Iconic rapper Kendrick Lamar has come on board as Chanel’s ambassador, with the French luxury brand unveiling the partnership through its upcoming eyewear campaign, set to launch tomorrow. The maison hopes that the partnership with Lamar can help its eyewear to appeal to a new, young demographic of consumers.
Chanel Signs Rapper Kendrick Lamar As Ambassador
After naming Indian actress Ananya Panday as its ambassador for India, Kendrick Lamar has signed on as Chanel’s latest ambassador. Chanel is launching its partnership with the American musician — the first and only rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize — by featuring him in its new eyewear campaign, set to be rolled out tomorrow.
Lamar, aged 37, has achieved critical acclaim and commercial success since his 2012 breakout album “good kid, m.A.A.d city.” The American rapper has since won 22 Grammys as well as the Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.” His creative studio with Dave Free, PGlang, has won 6 Cannes Lions awards. Over the past year, he leaned into his penchant for brash provocation with “Not Like Us,” which grew into a chart-topper, culminating with Lamar performing it at the Super-bowl halftime show in February.
Lamar has been a friend of Chanel since attending the 2023 Met Gala celebrating its Karl Lagerfeld retrospective — wearing a custom quilted leather bomber by then-creative director Virginie Viard. The luxury fashion brand tapped Lamar and Free to work on its January 2024 haute couture show — designing its set featuring an enormous Chanel medallion and directing an accompanying short film, “The Button.”
Now, Lamar appears alongside several other star ambassadors in Chanel’s latest eyewear campaign shot by photographer Karim Sadli, which the luxury brand is set to roll out tomorrow. Chanel’s focus on eyewear arrives amid a slowdown in the luxury market. While Chanel’s iconic handbags exceed $10,000, its eyewear — produced in partnership with Luxottica — remains accessible, with prices starting under $500. The category is also sold on the brand’s e-commerce site, opticians and Luxottica-backed retail chains.
In a statement, Kendrick said, “Chanel has a timeless legacy and that is always something I can get behind. Since they don’t make clothes for men, I knew it would have to be glasses.”
“We strongly believe in eyewear and its potential,” said Chanel fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky. “More than a simple fashion accessory, eyewear is part of the Chanel allure and is regularly seen on the runway. Its versatile style, playing with the house codes, brings a finishing touch to the silhouette. Through the ‘Chanel & moi’ program, we developed various services for this category, in order to offer a perfect fit and the best experience to our clients.”
Who Is Kendrick Lamar?
Kendrick Lamar is a critically acclaimed American rapper, songwriter, and record producer, recognised for his lyrics, powerful storytelling, and deep social commentary. Hailing from Compton, California, Lamar gained widespread attention with his 2011 album Section.80 and achieved mainstream success with good kid, m.A.A.d city in 2012. His music explores themes such as racial inequality, personal struggle, and cultural identity, making him one of the most influential voices in hip hop. Albums like To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN. have earned him multiple Grammy Awards and widespread recognition for combining jazz, funk, and spoken word with political insight.
Beyond music, Kendrick Lamar is celebrated for his artistic vision and cultural impact. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018 for DAMN, becoming the first non-classical or jazz artist to receive the honour. His ability to merge commercial appeal with conscious lyricism has positioned him as a generational icon. Kendrick continues to push creative boundaries while using his platform to address issues affecting the Black community. His influence spans music, fashion, and activism, establishing him as one of the most significant artists of the twenty-first century.
About Chanel
Chanel is a private company and a world leader in creating, developing, manufacturing and distributing luxury products. Founded by Gabrielle Chanel at the beginning of the last century, Chanel offers a broad range of high-end creations, including Ready-to-Wear, Leather Goods, Fashion Accessories, Eyewear, Fragrances, Makeup, Skincare, Jewellery and Watches. Chanel is also renowned for its Haute Couture collections, presented twice yearly in Paris, and for having acquired a large number of specialised suppliers, collectively known as the Métiers d’art.
Chanel is dedicated to ultimate luxury and to the highest level of craftsmanship. It is a brand whose core values remain historically grounded on exceptional creation. The company has invested steadily in the Maisons d’Art, building a portfolio of companies, under Paraffection, which means “for the love of.” By acquiring and investing in businesses, Chanel provides the cash flow and managerial support for the small companies to innovate new techniques and enables them to recruit and train skilled artisans. At the same time, Chanel is directly connected to the source of craftsmanship.
Jasmeen Dugal is Associate Editor at FashionABC, contributing her insights on fashion, technology, and sustainability. She brings with herself more than two decades of editorial experience, working for national newspapers and luxury magazines in India.
Jasmeen Dugal has worked with exchange4media as a senior writer contributing articles on the country’s advertising and marketing movements, and then with Condenast India as Net Editor where she helmed Vogue India’s official website in terms of design, layout and daily content. Besides this, she is also an entrepreneur running her own luxury portal, Explosivefashion, which highlights the latest in luxury fashion and hospitality.
