Actress Kristen Stewart is the face of Chanel's new Spring/Summer 2023 collection. VOGUE met her after the show in Paris and spoke to her about her style.
Chanel and cinematography – a very special relationship that has a long tradition. As early as the sixties, the French fashion house provided selected actors with costumes for their films, such as Delphine Seyrig in "Last Year at Marienbad".
More than 60 years later, these costumes were the inspiration for Virginie Viard's Spring/Summer 2023 collection. With glamorous gowns made of sequins and feather details as well as elegant tweed combinations, the Chanel designer created a modern homage to the French cinematic art of the "Nouvelle Vague" and revived old Hollywood glamour.
How fitting that the French fashion house now brought film star Kristen Stewart to its side as the embodiment of the new collection, who stands for a new generation of acting and film art like no other. And so, at the beginning of the Chanel show, a black-and-white film was projected onto the walls of the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris, showing Kristen Stewart in several glamorous Chanel looks.
VOGUE caught up with the actress shortly afterwards to talk about this special collaboration – and to find out which pieces she combines with Chanel in her everyday life.
Kristen Stewart in the VOGUE interview
Kristen Stewart: It's always hard for me to analyse a show concretely right after it's over, because I love to let the fashion work on me like a film. What I did like was how intimate many of the pieces were. For example, the short shorts, which are reminiscent of lingerie. For me, these clothes convey a relaxed lightness.
Can you tell us more about the film that was shown at the beginning of the show?
Right at the beginning, the film asks what gives me hope for the future. And honestly, I always hope to create something of meaning with my work, with the images and the story I tell. I don't want to do arbitrary and fake projects that are only aimed at selling clothes. It's obvious that Chanel is at the forefront when it comes to women feeling good about themselves and being able to appear present and honest. But I also wondered if that would continue in the future. And then I sat here and was really inspired by what Virginie Viard had created. I felt like I was seeing the future. I thought, "This is new!" I've seen so many shows before, which have always been beautiful, but this felt really new. Just the diversity of the models, who all looked so damn sexy and had an incredible presence on the runway!
Kristen Stewart talks about the films of her career
Among the multitude of great looks, how do you choose the ones that suit you and your style?
It's a matter of instinct. I look at the pictures of a show again afterwards and listen to my gut feeling. When I work with brands, of course we have to find a compromise between pieces that I like and those that are important to the brand. It's always like a kind of concentric circle in the middle of which we meet. It's like making a film: you have parts of your own personality and parts of the character you're portraying, and then everything comes together somehow. The different wishes come into harmony, and the project ends up reflecting everyone involved. We are creative together at eye level.
And for you privately: Which looks from the Chanel show would you choose?
The tweed dresses in black and white with the short A-line skirt. They look like the classic "Little Black Jackets" from Chanel, only long. I've wanted that for ages: a tweed jacket that I can also wear as a dress.
Chanel stands for a very classic elegance, and you embody a modern and rather rough chic. How do you reconcile that?
Luckily, I never feel like I have to change my physicality or my energy in our collaboration. I feel really good about myself. The thing is, when you work with the right people, choose your friends correctly or find the right partner, you feel most confident in your presence. If you love yourself, other people can love you. With Chanel, it's a fusion of energies. We inspire each other. This is also evident in the fact that I am never told how to combine pieces. I sometimes wear simple jeans with Chanel. If I feel like it, I do it – and I have the feeling that they really appreciate this kind of collaboration.