‘Chanel Connects’ Podcast Returns with Grimes, G-Dragon, and Other Exciting New Guests

For Chanel, the arts have always been one of the key influences in the House. The fierce romance between art and fashion first sparked the friendship between Coco Chanel and Salvador Dali. Following the launch of Inside Chanel, a series exploring Chanel’s encounters with the arts and cultural movements, Chanel has explored several creative collaborations with artists. In applying these artistic principles, the maison continues its legacy in changing the course of fashion. 

Chanel Connects convenes a collective of industry’s most celebrated talents with profound voices for a discourse on globally diverse topics. In the effervescence of its first launch, Chanel is happy to inaugurate a second season, with innovative contributors across multidisciplinary channels like film, arts, music, and dance.

Yana Peel, Global Head of Arts & Culture at Chanel, commented on the launch of Chanel Connects Season 2: “Chanel Connects, the arts & culture podcast, offers rare insight into the world’s most creative minds as they celebrate the brave ideas that move us forward. Their voices and bold ambitions are not only defining culture today but shaping the conversations of the future.”

In the eight-chaptered episodes, the podcast explores new ideas and perspectives with names like Maisie Williams, Grimes, Kehinde Wiley, Lil Buck, Honey Dijon, Anicka Yi, G-Dragon, and Misan Harriman.

Listeners can also anticipate two new episodes in Korean and French language for new global audiences — Episode 7 will feature in the Korean language with the “King of K-pop”, G-Dragon who will be joined by esteemed cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo of the 2020 Academy Award-winning title 'Parasite' as they explore 'The Power of Sound and Vision' moderated by musician and model Soo Joo Park.

The final episode will feature in French, with filmmakers Maimouna Doucouré, recipient of an Academy Gold Fellowship for Women for her film 'Cuties', and Audrey Diwan, director of this year's Cannes Film Festival’s buzziest title 'Emmanuelle' as they discuss 'The Women Changing French Film'.

Into the Metaverse: Maisie Williams & Grimes 

Maisie Williams ('Game of Thrones') connects with musician Grimes. Together, they discuss whether the future of performance is virtual, bond over their shared love of gaming and explore the potential of tech to make a better world for artists and creatives. Williams opens up about the reality of fame and a new acting project, and we learn about the inspirations behind Grimes’ latest album, Book 1, her hopes for her son, X Æ A-12, and the benefits of colonising Mars. This conversation is moderated by Yana Peel, Global Head of Arts and Culture at Chanel.

The Comedy in Tragedy: Emerald Fennell & Gillian Flynn 

Filmmaker, writer, and actor Emerald Fennell ('Promising Young Woman', 'Killing Eve') connects with novelist Gillian Flynn ('Gone Girl', 'Sharp Objects') to ask: Why do women have to be good? And what happens when they aren’t? Fennell and Flynn, long-time admirers of each other’s work, here meet for the first time. Discussing the comedy in tragedy, they bond over their love of writing dark tales about women, laced with biting wit. Together, they explore new kinds of anti-heroines, the female characters they long to write about, and how they “keep the crazy” of their work from colouring their own lives. This conversation is moderated by Diane Solway, Head of Arts and Culture Programmes at Chanel.

Sampling The Culture: Kennedy Yanko & Honey Dijon 

Sculptor and painter Kennedy Yanko connects with DJ and producer Honey Dijon, who began DJing as a child for her parent’s basement parties. Yanko and Dijon explore how their background set them on their creative path, why perception is a full-body experience and how sampling comes into play in their art. They describe sourcing their materials, whether paint skins, gigantic pieces of metal in a scrapyard, or seven-inch discs in a record store, working with their finds to present something brand new. This conversation is moderated by Diane Solway, Head of Arts and Culture Programmes at Chanel.

Transforming Dance: Lil Buck & David Hallberg 

Memphis-born jookin’ dancer Charles Riley, also known as Lil Buck, connects with David Hallberg, Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet and a former star of American Ballet Theatre. On the surface, Lil Buck and Hallberg may seem to come from opposite sides of the dance world, however, in this episode, we discover their many links, from overcoming career-threatening injuries to their dance inspirations and attitudes to mental health. This conversation is moderated by Yana Peel, Global Head of Arts and Culture at Chanel.

More Than Human: Anicka Yi & John Akomfrah 

What makes us human? Artist Anicka Yi, known for her boundary-breaking installations using scent, microbes and AI connects with the pioneering filmmaker John Akomfrah, whose work has shaken up official narratives around Black identity, post-colonialism, and the environment. Together Yi and Akomfrah explore the relationship between human beings, machines, and the natural world, and consider how artists can boldly reimagine our future. This conversation is moderated by Diane Solway, Head of Arts and Culture Programmes at Chanel.

Myth Making: Misan Harriman & Kehinde Wiley 

Artist Kehinde Wiley, known for his paintings of Black men and women in the style of grand European portraits of the past, connects with photographer Misan Harriman, whose photographs of the Black Lives Matter protests in the UK have become some of the most shared civil rights images in recent history. Wiley describes what it was like to paint Barack Obama and together, they reflect on the power of portraiture, opportunities for Black artists and their complicated relationship with art history. This conversation is moderated by Yana Peel, Global Head of Arts and Culture at Chanel.

소리와 시각의 힘 (The Power of Sound and Vision) Korean Language: G Dragon & Hong Kyung Pyo 

How has Korean culture become a global phenomenon? Musician G-Dragon, known as the “King of K-pop” and an artist across multiple mediums, connects with renowned cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, whose vision and dynamic camerawork have animated films from Snowpiercer to Parasite. Together, they explore their inspirations, creative processes, and the growing impact of Korean culture. This conversation is moderated by musician, model and House ambassador Soo Joo Park.

Les Femmes qui Changent le Cinéma Français (The Women Changing French Film) French language: Audrey Diwan & Maïmouna Doucouré Filmmakers 

Maimouna Doucouré and Audrey Diwan meet for the first time on this special episode of Chanel Connects to talk about the importance of collaboration in the creative process, their experiences with emerging film talents and the political dimension of their work.

Season 2 of 'Chanel Connects' is available now on all streaming platforms and chanel.com