London, March 9 (IANS) Hollywood star Johnny Depp's girlfriend Vanessa Paradis has been signed on as the new face of Chanel Coco Cocoon handbags.

The French actress and singer, who has previously fronted lipstick and perfume campaigns for the fashion house, is a close friend of Chanel's chief designer and couturier Karl Lagerfeld. She began working with the brand in 1991 when she was placed inside a giant birdcage covered in feathers to advertise for a perfume and is now going to endorse their handbags, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

In 2009, Chanel confirmed Paradis would front their campaign for Rouge Coco de Chanel because of her 'modern elegance, boldness of character and power of emotion'.

In December, she made an appearance in Shanghai, China for the presentation of Chanel's Metiers d'Art collection.