BackKeira Knightley at her impish best in Chanel film
Keira Knightley at her impish best in Chanel film
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New Delhi: Ah, the very thought of a Parisian beauty walking seductively through the door, trailing her red evening gown as she gives finishing touches to her look for the evening and melting into the arms of her beau seems like a perfect setting for a romantic evening. And just when the moment seems right for them to embrace and come together in a passionate kiss, she impishly brings out a Coco Mademoiselle perfume that she is hiding behind her back and dabs the tiniest hint of it to the hollow of his neck, and escapes, laughing. cc562c96-61d0-11dc-b520-000b5dabf636.flvClips from the film
Does she need a man, to make the moment perfect is a bit of a mystery, for this is no ordinary woman, she is free spirited, feline, mischieveous and with a hint of delicious rebellion.
What could be a better sales pitch for a world class perfume, one which promises to be sassy, sensuous and feminine all at once.
When Kate Moss was replaced with Keira Knightley to be the face of Chanel, following the drug scandal, the fashion industry was not particularly aghast. For Chanel has consistently opted for names which are untainted by scandal. It is not a coincidence that their earlier faces reflected a naivette and innocence that gave them a fragile, and ‘pure’ look. Nicole Kidman, Selma Blair and Vanessa Paradis all had that air of vulnerability about them and so did Kate, till the drug episodes became too frequent for comfort.
The 22-year old British actress who has carved out her place with films like Pirates of the Caribbean and King Arthur, replaced Moss and was signed up for $1 million for a period of three years.
According to Marielou Phillips in India, “Keira shot for this 60-second film that introduces Coco Mademoiselle’s two limited-edition fragrances (Purse Parfum and Solid Perfume) which are part of the Cambon collection and will be released worldwide mid September."
A screening of the film was followed by another 3-minute film which traced its making.
Making of the Chanel film
Modelled around a fierecely independent woman, Coco Mademoiselle herself, who lived life entirely on her terms but who was also perfectly in sync with style and fashion, it has the opening shot, softly focusing on a bare leg adorned with a diamond bracelet making its way down a metal staircase, leaping onto the rail of a balcony and dramatically stepping through a French window, into an apartment that is set against the Eiffel Tower, shadowed in the distance.
Like a game of seduction, there is an aura of mystery and adventure that provokes you to ask, who is the lady, where is she from and what does she want. Moreso as you take in her full form - feminine and yet elusive, as she strides confidently across the aisle, in a man’s shirt and bowler hat, which she casually sweeps off her head and throws over a chest of drawers.
The camera trails her as she walks through her classic, crystal-lined apartment and gets dressed for a special evening. A chamber of mirrors reflects her silhoutte in multiple views. As she dons her make up and adorns herself with more jewels, she smiles, conjuring up a man, whose image appears, albeit fleetingly. It is never certain if he is real or a figment of her imagination and if he is her lover or not. Though what does come across is that she prizes her bottle of parfum. And that she alone decides the moment doing precisely what she wants.
The next shot sees “this bold and daring creature" at the Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris. Giant black and white portraits of her cover the walls. Free and with the lightest of steps she runs along, ahead of a screen that shows magnified images of hers. She is perhaps a star and yet she appears detached and unaffected enough to escape through the adulation into the dark of the night, clutching the bottle of perfume as she does so.
The film, made with an excruciating eye to detail, honours the Chanel tradition where it is style as opposed to fashion alone, that matters.
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