Chanel unveils first campaign with Penélope Cruz

Chanel has unveiled its first advertisements starring Penélope Cruz, who joins the likes of Margot Robbie and Kristen Stewart as the latest star to be lensed for a campaign by Karl Lagerfeld.

The black-and-white images show the Oscar-winning actress dressed in items from the label’s nautical-themed cruise collection, shown in May in front of a 330-foot-long replica ocean liner constructed in the middle of the Grand Palais in Paris.

Cruz brings a sensual warmth to the line’s tweed jackets and striped knits. In one image, she wears a checked tweed beret and a sweater emblazoned with La Pausa, the name of the villa in the South of France built by founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in the Thirties, which Lagerfeld used to christen his spectacular boat.

“It’s such an iconic brand and Karl is a genius, and I’ve been admiring everything he’s done since I was a little girl, so it’s such a pleasure working with him. He’s like the king of fashion and we had a really, really interesting photo shoot, so to be in front of his camera is an adventure,” Cruz told WWD in July.

Debuting in Bigas Luna’s 1992 film “Jamón Jamón,” in which she starred opposite her future husband Javier Bardem, Cruz has since worked with directors including Stephen Frears, Rob Marshall, Woody Allen and most notably, Pedro Almodóvar.

She first attended a Chanel show in 1999 and has regularly worn Lagerfeld’s creations on the red carpet, including for the Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival. In addition, Cruz wore several outfits by Chanel — including a striking black evening dress festooned with gold chains — in Almodóvar’s 2009 film “Broken Embraces.”

Cruz and her sister, Mónica, have a number of fashion collaborations under their belts, including designing collections for lingerie brand Agent Provocateur and creating a handbag for Loewe.