchfight, it was just Karl and Blake both taking the hint, you know?
Photos courtesy of Chanel, Gucci, WENN.
