The new ‘Bleu De Chanel’ film, directed by Martin Scorsese, follows Timothée Chalamet on a stylish search for self

The line between high fashion and artful filmmaking blurs in the electrifying new Bleu de Chanel campaign film. Starring Gen Z heart-throb Timothée Chalamet and directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, the campaign is a cinematic exploration of a man grappling with his own identity. “In this short film, I am playing sort of a caricature of what my life could be seen as, sort of in a hyper-realised setting, and the publicity requirements that come with acting,” Chalamet says in a behind-the-scenes video shared exclusively with Harper’s Bazaar. “One of the highest honours, if not the highest honour, of my career: to get to work with Martin Scorsese in New York. I’m a New York boy—I’m a New York actor. Checking something huge off (the) personal bucket list.”

Chalamet, with a captivating on-screen presence, embodies the essence of Bleu de Chanel—a man of intricate layers. The film opens in a Manhattan loft apartment. Chalamet wakes up in a white tank top to prepare for an appearance on a late-night show. Here, the frenetic energy of New York becomes a metaphor for the constant flux of experiences shaping a man's journey.

 

Scorsese's signature masterful direction takes us through a series of vignettes—chauffeured cars, subway lines, and television sets—each a window into a different facet of Chalamet's character, navigating the fleeting fame that comes with success. In each scene, Chalamet inhabits the contrasting worlds with a quiet intensity. The campaign also features a cameo by emerging actor and fellow friend of the house, Havana Rose Liu.

 

“The world has changed. There’s another aspect to celebrity in a way. Which is even more extreme than 10 or 15 years ago.”—Martin Scorsese

The film utilises fashion as a narrative tool. Chalamet's wardrobe is a study in contrasts—the sharp lines and impeccable tailoring are often juxtaposed with the effortlessly cool silhouettes. This visual language tells of the duality of the character, a man equally comfortable in the structured and the rebellious. Just like Chalamet's character, the Bleu De Chanel is a complex blend of notes—think citrus, woody, and amber. The scent is a constant presence, through glimmers of blue against the omnipresent black and white, a silent companion on his quest for self-discovery. 

“Bleu De Chanel has just the right amount of conviction and intensity to represent a man who refuses to be typecast. A man who dismisses facades and who is not afraid to let vulnerability show through his tough, disarming exterior.”—Olivier Polge, in-house perfumer-creator, Chanel

The campaign culminates with Chalamet on a rooftop. The city stretches out below, alive with the promise of a new day. A newfound clarity shines in Chalamet's eyes. He has navigated the labyrinthine streets of his own identity. As he jumps into a stronger sense of self, the film transforms to full colour. It ends not with a definitive answer, but with a sense of possibility, an invitation for the viewer to embark on their own exploration. It speaks to the modern man's struggle with self-definition. In a world saturated with fleeting trends, the Bleu de Chanel film illustrates that the most captivating thing you can wear is the authentic identity that you cultivate.

All images: courtesy of Chanel

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