Directed by Anne Fontaine
A recent article on haute couture listed Chanel as being one of the 10 most influential fashion houses in the world. But director Anne Fontaine was more interested in the exceptional self-made woman who was ahead of her time rather than the fashions she created. Using the biography by Edmonde Charles-Roux, Fontaine follows Chanel from her childhood in the stark surroundings of a monastery orphanage to her early career as a cabaret singer where she gains the name Coco; from the humble seamstress to the skinny courtesan who took risks reinventing herself and challenging the restrictions imposed on women.
Chanel found the conventions of her time oppressive. The fashion of the early 1900s comprised of restrictive corsets and frills, feathers and lace galore. The beauties of the time were plump and curvaceous, unlike the more androgynous Chanel (beautifully portrayed by Audrey Tautou). She threw away the corset and adapted men’s clothes to give herself greater freedom, inventing a classical style of clothing that would forever change what women wore. Although there were a couple of influential men in her life, she did not want to depend on anyone. She’d seen her mother suffer as was determined to make her own way in the world. Eventually, she set herself up in business, which was something else that was unheard of at that time.
Although Fontaine takes some liberties with the chronology of the creations that Chanel wears in the film, the final memorable scene captures the essence of a lifetime contribution to fashion. Sitting at the top of her famous staircase, models parade around her in authentic garments and jewellery from the Chanel Conservatory. Epochs and styles are mixed as the recognisable outfits that have clothed women over the years remind us of the legacy Chanel left as one of the first women to build an empire in the world of men.
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