Ariana Grande & Selena Gomez Get Cozy At Chanel’s Academy Luncheon

Chanel is the luxury brand that puts women in the spotlight time and time again. This year alone, they’ve hosted lunches, dinners, and a phone-less dance performance that have drawn top female talent in film, fashion, plus every NYLON editor. Before celebs get some pre-awards-season R&R, The Academy hosted a Women’s Luncheon in partnership with Chanel that brought out a tweed-clad crowd including pop-legends-turned-movie-stars Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande.

The occasion was a meeting of many minds, including friends of Chanel like director Gia Coppola, Academy Museum Director and President Amy Homma, and actresses Pamela Anderson, Olivia Wilde, Havana Rose Liu, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, and Gal Gadot, to name but a few. Besides wearing black and white double-C clothing and enjoying some lunch, the ladies in film were gathered to present the Academy Gold Fellowship For Women to two deserving recipients, Iranian directors Raha Amirfazli and Shadi Karamroudi. Through the fellowship, they’ll enjoy a year of mentoring and networking through the Academy’s illustrious and ever-growing list of female creatives.

Indeed, the annual Chanel film events prove themselves to be the ultimate place to network and forge new relationships: There’s no stress surrounding who’s going to win what, or who came with who, but rather a casual celebration and reminder that community is everything. In her keynote presentation, Gomez echoed this sentiment, which rang true for her following the filming of Emilia Pérez: “That experience left me thinking about how we as women rise even higher when we work together. It reminded me of the power of community, of supporting and lifting each other, whether it film, music, or life itself.”

She ended with words of hope for newcomers like Ryan Destiny in the crowd: “Whether you're a director, a writer, an actress, a designer, or just starting to dream about being a part of this industry, know that there is a place for you. And more than that, know that we are here to make sure that place is welcoming, inclusive, and supportive.” With strong female casts like the ensemble in Emilia Pérez, who collectively took home the Cannes Best Actress award over the summer, and the dynamic, constantly crying pair of stars in Wicked, 2024 showed the staying power of women who come together. The Chanel of it all is just the fashionable cherry on top.