Is Blake Lively the new ‘face’ of Chanel handbags?

It was only a matter of time before the young, blonde, long-legged beauty that is 'Gossip Girl' star Blake Lively was snapped up to be the 'face' of an international luxury powerhouse And so if rumours are to be believed, French fashion house Chanel has bagged the actress of the moment as the advertising campaign star of its sought-after handbags range. E! Online reported that Chanel's creative director Karl Lagerfeld (a multi-talented man who's a dab hand with a camera), photographed Lively in a Paris hotel for the ad campaign last month. - View the Chanel 'Métiers d'Art' fashion show Chanel, who declined to confirm the rumours, have been courting Lively for her red carpet appearances for some time, providing her with haute couture gowns and accessories for public appearances, which in turn has helped raise her fashion profile, earning her a place in numerous best-dressed lists and two US Vogue covers. She was invited to the opening of the new Chanel boutique in New York's Soho district during New York Fashion Week, and was one of the front-row faces at the haute couture show in Paris in July. Lively, 23, is known for playing Serena van der Woodsen in the popular TV series Gossip Girl, and joins an impressive roll-call of Chanel ambassadors, including British actress Keira Knightley, who is the face of Coco Mademoiselle perfume; Vanessa Paradis, spokesmodel for the Coco Cocoon range of handbags and the Rouge Coco lipstick; French actress Audrey Tautou, who took over from Nicole Kidman as the poster girl for Chanel No5 perfume and Georgia May Jagger, Sir Mick Jagger's gap-toothed daughter who stars as the pin-up for the Cruise 10/11 collection. Meanwhile, there's the Chanel 'ambassadors', who arrive to almost every public event clad in Chanel. British 'It-girl' Alexa Chung, who was voted Style Icon at last night's British Fashion Awards is one lucky recipient of Chanel's special treatment, alongside Emma Watson's stylist Caroline Sieber. French actress Anna Mouglalis, who played Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel on the silver screen is an ambassador for the label's Fine Jewellery and Watches. Chanel held its 'Métiers d'Art' fashion show in Paris last night, a handcrafted collection instigated by Karl Lagerfeld to celebrate the work of the specialist ateliers in Paris, including Desrues the costume jeweller, Lemarié the feather specialist and Lesage the embroiderer. And while Blake Lively wasn't there, the next time we might see her in Chanel is gazing staring back from the pages of a glossy magazine in the new year, toting a Chanel handbag.