Chanel Beauté reinvents its palettes with couture buttons: a strategic nod to its heritage

With its new Les 4 Ombres palette collection, Chanel Beauté relies on its couture symbols to assert its identity in a fast-changing cosmetics market.

Chanel Beauté has just unveiled a collector’s edition of its iconic Les 4 Ombres palettes, in tribute to a discreet but highly symbolic detail in its creations: the couture button. Available in four versions – Boutons Couture, Stellaires, Baroques and Mademoiselle – these new editions revisit sixteen shades in a design inspired by the house’s historic wardrobe.

Each blush takes up an iconic motif: the interlaced C, the camellia, the stars dear to Gabrielle Chanel or the number 5, associated with the legendary perfume. These creations are presented in exclusive suede cases, reinforcing the link between the world of couture and beauty.

An aesthetic as well as a strategic approach

Far from being a simple styling exercise, this collection illustrates Chanel’s determination to capitalize on its heritage to differentiate itself. Faced with the rise of rival brands such as Prada Beauty and Louis Vuitton Makeup, the Parisian house has chosen to consolidate its legitimacy by building on its core strength: a rich, identifiable and instantly recognizable history.

The development of these palettes is the fruit of a collaboration between the Chanel Make-up Design Studio and Ammy Drammeh, a member of the Comètes Collective. This initiative testifies to an openness to collaborative innovation, a crucial issue in an industry where expectations change rapidly.

Paris as the epicenter of beauty strategy

Chanel’s Parisian roots are more than just symbolic. This is demonstrated by the recent opening of a flagship store dedicated to beauty in Paris, and by investments in physical retail despite a digital shift well underway. An omnichannel strategy that reflects a clear ambition: to remain the leader in luxury cosmetics.

Paris, the cradle of haute couture and prestige, is more than ever Chanel Beauté’s preferred place of expression. And these buttons, originally utilitarian, have become veritable storytelling tools in the service of image.

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