This week, Karl Lagerfeld plans to debut his silent film about Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s humble beginnings in establishing the house of Chanel in the early 1900s.
Describing the film to WWD as, “a funny movie, unpretentious”, the film stars model Edita Vilkeviciute in the main role as Chanel herself, circa 1913, when she first opened up shop in Paris. Lady Amanda Harlech, and her daughter, Tallulah Ormsby-Gore are also featured in the film, as a customer and a Chanel model, respectively. Karl also cast works in today’s Chanel atelier as workers in the house, explaining to WWD that, “I cannot take extras. They don’t know how to touch the clothes.”
Lagerfeld claims the film was shot in approximately two days in Paris, and was “made like a Hollywood production”. He also told WWD, “Today, people are ready for silent movies again, as they spend time, hours, I would say, looking at text messages and e-mails”, adding that “I always loved silent movies”
The films first screening was last Wednesday, November 26th, at Le Ranelagh theatre, along with a preview showing of Chanel’s pre-fall collection, Paris-Moscow, which is said to be rather constructed, as well as inspired by illustrative Russian culture and folklore.
