Very theatrical, utterly whimsical, helplessly romantic, chic and vey beautiful, this film by Karl Lagerfeld is a clear winner in this era where digital video distribution finally replaces classic form of medias. Classical looks, are mixed with nowadays stars and timeless pieces in this story about talented Coco Chanel.
In this most recent short Karl employs Keira Knightley to play a young Coco Chanel during the time of the opening of her first shop in Deauville, circa 1913. The 18 minute period film is filled with cameos from a large number of internationally known stars such as Lindsey Wixson, Stella Tennant, Tallulah Harlech and Baptiste Giabiconi and it is reported that the actors were given their lines mere moments before shooting began in order to achieve a ‘natural effect with the dialogue’. You see Chanel meet the fashion-forward ladies of the city and watch as she gathers the inspiration for the designs that would later become iconic for her brand. As expected the costumes are all extraordinary and all-around the film possesses an intoxicatingly dreamlike quality.
“For the most part, short films and ads for fashion house tend to be pretty empty, boasting lots of flash and big stars, but little in the way of substance. But icon Karl Lagerfeld is hoping to turn that notion on its head with “Once Upon A Time…,” an 18-minute complete short film, starring Keira Knightley (chosen by Lagerfeld to be the face of Coco Mademoiselle) and boasting an actual story, to go with some impressive production values.”
+ music from the opera “Tosca”
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