Chanel et Stravinsky

Cannes Film Festival 2009: Carine Roitfeld Appearances, Chanel Movie Screenings, and Lily Cole Film Debuts
Chanel

Cannes Film Festival 2009: Carine Roitfeld Appearances, Chanel Movie Screenings, and Lily Cole Film Debuts

>> While fashion types are currently migrating to Venice for tomorrow's Chanel Cruise 2010 show — Karl Lagerfeld arrived Monday with Baptiste Giabiconi and his runway favorites Siri Tollerod, Heidi Mount, Liu Wen, Charlotte di Calypso, and Denisa Dvorakova are all already in town for fittings and the dinner Karl's hosting tonight — many are continuing on to the Cannes Film Festival, which opened today.
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>> While fashion types are currently migrating to Venice for tomorrow's Chanel Cruise 2010 show — Karl Lagerfeld arrived Monday with Baptiste Giabiconi and his runway favorites Siri Tollerod, Heidi Mount, Liu Wen, Charlotte di Calypso, and Denisa Dvorakova are all already in town for fittings and the dinner Karl's hosting tonight — many are continuing on to the Cannes Film Festival, which opened today.

In fact, the Chanel theme carries over in Cannes — Jan Kounen’s Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky, starring Anna Mouglalis and Mads Mikkelsen, screens May 24, the closing day.  In between now and then, Carine Roitfeld — as well as Donatella Versace and Kenneth Cole — will make her annual appearance at amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS benefit on May 21 at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, which also features an exhibition by photographer Bruce Weber.

Lily Cole, Laetitia Casta have films debuting »

First Look: Anna Mouglalis in Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
CoCo Chanel

First Look: Anna Mouglalis in Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

>> We recently got a look at Audrey Tautou as Gabrielle Chanel in Coco avant Chanel; now it's time for a first look at Anna Mouglalis as Coco in rival film Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky.  The latter, directed by Jan Kounen, focuses mostly on a six-week period in the life of Chanel and Russian composer Igor Stravinsky (played by Mads Mikkelsen, best known as Le Chiffre from Bond movie Casino Royale), when they are believed to have had an affair.
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>> We recently got a look at Audrey Tautou as Gabrielle Chanel in Coco avant Chanel; now it's time for a first look at Anna Mouglalis as Coco in rival film Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky.  The latter, directed by Jan Kounen, focuses mostly on a six-week period in the life of Chanel and Russian composer Igor Stravinsky (played by Mads Mikkelsen, best known as Le Chiffre from Bond movie Casino Royale), when they are believed to have had an affair.

Filming is currently under way — recently in Paris, scenes were being shot at the Museum of Natural History with Mouglalis in a sober black dress and cloche hat — and the race is on to complete the movie before Coco avant Chanel hits screens next year.  Both leading ladies are coincidentally (or perhaps not so much) Chanel brand ambassadors — Mouglalis for the Allure fragrance, Tautou for Chanel No.5, and Karl Lagerfeld has been assisting with costumes on both movies — for Mouglalis, he created at least two outfits, including an evening gown for scenes at Stravinsky's controversial "Le Sacre du Printemps" ballet opening.

Pitting two movies against one another seems very much in the Chanel vein — a couple of weeks ago, Mouglalis described her character to reporters: "Coco Chanel had to fight to succeed."  Besides, what kind of fashion movies would they be without a little drama on the side?
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Chanel Movie Madness: Four Projects in the Works
Chanel

Chanel Movie Madness: Four Projects in the Works

>> Chanel is really looking to increase their profile through the movie route.
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>> Chanel is really looking to increase their profile through the movie route. Another film based on some portion of Coco Chanel's life has been announced: Chanel et Stravinsky, l'Histoire Secrete.

Last year, three films focusing on Coco Chanel were under way — Coco avant Chanel, starring Audrey Tautou as the designer before she became famous, is now currently filming; Director Daniele Thompson's Chanel biopic is still in the early stages, with a projected 2009 release date; and director William Friedkin's Coco & Igor, focusing on Chanel's love affair with Igor Stravinsky, is still in development.

Marina Hands has been lined up to play Coco opposite Mads Mikkelsen as Stravinsky in Coco & Igor; however, Friedkin is no longer listed as director — which brings us to the fourth, and newest, movie: Chanel et Stravinsky, l'Histoire Secrete. It, like Coco & Igor, is focusing on the relationship between Chanel and Stravinsky, and has Mads Mikkelsen playing the composer, but Anna Mouglalis is set to play Chanel, with Jan Kounen in the director's role. Are these two movies the same movie?  Or are two studios just planning to go head to head?

Regardless, Chanel the brand wins in the end with all the publicity. A company spokeswoman confirmed that the house will be opening its doors to Chanel et Stravinsky's costumer, who Karl Lagerfeld will also be meeting with in coming weeks. Plus, it's worth noting that two of the women cast as Chanel have close ties to the house: Audrey Tautou is a face of the brand, and Anna Mouglalis is a muse to Karl.
*image: source