Cast as the budding fashion designer Gabrielle Chanel, Knightley has a brush with Tallulah Harlech who plays Eve Lavallière, a stage actress who may have been the first fashionable woman in France to cut her hair short and parade around without wearing a hat - apparently scandalous.
For the film, an entire street in the seaside town of Deauville was vividly recreated in a vast hall at Luc Besson’s new studios, the Cité du Cinéma, on the northern fringe of Paris. Every detail is precise for the period. WWD reported, "As with all Lagerfeld films, expect a witty story line, salty (snarky?) exchanges and a slightly embellished version of social and fashion history." Lagerfeld tapped into a pivotal moment in fashion - when Edwardian strictness was yielding to a freer look for women, in hairstyles, clothes and even body language.
Characters in the film include Georges Carpentier, a famous boxer at the time, portrayed by Sébastien Jondeau; aristocrat Lady de Grey, played by Stella Tennant, and the writer Vita Sackville-West, impersonated by model Saskia de Brauw.
Lagerfeld designed the understated cream ensembles worn by Knightley and Clotilde Hesme, who plays the role of Chanel’s aunt and great friend Adrienne, while the 100 or so extras teeming on the streets were outfitted in historic costumes.
You can see the film here. If you haven't already watched, let us know what you think. While it seems to have little purpose, I liked it. The visuals are striking.
Photo courtesy of Chanel
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