OH LA LA

OH LA LA! WATCH KEIRA KNIGHTLEY’S COCO CHANEL DEBUT.

The backdrop of the decadent Raffles Hotel Singapore, a balmy sundown and a sea of interlocking-CC-clad guests set the scene for the cocktail party world premiere of Once Upon A Time... – a Karl Lagerfeld-directed film that seesKeira Knightley play the part of Coco Chanel. 

Guests sipped French champagne, crowded around Lagerfeld (who was undeterred by the thick humidity, wearing a full suit, bien sûr) with Instagram at the ready and joined Cara Delevingne in congratulating model Lindsey Wixson (who plays Miss Wonderbilt) for holding her own in the movie, alongside Knightley.

Shot in black and white, the short portrays Coco Chanel as a struggling shopkeeper yearning for business, when she first opened her boutique in the French seaside town of Deauville, circa 1913. But soon business is booming, as parade of rich, bold and beautiful women come traipsing through her door – enter Wixson, Ashleigh Good, Tallulah Harlech, Caroline de Maigret, Amanda Harlech, Stella Tennant, Jamie Bochert, and Saskia de Brauw – and buy all of the designer’s merchandise.

The cast were told their lines just before each take, which results in the work – that marks the 100th anniversary of Coco Chanel’s boutique – having an au naturel flavour. 

“I thought it was going to be a silent movie,” said Knightley, about the short. “When I arrived I was asked to speak in French. I only said ‘bonjour’ and ‘merci’ and then carried on in English. Filming with Karl Lagerfeld is a real treat. I instantly agreed to be his Coco! … [he] manages the actors in a truly direct way.”