Chanel and Jean-Paul Goude celebrate their collaboration in Tokyo with “In Goude We Trust”

Vanessa Paradis in a bird cage for the COCO ad in 1992: he dreamed it up. A troupe of overexcited women on their balconies for ÉGOÏSTE in 1990: he was behind that too. These iconic Chanel images were created by one man: Mr. Jean-Paul Goude. Goude and Chanel have long cultivated a collaborative relationship that originates from a profound creative pact. These two iconic commercial films represent a collaboration that is stronger than ever today. On November 27th, Chanel inaugurated the “In Goude We Trust” exhibition at Tokyo’s Chanel Nexus Hall. Entirely overseen by Jean-Paul Goude himself, it represents the ultimate celebration of their shared heritage. The exhibition immerses the visitor in the Chanel experience by way of Jean-Paul Goude through two major themes: Goude’s commercial films, from ÉGOÏSTE to COCO to the more recent CHANCE saga, as well as an emblematic selection of drawings and sketches by the artist. Surely one of Tokyo’s biggest events right now, the exhibition is definitely a must-see. At the opening, where Chanel ambassador Pharrell Williams was spotted chatting with the artist, guests were treated to an exclusive dance performance and discovered the spectacular panoramic view of the luminous installation Goude created in 2017 for Centre Pompidou in Paris. A 90-minute film, “So Far So Goude,” overviewed the artist’s career highlights — from his stint at Esquire magazine to his iconic images of Grace Jones — and cleverly reappropriated the saying “so far, so good,” indicating that Jean-Paul Goude creative days are far from over. “In Goude We Trust” will be on display at Chanel Nexus Hall in Tokyo until December 25th.