Chutimon (Aokbab) Chuengcharoensukying is one to watch. The rising Thai actress touched millions around the world with her latest Netflix film, Hunger, where she plays Aoy, a young woman who leaves her family’s street food stall to pursue her aspirations as a chef despite all odds. It is easy to see the fiercely determined Aoy in Aokbab — having begun her modelling journey at the tender age of fifteen, she ventured into the world of film and became the first Thai actress to win the Screen International Rising Star Asia Award in the 2017 New York Asian Film Festival. “Aoy and I are both fighters,” admits Aokbab. And it is this fighting spirit that makes her the perfect darling of a trailblazing brand such as Chanel. 

Having established a relationship with the brand since 2018, how does Chanel inspire you personally? How do you think Chanel resonates with the younger generation like you? 

As Gabrielle Chanel once said, “Fashion goes out of fashion. But style never does.” To me, Chanel is really charming and inspires and speaks to a lot of people from my generation because Chanel allows them to be themselves. 

If you had to summarise the essence of Chanel in 3 words, what would they be and why? 

Allure, freedom of movement and classic — because I believe that everyone has a sense of all these words inside of them. 

What is your must-have item from Chanel, and why? 

The entire Coco Crush collection is a must-have, and you can use it in your everyday life. Another must-have item for me, one that remains a favourite of mine, is the J12 Watch because it is so timeless and easy to style with any outfit. I have been using it since 2019, and there are hardly any scratches on it.

Your latest film Hunger is topping the charts on Netflix. How would you describe your role, Aoy?  What about her character attracts you the most? Do you see part of yourself in the role? 

What attracted me most to Hunger and my role Aoy was the script — when I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. Cooking is the last thing I want to do in my real life, so playing Aoy was very challenging for me. I had to cook and act at the same time, which was not easy. Aoy and I are both fighters, but I think Aoy is much braver than me!

In order to successfully portray the role of a chef, have you done any special training prior to filming your movie? 

We all did a cooking workshop for three months, starting from the basics, from how to chop vegetables to using the work and controlling the fire. Also, I had to start building my arm muscles to be able to lift the wok properly.