With a Chic Lunch, Chanel and Tribeca Toast to 10 Years of The Through Her Lens Program 

When it comes to storytelling and world-building, few luxury labels do it as cohesively as Chanel. Ergo, supporting auteurs and those breaking ground in the film industry by way of uplifting women, has become a backbone of the brand. On Friday, amid the Tribeca Film Festival happenings taking place around the city, Chanel and Tribeca’s Jane Rosenthal hosted a special luncheon to highlight the ongoing work of their Through Her Lens program.

An elegant crowd filled the courtyard of the storied Greenwich Hotel in their slingbacks, denim, tweed trophy jackets, and bouclé minis to enjoy small plates of pasta, salted pommes frites, and chilled shrimp over a midday cocktail in the sun. After appetites were satiated, Rosenthal, CEO and Co-Founder of Tribeca, gave opening remarks to reflect on the 10th anniversary of the program. Poignantly, the milestone is also the first installment of the annual luncheon since the passing of legendary producer and Tribeca chief content officer Paula Weinstein, who had “put her heart and soul” into Through Her Lens from the get-go. “Paula never hesitated to lift up those coming up behind her, including myself,” Rosenthal said. “I’d like to take a moment to honor her legacy, her spirit, her contribution, her activism, and her personal investment in each and every one of us. We know she is watching.”

“I’m just here for the lipstick,” joked Through Her Lens alum and newly-minted Advisory Committee member Kerry Washington, as she addressed the room. Explaining her involvement and why the program matters, she singled out “extraordinary” director Numa Perrier, who she has been working prolifically across her projects since their fateful meeting.

“What happens in this program is that we’re creating a pipeline for excellence,” Washington added. “We’re creating a situation where there are no excuses. Nobody gets to turn around and say they couldn’t find a great woman director. No! We found them here in Tribeca; we nurtured them, we prepared them. We belong in the room—the rooms should be our rooms where we let other people in, not beg to be in them, and this program helps make that a reality.”

A steadfast belief that Tribeca and Chanel have shared during their decades-long partnership is that art is necessary to the human experience—” and needed all the more in times of trial and adversity,” Rosenthal urged. This prompted nods from those in attendance, including established and emerging faces from screen and stage such as Katie Holmes, Rachel Weisz, Selma Blair (alongside her gorgeous service dog Scout), AnnaSophia Robb, Fiona Shaw, Ashley Benson, Dianna Agron, Joey King, Camila Mendes, Alysia Reiner, Chase Sui-Wonders, Emily Mortimer, Jenny Slate, Kathryn Newton, Louisa Jacobson, and Sistine Stallone.