Demi Moore to play Coco Chanel May 20, 2006

Okay - I’m not particularly a fan of Demi Moore, but I am a huge fan of Mademoiselle Chanel, and this is casting that works for me. I really can’t think of another actress who could best portray the woman who built the House of Chanel. At the very least, the younger generation of fashionistas will learn that the Chanel Empire was built by a tiny, uneducated French woman descended from Cévennes peasants rather than an opportunistic German from a wealthy family.

According to the UK web site FemaleFirst Demi will portray Chanel from the age of 20 to maturity.

FemaleFirst goes on to say, “The film will chart Chanel’s lesser-known stint as a singer through to her colourful life as a style icon, as well as exploring her many love affairs - one of which was with a Nazi officer during World War Two.”

Hopefully the producers will use as source material Edmonde Charles-Roux’s fine biography Chanel and Her World which contains all of the above details and more. A good source for costumes would be the catalog from the 2005 exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The catalog is superb, and you can view some her designs on the Met’s web site.

The Sewing Divas may need to make a special pilgrimage to see this film.