Chanel has, for many years, been one of the biggest luxury brands to emerge from France and will no doubt continue its success for centuries to come. That being said, celebrating the brands centenary was destined to be a big deal for creative director Karl Lagerfeld. Of course opening two new stores in London, one in Covent Garden and another on New Bond St, would never be enough for the French designer.Its a known fact that Lagerfeld has in recent years taken to photohraphy and filmmaking and it seems Lagerfeld likes life behind the lense. Having already created one short film and directing the campaign for Bleu De Chanel, Lagerfeld is once again taking his seat in the directors chair for a short film commemmorating the 100 year anniversary of the brand. The film looks at the heritage of the infamous house and will feature actress and brand ambassador Keira Knightly as Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, the founder of the house, the film documents the rise of Chanel, commencing in 1913 with the opening of the very first Chanel store in Deauville, Northern France.
The film also features a few guest appearances from some of Karls favourite models and muses including Stella Tennant, Lindsey Wixon, Baptiste Giabiconi and Jamie Bochert among others. No sign of Choupette much to my dismay!
The film is a beautiful homage to the brand even if it is a little awkward in parts (its believed that Karl wanted it to seem natural so gave the actors their line just hours before filming) it is executed beautifully and everything from the exquisite period costumes down to the use of black and white express what Chanel is all about, its classic, its elegant and its beautiful. Its well worth a watch for the cameos and costumes alone.Chanel has, since its inception, been solely about class, elegance and true craftsmanship and the film goes hand in hand with this ethos moreover will teach youth of today about the birth of one of the biggest fashion labels on the planet. I feel that Chanel has aged exceptionally well, it is as fresh and forward thinking as it was 100 years ago and I feel that even the youth of today think of it as it should be, Lagerfeld has done an excellent job of translating the Chanel message for all to understand the brand fully, lets hope he continues to do so for many years to come. Happy Birthday Chanel!
