Keira Knightley Stars In New Chanel Film ‘Coco Mademoiselle’
Chanel is continuing to be inspired by the glamour of the movies to promote their products.
After having campaigned for Rouge Allure with a film inspired by Le Mépris by Godard, they were sent special and gorgeous invitations around to preview their Coco Mademoiselle site and film last September.
After several legendary beauties were hired by Chanel to front their perfume advertisements over the course of years such as Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet, Nicole Kidman, and more recently Kate Moss, Chanel artistic director, for over 40 years, Jaques Helleu (who sadly died this week) picked the British actress and Academy Award nominee Keira Knightely to add a new role on her resumé as the star and new face of the advertising campaign for Chanel’s Co whoco Mademoiselle fragrance.
“Being the face of a Chanel campaign is like winning an Oscar!”says the 22-year-old, who replaces fellow British Kate Moss as the scent’s muse. “It’s so amazing to be welcomed into a couture house that has such a rich history and where, at the same time, you feel the pulse of creativity, energy and modernism.
According to Jacques Helleu artistic director of Chanel for more than 40 years, (he sadly passed away last September 28) who was prompted more than anything else to elect Knightly were her flaws, which presented him with an opportunity to play fairy god-mother to Cinderella. The new advert where Keira Knightly poses naked, chastely clasping a bowler hat over her breasts closely references the theme of one of the adverts that was shot with Kate Moss, Keira’s immediate predecessor. ” We could start calling them the girl-with-the-necklace-and-hat series ” says Marie-Hélène Wagner from the Scented Salamander blog.
One is first literally led by the hand by an invisible guide for a virtual tour of Gabrielle Chanel’s daytime apartment (she really lived at the Ritz). You start by climbing the famous Chanel mirrored staircase up into her den, located 31, rue Cambon.
The visit aims to be realistic, complete with the sound of muffled footsteps in the thick carpet and crackling fire burning in the fireplace. You are even invited to look up-close at certain objects like the Coromandel screens and antique crystal chandeliers, almost as if your nose were touching them.
Then there is the film Coco Mademoiselle by director Joe Wright with Keira Knightly. She enters the apartment from the window dressed in a white men’s shirt and bowler hat and then cheekily throws her hat on a console, undresses, and chooses a dress while making a pout of indecision. She also chooses here jewelry and whimsically tries her necklace on her foot first etc. then meets her beau, kisses, and slyly dab his neck with Coco Mademoiselle etc. The movie ends on Keira Knightly walking in the streets of Paris at night and on a big visual of Coco Mademoiselle….It is a big production for a short movie.
The music used is the song L.O.V.E. sung by Joss Stone.
Finally, one can take a good look in the picture gallery at behind-the-scene features and the making-of the movie. For example, they had to recreate the setting for the apartment rather than shoot the ad there.
Joelle’s Picks:
Sources: Keira Knightly for Chanel Mademoiselle Coco , Marie-Hélène Wagner for the Scented Salamander blog.
The Book:
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