Coco Before Chanel

Last night I was lucky to attend the East Coast premier of Coco Before Chanel. The film follows Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (Audrey Tautou) from the day she was dropped off by her father at an orphanage to the opening of her first shop in Paris and centers on her relationship with French millionaire, Etienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde), through whom she meets the love of her life, Arthur “Boy” Capel (Alessandro Nivola). Although the setting and costumes were fabulous – from the French fishermen in the beach scene to the high society racetrack crowd – it would be a treat to see Audrey Tautou in a sequel about Chanel’s life after 1920 — her relationship with Stravinsky (and later with Hans Gunther von Dincklage, the Nazi spy), her arrest for war crimes, her move to Switzerland and her return to Paris in 1954.

Lesley M. M. Blume interviews Tautou about her role. When asked why Chanel should matter to women today, she says -

Because she’s a real woman, the woman every woman would still like to be: talented, elegant, clever, smart, funny, free. She was not impressed by anything or anybody, and I think that this is a real way to feel powerful, to feel that you have the key to your life.

Katwise :: Crazyquilt Traveling Coat

Maya Frost, in her book The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition, and Get a Truly International Education, inspires students to step off the college-prep treadmill and take a different path, one that opens the mind to endless possiblities around the world. Kat O’Sullivan took that leap when she finished high school after two years and set out on a hitchhiking adventure that seems like it never ended. She sews the most amazing one-of-a-kind reconstructed sweaters using recycled materials and found fabrics. Most of the items for sale at her Etsy shop are special orders, but she says there will be new items posted Saturday night. Keep an eye out!

Coco Before Chanel :: Audrey Tautou

Audrey Tautou stars in Coco Before Chanel coming to LA and NYC on September 25th. Lucky me, I get to see it at the Dietrich Theater Fall Film Festival for the East Coast premier!

Audrey Tautou stars as legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel in this engrossing, romantic drama which focuses on a young creative woman seeking her place in life and French society in the early 1920’s. It is beautifully photographed in the region around Paris and in Normandy. This is the story of Gabrielle Chanel who begins her life as an orphan and through an extraordinary journey become world famous. She embodied the modern woman and became the timeless symbol of success, freedom and style.

(Interested in the music of Yann Tierson?  The connection is Audrey Tautou, star of the French rom-com Amelie. Listen to some Tierson piano improv/accordian music over at AllChic’s sister site, AllPiano.)