Vanessa Paradis & Lily-Rose Depp | A CHANEL Mother-Daughter Timeline | INTL

Vanessa Paradis and Lily-Rose Depp connect several chapters of CHANEL across two generations and several cities.

The timeline moves from a 1991 fragrance film to New York, Havana, Venice and Paris—ending not with a campaign, but with Lily-Rose talking about the CHANEL pieces in her mother’s own closet.

1991 Paris｜Vanessa Paradis and the CHANEL COCO Birdcage

The story starts in Paris with Vanessa Paradis and the 1991 COCO fragrance campaign. Jean-Paul Goude’s giant birdcage turned her into a tiny, elusive creature—beautiful, playful and not quite predictable.

Vanessa remained part of CHANEL imagery for years: ROUGE COCO and COCO COCOON in 2010, followed by the Karl Lagerfeld-photographed Girl handbag campaign in 2015.

2015 New York｜The Daughter Joins the CHANEL World

At the New York re-show of Paris-Salzburg Métiers d’Art in 2015, Vanessa arrived with Lily-Rose. Soon afterwards, CHANEL named the 16-year-old Lily-Rose an ambassador and the face of Pearl eyewear.

The casino-themed Haute Couture presentation later that year placed mother and daughter in the same setting. From there, Lily-Rose’s CHANEL path quickly became independent.

Lily-Rose Depp

COCO to N°5 L’EAU｜A Mother-Daughter Fragrance Timeline

Vanessa’s signature campaign was COCO; Lily-Rose’s 2016 fragrance was N°5 L’EAU. They are different perfumes and different creative worlds, which is exactly why the generational comparison works.

Johan Renck’s film uses fast contrasts and a contemporary rhythm. Viewed after the older birdcage spot, it shows how CHANEL changed its visual language without flattening the personality of either woman.

Which version of CHANEL speaks to you more? Vanessa’s whimsical theatricality or Lily-Rose’s cooler, more modern energy?

Lily-Rose Depp

Vanessa Paradis

A More Casual Lily-Rose in “In the Bag”

British Vogue’s “In the Bag” offers a useful counterpoint. Away from campaign lighting and couture styling, Lily-Rose speaks with the relaxed tempo of a teenager, making the polished CHANEL image feel less distant.

Havana to Venice｜The 17C Canary-Yellow Dress

CHANEL Cruise 2017 (17C) was presented in Havana. A few months later in Venice, Lily-Rose wore a canary-yellow embroidered and sequined dress from the collection while promoting Planetarium.

The route—from Havana runway to Venice film festival—suits the collection’s bright, outward-looking mood and Lily-Rose’s youthful way of wearing it.

Ritz Paris to Haute Couture｜Lily-Rose Walks, Vanessa Watches

In December 2016, Lily-Rose appeared on the Ritz Paris runway for Paris Cosmopolite Métiers d’Art. In January 2017, she closed CHANEL Spring-Summer Haute Couture as the bride in a pale pink ruffled gown.

Vanessa attended as a guest. Lily-Rose walked the finale with Karl Lagerfeld while her mother watched, bringing a family story that had moved through campaigns, shows and different cities back to Paris.

Lily-Rose has also described visiting the CHANEL salon at 31 Rue Cambon with Vanessa as a child, years before she stood on the runway herself.

The Quietest Link Is a Wardrobe at Home

Vogue’s 2018 getting-ready film ends the chronology on a personal note. Lily-Rose says Vanessa has kept many CHANEL pieces over the years and that she enjoys searching through her mother’s closet.

She shows a small pink CHANEL bag she has had since childhood. The object connects the public campaigns to a private family memory: CHANEL was already present before Lily-Rose became one of its faces.

Across New York, Venice, Havana and Paris, the mother and daughter never read as copies of one another. Vanessa remains freer and more mischievous; Lily-Rose is more delicate and contemporary. That difference gives the timeline its charm.

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