Perfume Shrine: photo

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Iconic Chanel in the Power of Two

On the heels of a telefilm by Christian Duguray starring Shirley MacLaine as Coco Chanel after the War, two cinematographers are very busy into their own visions of how the eternal Mademoiselle of fashion built her fascinating life from her humble beginnings of being raised by seamstress nuns and her iconic career ~her indomitable perfumes forming a large part of her glory and occupying a place at every perfume lover's collection.

Coco Avant Chanel is the first one, set to screen on 22 April, and it stars Audrey Tautou along with Benoît Poelvoorde, Marie Gillain, Alessandro Nivola and Emmanuelle Devos. It is based on the book by Edmonde Charles-Roux's "L'irrégulière/mon itinéraire Chanel ". Directed by Anne Fontaine, the film examines the life and career of the renowned fashion designer in her formative years and early triumphs, leaving the darker Nazi collaboration and espionage charges which were at the nick of time alleviated with the help of Churchill and the Royal family as well the difficult return after years on the fashion scene left unsaid.

The focus of the biopic Coco avant Chanel as might be surmised by the title seems to be the modernisation of design and the liberation of women from the constrictions of La Belle Epoque mind-sets. I am proud to present you the trailer and preview pics.

On the other hand, the second film named Coco Chanel et Igor Stravinsky, is centered around a six-week period in which the renowened designer and the iconoclastic composer were believed to have had an affair.

Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky is starring Greco-French actress and Chanel model (you should have seen her in the Allure Sensuelle ads) Anna Mouglalis with Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen as Stravinsky. The film will open in autumn 2009, but these photos are meant to give you a little amuse bouche!

Which actress do you prefer for the role?