ANNA MOUGLALIS, the star of new biopic Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky, described Karl Lagerfeld as an invaluable resource in helping shape her role as Coco – despite his less than favourable reviews.
“When I discussed this with Karl he was very keen for me to show Coco’s humour but that was something the director didn’t want to do,” said Mouglalis. “For him nothing can be precise enough. This film is just one interpretation and shows a certain point of view. I didn’t even have to ask for his help though – he relayed anecdotes about Coco, showed me the archives and lent me some beautiful dresses.”
The French actress, who has worked with Chanel for eight years and is currently the face of the label’s Fine Jewellery, said that she feels as if she has been preparing for her role for years without even knowing it – but never dreamed she would ever end up playing the fashion legend.
“Because of the years of work I have done for Chanel I felt I could bring so much to the film – of course it was a huge part to take on but I was just so enthusiastic about it all,” she said. “I then read everything I could find on her, I studied videos and text and read lots of Colette just so I could get a feel for the era.”
How does she think this latest film compares to Audrey Tautou’s Coco Before Chanel?
“I was one of the first to see the Tautou’s version,” she said. “I’m crazy about it but I can’t watch it as a spectator because I have worked with Chanel for so long – we have history. Both films are about different parts of Chanel’s life – Coco Before Chanel was about her building herself up, this film is about the woman she always wanted to be.”
Mouglalis is sceptical as to whether Coco herself would have been a fan of the film.
“There were three different biography’s written about Chanel and I think by the end of her life she hated them all,” she said. “In the same way there will be different interpretations of her life on film and I’m not sure which one would have been to her taste. She was such a complex woman.”