Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
Arden Cho’s first-ever purchase at Chanel wasn’t for herself.
“When I made money, the very first thing I did was buy my mom a Chanel bag,” she says. “Then after that… obviously so many bags for me.”
Fast-forward to 2022, and she’s in an oceanside cabana, dressed by the French luxury house for its Cruise 2023 Replica show in Miami, which is a re-staging of the collection that first walked the runway back in May in Monte Carlo. It’s actually Cho’s first-ever Chanel show. Though, she’s no stranger to the front row — or the brand, for that matter.
“Every season, every new country, I must go to every Chanel, because they’re all different — they all have different products, they buy different pieces. It’s such a fun discovery,” she says. “I’m obsessed with all the minis because I feel like they’re just so special and my little babies.”
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
Most recently, with the filming and release of “Partner Track” — the Netflix series she leads, playing Harvard-educated lawyer Ingrid Yun — there were two new additions to her personal collection.
“I bought a new Chanel bag right before ‘Partner Track’ started filming in New York. It’s a really cute white mini,” she says. “Then, right when we wrapped, I was in Singapore and I bought another cute mini, when I was doing a bit of a press tour. It’s pretty crazy that those were my two purchases.”
On “Partner Track,” Cho’s Ingrid navigates corporate culture, love triangles and much more — all while impeccably dressed, of course.
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“I will say I wanted to steal all of Ingrid’s closet,” she says. “She’s sophisticated and smart, and she’s also feminine. Her wardrobe really makes her who she is. I always say that, until I put on the suit, the skirt and the shoes, I just don’t feel like her.”
Ingrid may be climbing the corporate ladder, but she brings a lot of herself into the room, particularly with how she dresses: in pastels, in tweeds, in thought-out looks that stand out against a sea of men in grey.
“I feel like oftentimes women feel like they have to dress a certain way to be stronger — a lot of my friends in the corporate world will say they have to wear black suits to be taken seriously — and I love that Ingrid breaks that,” Cho says. “I love that she shows you can be feminine and soft and colorful and still do your job damn well.”
The actor’s gone through her own sartorial evolution in recent years. “It’s definitely been so much more fun because I feel more freedom,” she says. “Growing up, I always felt like I had to dress a certain way or be a certain character even in real life. But now, in my 30s, I’m really embracing what makes me feel good… It’s so fun because [as you get] older, you get a bit more comfortable in your style, and you realize that clothes should compliment who you are… You wear the clothes — don’t let the clothes wear you.”
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
Cho says her love is really for accessories, explaining that she’s “a woman who loves szhuzh‘ing an outfit, even if it’s something as simple as a great comfy pair of jeans, some cute slip-ons or sneakers, then a great bag and jewelry. So I’m obviously obsessed with Chanel.”
There’s still no word on the future of “Partner Track” (c’mon, Netflix!), but Cho imagines that in future seasons, “she can buy more Chanel, wear more Chanel, be a Chanel girl.”
Finally, if you, like me, didn’t pace yourself while watching “Partner Track” and are itching for more episodes, Cho encourages yo to be “vocal about it”: “I don’t think people realize how much power they hold and that in media these days, everything is about numbers. We need people to be voices and to let Netflix and the world know that they want a season two… I hope the show gets to live. I hope we get to continue telling her story.”
Disclosure: Chanel paid for Fashionista’s travel and accommodations to attend the Cruise 2023 Replica show.
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