Luxury brand Chanel is staying connected to its customers through an initiative that makes the mobile channel quite fashionable.

The Chanel Ready-to-Wear Cruise 2009-2010 application lets users get the latest news about the brand and find a boutique near them. Consumers can watch the Chanel fashion show right from their iPhone.

"Luxury brands, particularly designer labels, have been earlier than some of their more mainstream retail counterparts to embrace the mobile channel," said Mack McKelvey, vice president of marketing for Millennial Media, Baltimore, MD. "There is a world of opportunity in mobile for fashion and other luxury brands, as they are focused on appealing to consumers on an individual level.

"They have invested heavily to create and maintain their lifestyle brands," she said. "Mobile is about accessibility and personal attachment.

"If luxury brands, particularly in the fashion, jewelry, car and travel markets, want to reach their target consumer, mobile is a natural, if not essential avenue."

Chanel is a Parisian fashion house founded by Coco Chanel, who is recognized as one of the most chic designers in haute couture.

While Millennial Media did not create the application for Chanel, the company has worked with luxury brands such as Stella McCartney.

The new Chanel application is split into three parts: Looks and Accessories, Chanel News and Store Locator.

Within the Looks and Accessories section, consumers are able to view Chanel's latest collection via an image gallery. By flipping the iPhone, users get a close-up view of the accessories that the models depicted are wearing.

Consumers can email their friends looks that they like by tapping the email-to-friend icon.

The Chanel News section is filled with news and updates on Chanel and what it is doing, so that fans can stay in-the-know regarding what the brand has been up to.

The Chanel Store Locator section lets users find stores near them, click-to-call, map the nearest store location and get directions on how to get there.

This isn't Chanel's first foray into mobile.

Chanel made its first move into mobile with the launch of an iPhone application in August 2008.

The application, called "Chanel - Haute Couture Show Fall/Winter 08/09," let consumers browse the upcoming season's Chanel products and then click-to-call to make an order.

Other popular features of http://www.chanel.com, such as locating a local store, images and videos, were also included in the application.

Chanel isn't the only fashion icon that is using mobile to communicate with its customers.

Fashion label Stella McCartney tapped mobile ad network Millennial Media to develop and launch a mobile marketing campaign for the holidays and beyond (see story).

Additionally, Christian Dior made mobile fashionable in its multichannel effort to promote its iconic Lady Dior handbag.

The LVMH-owned apparel and accessories brand made its black-and-white Alfred Hitchcock-like film, "The Lady Noire Affair," available to iPhone users via a new application. Consumers can watch a trailer, the entire movie and its making all from their iPhone (see story).

"Stella McCartney, part of the Gucci group, an early mover in luxury brand category, has maintained a consistent strategy in making mobile part of their media plan," Ms. McKelvey said. "Mobile is a great way to have an on-going personal engagement with the target consumer."