Must Read: Chanel's New Campaign Highlights an Iconic Bag, The Key To Successful Influencer Collaborations

Plus, rethinking ‘stuff’ in a lost year.

These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Wednesday.

Chanel’s new bag campaign stars a reimagined classic
Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin captured Chanel‘s latest handbag campaign, “The Chanel Iconic,” which stars the French fashion house’s new 11.12 style, as well as its muses Anna Mouglalis, Rianne van Rompaey, Imaan Hammam, Louise de Chevigny and Zoé Adjani. Shot in Paris, the ad shows off the bag’s wearability and timelessness. The 11.12 is a reinterpretation of the 2.55 bag dreamed up by Coco Chanel in 1955 and was popularized by Karl Lagerfeld decades later. {Fashionista inbox}

The key to successful influencer collaborations
For influencers with designer aspirations, collaborating with a brand is a great way to test their creative abilities without having to build a business from the ground up. For brands, collaborating with an influencer can help them gain exposure and cut marketing costs. Alexandra Mondalek breaks down how to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome from these influencer-brand product partnerships. {Business of Fashion}

Rethinking stuff in a lost year
Useless objects that were once considered wasteful extensions of already-elaborate fashion shows took on a new meeting when our worlds were contained to screens. Vanessa Friedman shares how her relationship with fashion-related stuff changed in lockdown for The New York Times. “Two seasons and many months in, it is no longer actually just stuff. It’s more like a memorial of a sad, lost year; a year marked by absence — of people, places, experiences — captured by random physical things,” Friedman writes. “There’s no financial value attached to any of it — it wasn’t made for sale, the materials aren’t precious — but together they form a sort of reliquary.” {The New York Times}

The story behind Stacey Plaskett’s impeachment trial dress
Stacey Plaskett, the House delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, and her bright-blue belted cape dress emerged as the breakout stars at President Trump’s second impeachment trial. Plaskett sat down with Elle to discuss the making of her Superwoman moment, which involved her college friends and finding a smart and powerful way to expose her bare arms. {Elle}

Retail store employees discuss the impact of Covid-19
Rosemary Feitelberg and Sindhu Sundar spoke with a large and often ignored group of essential workers for WWD: retail store employees. They gathered insights from store associates all over the country on how Covid-19 has affected their work and personal lives, from dealing with defiantly unmasked customers to having to cut their grocery budgets due to reduced hours. {WWD}

Zayn Malik covers a special edition of GQ Spain and GQ India
GQ Spain and India collaborated on a special-edition issue starring Zayn Malik. The new father opened up to GQ‘s Héctor Izquierdo about his personal passions and the meaning behind his latest album, “Nobody is Listening.” {GQ Spain}