YARA UNLIMITED

The late Karl Lagerfeld began the tradition of choosing smart, strong women to represent Chanel as a tribute to the house’s trail-blazing founder. Yara Shahidi more than fits the bill. The star of Black-ish and Grown-ish is a sophomore at Harvard University and has been outspoken on many causes ranging from girls’ education to human rights. At the Chanel Métiers d’Art show in Paris in December, Shahidi weighed in on the growing acceptance of gender as a spectrum. “Acknowledging and respecting the gender expression of all people is a monumental step that so many individuals have been deserving of for many generations,” she commented, glittering in a crystal-studded bolero over a sequined sheath. “It’s unfortunate that it’s only happening now. But I think we’re witnessing the culmination of decades and generations of work. That being said, there’s still so much to be done.”

“Depth of caring is what seems to drive her,” remarked her mother, Keri Shahidi, at the event. According to Keri, her daughter has always had a wide window on the world, even from a young age. “When she was seven, she asked about Renaissance history and [asked] for the Quran for one holiday gift and then the Bible and the Torah,” she said. “She’s a curious human.”

One of Shahidi’s next opportunities is Dear…, a docuseries from Apple TV+ that will profile famous people. Shahidi is part of an influential group that includes Gloria Steinem and Oprah Winfrey (who has predicted that Shahidi will be president one day).

In the meantime, even her attendance at a fashion show can be a tool for good, Shahidi believes. “Quite honestly, there are moments on the red carpet when you have to ask yourself why you’re there and how it’s helping other people,” she said, as other Chanel ambassadors swirled around her. “The conclusion I’ve come to is that you get to bring whatever message you want with you into that room.”