Kendrick Lamar is adding another major milestone to his resume — and this time, it’s not a Grammy or a Pulitzer Prize. The Compton-born rapper has officially been announced as CHANEL's newest ambassador, fronting the French house’s latest eyewear campaign shot by Karim Sadli.
It’s a move that feels both unexpected and completely fitting. Lamar, known for weaving social commentary, raw artistry, and cultural provocation into his music, now brings that same weight to one of the world’s most tightly curated luxury brands. At 37 year old, with 22 Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album DAMN., Lamar’s influence stretches far beyond music — and CHANEL knows it.
But their relationship isn’t new. Lamar attended the 2023 Met Gala in a custom CHANEL leather bomber and, along with longtime collaborator Dave Free, helped design the set and film for CHANEL’s Haute Couture show earlier this year. A week spent in Paris exploring the House’s history and ateliers, Lamar says, deepened his connection: “I visited the CHANEL ateliers and saw the process of how something goes from design to execution. Seeing the people who work hard and bring these visions to life resonates with me,” he said in a statement.
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For a House that currently does not offer menswear, Lamar’s ambassadorship is a sharp signal of evolution. Joining fellow icons like G-Dragon, Timothée Chalamet, and Pharrell Williams, he reinforces CHANEL's growing, if subtle, conversation around unisex luxury. His new campaign spotlights the House’s eyewear line, to which the rapper stated: “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." He’s no stranger to the look either, having worn CHANEL frames in the music video for Luther featuring SZA.
After a year dominated by the cultural phenomenon of his diss track Not Like Us and a showstopping Superbowl performance, Lamar’s CHANEL partnership feels like a natural evolution for the creative multi-hyphenate. We're crossing our fingers we could be seeing him heading to this year's Met Gala with the House too.
