(Version française ici)
Denim doesn’t play by the rules. Raw or faded, timeless or on trend, soft or structured, its versatility knows no bounds. CHANEL takes this spirit further, reimagining it for each personality. With the DENIM make-up collection, CHANEL gives this iconic fabric a whole new expression. Under the creative direction of COMETES COLLECTIVE member Valentina Li, denim enters a new realm: make-up. From vibrant blues and soft, powdery pinks to shimmery gold and silvers, each shade captures a mood, an aura, and an irresistible allure.
Lily-Rose Depp, ambassador of the House, embodies the creative freedom behind the collection as well as the sense of liberty that denim represents. Denim isn’t just something she wears; it’s woven into every aspect of her style. Luxury Activist had the chance to interview Valentina Li about her inspirations, her work with CHANEL, and her vision for this new make-up collection.
LUXURYACTIVIST (LA): Dear Valentina, you were born in southern China, in a region where nature itself feels like a work of art. How has growing up in that environment shaped the way you see colour and beauty today?
VALENTINA LI (VL): I’m honestly so, so grateful I grew up in a small village in southern China. We were very poor; we had nothing, but we did have this extraordinary nature around us. And, funnily enough, it actually reminds me a little of Switzerland. The first time I visited, I was like, oh my God, it looks like my hometown. In Switzerland, it feels very green, whereas where I’m from, there’s more colour, more contrast. I grew up in the forest, so I think I’ve always been a bit of a free spirit.
My family is also part of one of China’s minority communities. The way we celebrate is very connected to the land. We sing in the mountains, and there’s this feeling of being in dialogue with nature, almost making friends with birds and animals. I think that absolutely shaped how I see beauty. I’ve always drawn inspiration from nature, from flowers, from animals. Nature is, without question, my biggest source of inspiration.
LA: Can you remember the moment that truly convinced you to become a
make-up artist? Was there a specific spark or story that made you realise this would be your language?
VL: It actually came quite late for me, in my sophomore year. I’ve always loved painting, and my original dream was to become a manga artist. I was also really into cosplay. And with cosplay, you have to transform yourself, so make-up becomes part of the process: different hair colours, contact lenses, changing your whole look until you become a completely different character. At first, it was just a hobby, purely for fun.
But in my sophomore year, I started doing make-up for my friends, just to practise. And that’s when I really saw the power of it. Every time I finished, people would be so happy. And I realised, okay, what I’m doing can actually help someone discover the best version of themselves. I love painting, but with make-up, I felt like I was painting on a face, and the face is an even better canvas for me. There’s emotion, there’s expression, and it’s more challenging in a way. So I let go of that first dream. I didn’t become a painter, but I did become a face painter.
LA: How would you describe yourself as an artist? What words or ideas best capture your approach to creation?
VL: I’d say I’m a real free spirit. And honestly, that’s why I don’t always call myself a make-up artist. I like to call myself a face painter. Because when I do make-up, I’m not only trying to create something “beautiful” in the traditional sense. I’m trying to create a character. For me, it’s about attitude. With this DENIM collection, for example, I wanted to create that cool girl energy, a kind of “I don’t care” spirit. Not traditional beauty, more like a mood. Something effortless, a bit rebellious, very confident. So if you ask me to define it in one word, it’s hard. It’s less a word than a feeling.
LA: When CHANEL first approached you for a collaboration, what were your initial thoughts? What did the name CHANEL evoke for you at that moment as an artist?
VL: At first, I honestly wasn’t sure it was real. I was so surprised. I was like, “Me? Are you sure?” I mean, I had blue hair. Before that, people really defined my style as very avant-garde and bold, and no one would describe me as “classic”. But once I joined CHANEL, which was a dream come true, and I started learning more about its history, make-up, and Gabrielle Chanel herself, I felt even more connected. It reminded me of a very specific moment from university, when I was teaching myself make-up.
I saw an advertisement in a magazine, I don’t know if you remember, it’s called Hgakhlake. The visual was very pure. The model is looking down, there’s this red eyeshadow on the eyelids, and the eyebrows are really, really thin, very vintage. It looks like there are tears in her eyes, and on the eyelid, there’s a very thick layer of gloss. It was a campaign from the 90s, but it feels so on-trend right now. And when I saw that image, it really spoke to me.
