While temperatures might be dropping in Australia, Chanel is paying homage to days spent by the beach for their latest collection. Inspired by holidays devoted to laying in the sand, playing in the shimmering waters and pared back clothing.
Mediterranean seascapes are at the heart of the Chanel Coco Beach 2022 Collection, offering a sense of escapism and dreaminess that many could easily lose themselves in. A Chanel emblemed coral wrap skirt with a matching open shirt, billowing tweed trousers ever-classic in black and white and a pearl-adorned black one-piece swimsuit — the collection fuses the relaxed, understated aesthetic with the upmarket elevation the brand has become synonymous with.
The face behind the campaign is none other than Margaret Qualley, who brings an unrivalled sense of serenity to the campaign. The actress has been at the centre of several Chanel campaigns and made her mark while closing the Autumn/Winter 2021 couture show in a wedding dress, dazzling beneath a bejewelled veil.
Her appearance in the Coco Beach campaign, while significantly more lowkey, is just as striking. It’s her effortless, luminous beauty set against the backdrop of twinkling seas and sparkling skies that solidifies her as the perfect house ambassador.
“Am I allowed to just say this collection plus some sneakers, sunscreen and a few books? Because that is my dream scenario,” Qualley said, when asked what the contents of her ideal summer suitcase would be.
As she makes her way across the coastline, shot by Australian photographer Lachlan Bailey, the simplistic joy of summer is encapsulated in every shot.
Tweed, a hero material of the collection, has been likened to terry towelling on account of its lightweight breathability. The ideal summer fabric, it encourages the wearer to move and flow at leisure. Only the essentials are needed here, in the land of minimalism.
The Chanel Coco Beach 2022 campaign, while original in many ways, still maintains the spirit of the 2018 campaign from Karl Lagerfield, which paid tribute to Gabrielle Chanel’s love of sea, sun and sand. As Qualley muses, Virginie Viard, the brand’s creative director has managed to both retain and reimagine.
“To me, this collection is so fun because it represents summer, vacation and freedom,” she said. “The pieces in this collection are at once fantastically luxurious and easy going, a seemingly impossible feat, but not in the hands of Virginie Viard!”
The CHANEL COCO BEACH 2022 collection will be available in a selection of CHANEL boutiques from mid-June.
