Coco Avant Chanel

The French love their films and everyone loves Chanel.

This is why Coco Avant Chanel (Coco before Chanel) is on it's way to become the fashion film of 2009.

There is nothing more typically french than Audrey Tautou (Amelie) dressed as Coco Chanel.

And even if German Karl Lagerfeld is supervising the re-creation of certain clothes of the fashion house, the director, Anne Fontaine, is sure to keep the production in a French spirit while they are filming in Paris and Normandy.

The filming has started late, on the 15th of September, while the project was announced last May, and there is still no official release date (although it is expected to be late 2009).

However, the first production still is finally out, and the Amelie star looks stunning in a boyish suit and pose, that deliver well the strength of character of the woman who immortalised the little black dress and 'le smoking'.

Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (1883-1971) was a pioneer of modern women's fashion. Born in Saumur, France, she was trained as a seamstress in a Catholic orphanage.

This is probably was unleashed her determination.

She introduced woman's sportswear in 1913. In a post-war atmosphere, she later brought menswear-inspired styles into the mainstream.

Coco Chanel understood from the beginning what feminism taught the world much later: women are supposed to dress for themselves, not for men.

Because it is a French film, it is reasonable to expect a lot of artistic shots, quite a heavy dose of glamour, style and of course romance.

It might also be a long wait before we finally see it on a screen...