Keira Knightley to star as Coco Chanel

By Mariam Digges

Keira Knightley poses for a portrait while promoting the upcoming movie "Anna Karenina" in Los Angeles. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Keira Knightley poses for a portrait while promoting the upcoming movie "Anna Karenina" in Los Angeles. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Keira Knightley will play Coco Chanel in a short film directed by Karl Lagerfield to mark the 100th anniversary of the French fashion house.

Filmed in the seaside town of Deauville where the first Chanel boutique opened in 1913, Knightley will star alongside French actress Clotilde Hemse, who will play Coco’s aunt Adrienne.

The first Chanel boutique famously opened with the help of Captain Arthur “Boy Capel, an affluent British aristocrat. Lagerfield will recreate the modern day Deauville with the help of  “detailed retro sets”, considering that the town has seen a modern revamp since Chanel’s day.

The face of Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle fragrance, Knightley was handpicked for the role by Lagerfield, who is also her longtime friend. Rumour also has it that the designer is working on the Pirates of the Caribbean actress’s wedding gown for her upcoming nuptials to James Righton. 

“Karl’s amazing. He’s an avid reader, and he speaks about five different languages, so he’ll be rattling off in English to you and in French to someone else, and in German to someone else and then the phone rings and he’s speaking in Italian,” Knightley said of Lagerfield. 

The short film will be shot later in the week and is scheduled for a May premiere, to coincide with the unveiling of Chanel’s new Cruise collection in Singapore. 

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