Once upon a time, there was a girl named Gabrielle Chanel. She dressed and behaved like no other. On her orphaned past, Gabrielle kept mum. With a sharp wit, she preferred to invent her own legend. Initially released on September 12th, these 5 mini-films unveil an entire segment of her story that’s previously been left unexplored. It’s an illustrated tale that goes back on the importance of her great love Boy Capel, who helped Coco to become Chanel, as well as the birth of her simple touch, lighter and more chic than the couturiers of the day. Told like never before, with no holds barred, the story of Chanel is constructed just like the concept of denudation propagated in her mythic suit designs. In black, until then reserved for mourning, and white, the couturier’s favorite colors, the images tell how at 70 years of age, pained to see men pigeonholing the woman’s body into balconette bras and bouffant skirts, she called on her team to reopen their ateliers.
The first 3 short films – Coco, Mademoiselle, and Gabrielle Chanel – go back to the sources to gather recollections of this renowned woman. In the environment where the young orphan grew up, you can find all her fascination for everything baroque, gold, and diamonds. Her struggle for female fashion liberation resonates like that for her own liberation. It was by borrowing from the male wardrobe that she forged the DNA of the free woman: wearing pants, short haircuts, the camellia… it all adds up to a uniquely French sophistication. Through these first mini-films, you can sit front-and-center to see the establishment of a powerful woman, when one of her first boutiques opened up, or when she released the scent n°5. Her travels, and in particular her trips to Venice, would inspire her audacity. From these celestial voyages was born her first collection of diamonds. The final two chapters in this short film collection – Coco by Karl and Chanel by Karl – capture the creative director’s vision for Chanel ever since 1983. All while enriching Coco’s legacy, Karl Lagerfeld, the savior of this brand that was left an orphan after Coco’s death, makes no secret of his profound admiration for this “young girl” that came out of nowhere. The fashion genius has been able to adapt the label’s emblematic pieces, all while expressing his own powerful vision. 5 videos sum up the creative spirit that continues to grace this couture house. Without ever copying, the Kaiser perpetuates the story of Gabrielle: woman of genius and nonconformist.
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