The Allure of Chanel

Honestly, if I could ever splurge on anything, it’d probably be on a Chanel handbag. They’re classy and elegant, and they are considered to be a “staple” in any woman’s wardrobe.

There are several reasons why many others like me may find the brand Chanel appealing. Firstly, there is the infamous logo, printed on every single product, whether it is shoes, makeup, perfume, or even clothing.The logo is two “C”'s mirrored off of each other with one "C" facing left and the other right, and the colors of the logo are black and white. Black and white are two of the simplest colors that exist in the fashion world and even in the whole world in general– take, for example, classic black-and-white movies. Chanel was founded in 1909, making it more than 100 years old and is still popular today. It is no longer just a company that sells materialistic items, but also a brand that is a symbol of the past. This idea of nostalgia takes over, and although Chanel was not a brand catered to us when we were young, its age has selling power in the fashion industry. I may be biased, but many would agree that Chanel has class, simplicity, and elegance to it that makes it appealing because of its timelessness. Even celebrities are attracted to the brand! I’ve seen countless images of celebrities carrying their Chanel handbags in their normal, everyday lives; that, in a sense, creates the sense that Chanel is approved by an upper class – the higher class that the royalty of our nation is in. Chanel has taken it to the next level with their advertisements and the use of celebrities as well. They have used celebrities like Brad Pitt and Keira Knightly to advertise their fragrances.

Why do companies turn to celebrities for the use of advertising or turn to timeless appeal for the use of selling their products? Both nostalgia and celebrities, in one way or another, are interesting to us. Humans have a drive to do better, or rather to be better, so the endorsement of celebrities give us an ideal standard to which we should abide by. Celebrities are fascinating to us because they are the epitome of what we want to look like and how we generally want to be. If we want to be more like them, we should want the same things that they want and buy the same things that they buy – this is the logic behind celebrities in advertising. The tricky thing about Chanel and brands like Chanel – Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Burberry – is that they have high value. They are known for having high prices. That in it of itself gives the purchasers who buy those brands a certain status; that alone is what makes the brand of Chanel so popular. It doesn’t help that the brand’s logo is plastered on all of its products, which helps the purchaser declare to the world that they own Chanel items. As humans, we all want to be noticed and seen and recognized, and we want to be seen in a pristine way that portrays us in a good light.

The timeless factor is not something we should look for in materialistic items, though. As “timeless” as Chanel may appear, it does not compare to the timelessness of God. He is, was, and always will be there. 2 Corinthians 4:18 has a good reminder for us: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” This is all temporary! Our life has more to it than what products label to be classic, show as celebrity-approved, or portray as nostalgic. The fact is that there is more to life than our own; looking to our past and having great memories is a blessing from God, but we must not forget the history that happened 2,000 years ago with the life and gospel message of Jesus. Not only that, but His story of His life, death, and resurrection points to the eternal, which is what Paul is encouraging us to focus on in 2 Corinthians 4 – the eternal life in Christ that no Chanel perfume or handbag could ever promise. Furthermore, these celebrities who humans idolize and hold as high and mighty have nothing on God! God is the one we should be lifting up and praising, not celebrities or the products that they advertise. Humans seeking to find comfort in nostalgia should look to Christ for comfort, and humans seeking to find status in nostalgia should look to Christ for the ultimate status of knowing being loved by the Famous One.