Chanel debuts star-studded 2024 handbag campaign

French luxury fashion house Chanel has called upon two Hollywood A-listers to announce its 2024 handbag campaign.

Brad Pitt and Penelope Cruz star in this short film, crafted as a homage to the 1966 French romance drama A Man And A Woman. In the original film, lead actress Anouk Aimee carried her own Chanel handbag in pivotal scenes where the leads fall in love.

The film was shot partly in Deauville – the seaside town where Gabrielle Chanel opened a hat boutique bearing her name in 1912 and presented her first haute couture creations in 1913.

Photographed and directed by Dutch-American fashion photographer duo Inez & Vinoodh, this campaign repeats almost word for word, shot by shot, some of the film’s original sequences – although it takes certain creative liberties.

Where in the original, actor Jean-Louis Trintignant asks a waitress, “Do you have any rooms available?”, the script is flipped in the remake with Cruz, a Chanel ambassador since 2018, asking the seminal question – in a show of feminine empowerment and owning one’s desire.

The bag placed between her and Pitt in the shot is Chanel’s iconic 11.12 bag, also known as the Classic Flap Bag – almost like a third party privy to the pair’s developing romance.

Beat the sun at Anessa’s sunscreen pop-up

With the ultraviolet (UV) index hitting a high this week, stock up on sunscreen at Anessa’s new pop-up.

The Japanese sunscreen brand, which is owned by beauty conglomerate Shiseido, is bringing sun-care technology to the fore at its Block & Repair Pop-up running till March 31.

Through interactive stations, visitors can learn about UV protection and the research that goes into Anessa’s newly reformulated products. These include its Perfect UV Series, with new technology said to smooth out unevenness of the UV veil on skin, and the Mild series, formulated for sensitive skin and said to be safe for children above the age of six months.

Debuting in Singapore at the pop-up is an all-new Night Sun Care Serum ($37.50) for post-sun exposure.

It is formulated with niacinamide to help repair UV damage, dark spots and dullness; antioxidants like yellow flower and green tea extract to protect against photoageing; and aloe vera extract to soothe troubled or sunburnt skin.

It officially launches in Singapore in end-April, but is available at the pop-up, where customers can also get exclusive discounts of up to 20 per cent off all products.

While stocks last, get a complimentary cold-pressed juice with any purchase, and a reversible eco bag with purchase of a Night Sun Care Serum or two Anessa products. Spend $80 to play a “sure-win” Plinko game with prizes worth up to $30, including deluxe-size Anessa sunscreens.

Info: Until March 31 at B1 atrium, Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 391 Orchard Road

Cle de Peau Beaute’s new eye cream

Luxury skincare brand Cle de Peau Beaute’s new addition to its Supreme Age Artisans anti-ageing series is a rich eye cream designed to target wrinkles, dark circles, under-eye bags and drooping of the upper eyelids.

The Eye Contour Cream Supreme ($360) was formulated around supporting actin fibres – structural pillars within epidermal cells that decrease with age – to improve firmness of skin around the eyes.

Enriching ingredients in the formula include Lempuyang (ginger) extract to maximise actin fibre production and citrus unshiu (Japanese mandarin) peel extract, to increase blood oxygen saturation to the eye area and prevent further discolouration.

The refillable product comes with a Platinum Eye Massager the brand recommends using to gently massage the outer corners of the eyes, under-eye bags and areas beneath the eyebrows.

Info: Available at Cle de Peau Beaute Mandarin Gallery, 01-09, 333A Orchard Road, and counters including Metro Paragon and Tangs at Tang Plaza

Valentino and creative director part ways

Italian luxury brand Valentino announced on March 25 it is cancelling its June fashion shows – days after a shock announcement that it had parted ways with long-time creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli after 25 years.

Piccioli, 56, joined Valentino in 1999 as an accessories designer with fellow Italian fashion designer Maria Grazia Chiuri. The duo climbed the ranks, eventually becoming co-creative directors of Valentino in 2009.

After Chiuri left in 2016 to take over Dior, Piccioli became sole creative director.

The fashion house was due to present its men’s and haute couture collections in June. It said in a statement that the split was a “joint decision”, adding that a new “creative organisation” would be announced soon.

Fresh scents from Hermes

Stop in at French luxury house Hermes to sniff two new spring-appropriate scents from perfumer Christine Nagel.

First is Oud Alezan ($522 for 100ml), newest to the premium Hermessence range, said to be inspired by an encounter she had years ago with a chestnut horse, whose warm scent and velvety breath helped her overcome her fear of horses.

She created the bewitching rose-oud in a refreshing take on the usually dark resinous wood. The plum-brown lacquered bottle echoes the chestnut (“alezan” in French) colour of the horse’s coat, while its cap is sewn with the brand’s signature saddle-stitched thread.

For men – or anyone who likes green, vegetal scents – try H24 Herbes Vives (from $169 for 50ml).

Inspired by the smell of nature after the rain, this flanker in the H24 line is a bouquet of fresh herbs – sorrel, hemp and parsley – accented with Physcool, a sensory molecule with hints of mint that leave a welcome freshness on the skin.

Info: Available at Hermes boutiques and counters, and hermes.com/sg/en