Here's Why Kendrick Lamar Makes For Chanel's Coolest Brand Ambassador

Even though Chanel may not craft any ready-to-wear for men, the brand's rich history has been full of cool dudes, who've worn the house pearls and carried the Boy bag with elan.

Not long ago, AP Dhillon attended Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2025 Ready-to-Wear show in a statement-making black Chanel trench coat, offset with white trainers. The house's archive is replete with vibrant campaigns and appearances by style savants like Brad Pitt and Pharrell Williams, among other. Korean singer G-Dragon has been an ambassador for the brand since 2016, regularly attending shows and wearing the brand’s collections. Actor Timothée Chalamet is the face of its Bleu de Chanel men’s perfume range, while previous eyewear campaigns featured Nile Rodgers and Williams.

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Cut to the present and Kendrick Lamar has been signed on as Chanel’s latest ambassador and also the face of its newest eyewear campaign. And it's not hard to understand why.

The house's founder Gabrielle Chanel always surrounded herself with creative powerhouses - artists, poets, musicians and filmmakers, who inspired her mood board. Musicians especially transported her to another realm - Gabrielle would often attend concerts by Johnny Hallyday or head to London to catch the Beatles perform. As Chris Greenhalgh recounts in his book 'Coco and Igor', music composer Igor Stravinsky was invited to Chanel's country home in 1920. He would even get a piano and a room for himself and his music. From Arthur "Boy" Capel, Coco's boyfriend to poet Pierre Reverdy, her lifelong friend to Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau - iconic celebrated men have time and again enriched the house with their talent, intellect and style. In the brand's 110th year, the house ambassadors handpicked by the company embody that spirit and sass.

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The latest addition to the hallowed set - thirty-seven years old Lamar has won 22 Grammys as well as the Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.” Moreover, his creative studio with Dave Free, PGlang, has clinched six Cannes Lions awards. His multi-layered body of work comprises rap and mega pop hits.

However, there are four key reasons which make him Chanel's coolest 'it' boy till date.

A game changing style metamorphosis

Most noteworthy is his epochal style evolution from his heyday baggy jeans to gracing the front row in tweedy monochromes and pearls. If one studies his earlier appearances, they were majorly informed by his Compton roots. A closet full of supersized jerseys, baggy jeans, and trainers. He often used clothing as a sartorial tool to convey his emotions and thoughts. For instance, wearing pieces and accessories like baseball caps symbolic of his hometown of Compton and Los Angeles. With Chanel ushering in a new era with its new Artistic Director Matthieu Blazy, it'll be interesting to see the brand's evolution and how it resonates with Lamar's ever-evolving personal style.

Radiates a Classic Chanel allure

Chanel's core foundation was primarily on monochromes - black and white along with pearls, tweed, camellia, feathers and quilted flap bags. Much like the time-honoured house codes,

Lamar's personal style has been very individualistic. He's more often than not embraced monochromes along with plenty of denims - which reconciles with Chanel's classicism-tinged DNA. Of late, Lamar has grown partial to silhouette mash-ups - offsetting baggy pants with tailored tops. Moreover, he's never shied away from sporting striking accessories like bespoke baubles. One can easily picture him rocking Chanel's cabochon crosses and Byzantine pearls with his signature Canadian tuxedos. All in all, a match made in sartorial heaven!

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A multi-dimensional persona

Lamar not only designed Chanel's Jan 24 haute couture breathtakingly detailed runway set but also directed a short film - 'The Button'. Along with Dave Free, the musician collaborated with Chanel on "The Button," which premiered as a backdrop for the brand's Spring-Summer 2024 Haute Couture show. The film featured new music from Lamar, explored themes of time and transmission, and stars Margaret Qualley, Anna Mouglalis, and Naomi Campbell. The house of Chanel has always worked with multi-faceted artists like singer Vanessa Paradis and filmmaker Sofia Coppola who collaborate in varying capacities. Hence, the versatile Lamar pretty much fits into the groove - design, production and so much more...

A powerful red-carpet presence

Lamar's already proved his red-carpet prowess since he attended the 2023 Met Gala celebrating its Karl Lagerfeld retrospective — wearing a custom quilted leather bomber by then-creative director Virginie Viard. Featured in the Spring Summer 25 eyewear campaign, he cuts a dash in a pair of jewel-accented Chanel sunnies styled with a jacket crafted with metallic buttons and patch pockets. One can easily sense the star quality there. He shares in the press notes, "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."

Superimpose a starry quality with loads of talent and you've got a winner here!