My favourite colour is blue, but when I do my make-up, I’m always drawn to red. Red feels like the colour of life. It represents passion. That’s the reason I work so hard, and why I do this at all: because of passion. So when I saw it, my heartbeat literally went faster. Then, when it became official, it was that true dream come true moment. And I felt even closer to CHANEL, because nobody was doing that in the 90s, but we did.
LA: As a Chinese artist working on the international scene, do you feel your cultural background gives you a different sensitivity, or perhaps a different rhythm, when creating for a global House like CHANEL?
VL: Definitely, yes. And in the beginning, it was quite challenging, to be honest, because English isn’t my first language. Also, the fashion and beauty industry in China can feel somewhat behind in how trends circulate globally. But the biggest difference is really in how we express beauty. In the East, expression can be more hidden. People are sometimes a little afraid of showing too much through colour or make-up. There can be this desire to look the same, to blend in. In the West, it’s almost the opposite. Everyone talks about being unique, being fully themselves.
For me, that contrast is actually a strength. When I design a collection, I’m not creating for one audience. I always think of it like I’m cooking a dish for everyone around the world. Of course, there’s pressure. You think, maybe people in the East won’t like it, maybe people in the West won’t like it. But I love finding that balance, mixing and matching. Sometimes it’s like 30% from the East, 70% from the West, and then you blend it into something that feels new, and hopefully feels right for many people.
LA: About the new collection: Denim is such an everyday fabric, yet this collection feels profoundly sophisticated. How did you reinterpret something so familiar through the lens of CHANEL’s elegance?
VL: Yes, and it also has that denim feeling on the skin. It looks blue when you use it, almost transparent, with a blue sparkle. But you’re right, denim is such an everyday fabric. What I love is that CHANEL is incredibly good at transforming things. Denim started as a very masculine work outfit, but CHANEL knows how to bring in different elements, like pearls, like mixing and matching textures, and suddenly it becomes something luxurious, something unique. It’s the same idea as tweed. And even with the colour black. Black was once seen as something people wore only for funerals, and CHANEL turned it into something elegant, like the little black dress.
And the reason I love denim is because I always feel that the girl who wears denim has a cool attitude. She has character. Denim is comfortable, but you can style it in your own way. That’s the spirit I wanted to express through this collection. Because with CHANEL, we don’t teach you, we don’t tell you what to do. We don’t set rules for make-up. I wanted to bring this beautiful colour combination through the DENIM collection, and then you pick what you like and do your own make-up, like you wear your own denim. You style yourself into something different.
LA : Lily-Rose Depp provides to the Denim Collection a distinctive presence, both youthful and timeless. In your eyes, who is the woman that embodies this spirit when she wears the new collection?
VL : I think Lily Rose is such a good, a perfect person for this collection, to be honest. Because I mentioned it before, whenever I do my collection, I will first create a character. Like, oh, maybe the character who’s going to wear this collection is maybe a cute girl who choose light denim and then put a pink Hello Kitty as an accessory at the denim bag. And this girl is more like a bossy type of girl, very cool, wear messy mascara. and, you know, do the make-up in five minutes and use this colour just one swipe, this type of girl, you know. And when I did her make-up, I felt like, wow, she’s the girl. She’s the girl that, you know, in my brain. Yeah, she’s like the perfect match.
LA : What can we wish you for the future?
VL : Oh, honestly, I’m very, very happy about all of my collections in 2026. There’s more to come, and there will be different colours too, not just blue. And look at this, how cute is it*? I even have the white one. And we have the denim packaging for the eyeshadow as well. So it’s not just a make-up item, it’s an accessory you can actually style.
* Valentina Li showing the Hand cream.
To conclude,
With DENIM, CHANEL proves that the most familiar codes can still feel thrilling when reinterpreted with precision. The collection will be launched on February 18th 2026. Under Valentina Li’s creative direction, the collection translates the attitude of denim into colour, texture and gesture: a wardrobe of shades to wear instinctively, like a favourite pair of jeans. Carried by Lily-Rose Depp’s effortless presence, it is a reminder that beauty, at its best, is not about rules, but about character.
José Amorim
This article was created exclusively for LuxuryActivist.com. All content is protected by copyright.