In Claude Lelouch’s 1966 new age film Un Homme et Une Femme—A Man and A Woman in English—lead actress Anouk Aimée’s style captured the essence of French elegance, with her scene-stealing CHANEL bag. Nearly 60 years later, Penelope Cruz and Brad Pitt star in a short tribute to the film, in honour of CHANEL’s new campaign for the 11.12 bag, Karl Lagerfeld’s take on Coco Chanel’s original 2.55. The short, filmed in black and white, recreates iconic shots from the original film, taking place in the same seaside French town, Deauville. Deauville, coincidentally, is where Chanel first began her business in 1912, furthering the house’s connection to the film.
In A Man and A Woman the actors wore their own clothes while filming—including Aimée’s 2.55 bag, seen front and centre on the table during a passionate dinner scene between the main characters. According to Lelouch, Aimée was inseparable from her bag. “She took it everywhere,” he said. “It went very well with her personality.”
For Cruz, a CHANEL ambassador since 2018, it was clear that Aimée had the grace of a CHANEL woman. “It makes total sense that the bag was there in the middle of the table, in their conversation in the restaurant,” said Cruz, who adores the film for its visuals. The restaurant scene is one of building tension between two lovers, reenacted with Cruz and Pitt in the same hotel restaurant. The exchange of emotions is palpable, despite the seemingly banal conversation. For directors Inez and Vinoodh, “the bag fulfills the same idea” as these simmering emotions, quietly standing out. “It’s there, but no one mentions it.” Cruz was instantly excited to take part in the short, seeing it as a love letter to the film and to the timeless style of CHANEL. “This is a beautiful homage to Claude Lelouch and everyone involved in that magical film,” said Cruz.
