Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Loco For Coco!




I love the holiday break because it's the perfect time of year to catch up on all of those movies you've been dying to see but just haven't had the time. This weekend I was lucky enough to get to see Coco Avant Chanel, a beautiful picture starring Audrey Tautou as Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel.

The film cronicles Chanel's formative years from her humble beginnings as a headstrong orphan to reluctant seamstress, nightclub chanteuse and wannabe actress, and ends with a sneak peak into her rise to the heights of the fashion world.

I wouldn't exactly call this a fashion film. This is about her life before she started her fashion empire. It focuses mostly on her relationships with her sister, Adrienne, Etienne Balsan, a wealthy racehorse owner whom she befriends while she's a nightclub singer an with whom she eventually moves in with and with Arthur "Boy" Chapel, a handsome Englishman that helps open her eyes both personally & professionally.

Not to say this isn't something that fashion-lovers should see. Her innate fashion sense and the various transformations she goes through, even during her early years, will leave you chock full of inspiration.

Some of my favorite moments that show why she revolutionized the way women dressed...

  • She was a natural at creating her own menswear-inspired designs.
  • No more corsets!!! She told a reluctant dressmaker exactly how to make her a plain black, uncorsetted, ankle length dress for a dance with Chapel. She was so unique, standing out from the heavy corsetted, flouncy feather detailed women. All eyes were on her and everyone wanted to be like her. The birth of the LBD!

  • Being inspired by the blue & white stripped shirts worn by French sailors.

  • Sporting mens silk ivory, navy-trimmed pajamas.


As if I didn't want to go on a Chanel shopping spree badly enough???


I'm at least going to try to add some menswear pieces into my wardrobe.

Images: found here, here, here, here, here & here

7 comments:

Marie-Ève said...

Ahhhh, gorgeous, gorgeous Chanel... I have yet to see this, but can't wait to. A few days ago I finally saw Julie and Julia, and it had a similar effect on me...!

Giovanna said...

i really want to see this now...i love audrey tautou, and coco chanel has always intrigued me. did you see that valentino documentary yet? i might catch that on netflix on demand this week.

Connie @ SogniESorrisi said...

This is on my list (the list that just keeps getting longer!) But I need to get to it, definitely.

Helena - A Diary of Lovely said...

Audrey tatou was a great choice to portray Coco, I really really want to watch it ASAP!

buhdoop said...

I don't know too much about Chanel but I've loved Audrey Tautou since Amelie. I will have to check this out.

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

yes Audrey Tautou was perfect as Coco! Excellent casting.

@ Marie-Eve - see today's post. same for me about Julie & Julia! :)

@Giovanna - no unbelievably (to myself) haven't seen the valentino documentary yet. it's on my must-see list. it got lost in the wedding fog :)

honey my heart said...

swoon. i really want to see that movie. and chanel can do no wrong!