After floating out of the screening of Coco Before Chanel dreaming of moving to Paris and falling in love, I couldn't wait to meet Audrey Tautou. Possibly one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen up close, we spoke about what it was like getting the chance to play such an icon, what attracted her to the project and of course, the fashion.
Tautou is mesmerising throughout the film as the legendary fashion designer Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel. The story takes us from her early years abandoned along with her sister at an orphanage by her father after her mother has died, through to the debut of her first eponymous prêt-a-porter collection. Along the way there’s the small matter of a love triangle to contend with and we see the usually very guarded Coco melt as she falls deeply in love for the first time.
A true feminist icon light years ahead of her time, Coco’s determination to better herself and not be reliant on any man makes for a compelling story which it is hard to believe has barely made it to the big screen before (besides 1982’s unremarkable Coco Solitaire). Now in Chanel’s centenary year we are to be treated to three biopics (the next stars Anna Mouglalis and centres on the designer’s affair with Igor Stravinsky and the last is a US made for TV movie starring Shirley Maclaine).
Coco Before Chanel is going to take some serious beating though, both in the style stakes and as a sweep-you-off-your-feet love story. Take it away Audrey…
Coco Before Chanel is released 31 July
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