This documentary, airing on BBC Two, presents a definitive portrait of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, the iconic designer whose influence continues to resonate powerfully in the 21st century. Chanel’s revolutionary designs, including the little black dress, jersey separates, costume pearls, and the iconic Chanel No 5 perfume, have become enduring symbols of luxury, style, and female empowerment.
The film explores Chanel’s life and work, focusing on her trailblazing spirit and appetite for independence. In a male-dominated world, Chanel challenged conventions and liberated women from restrictive, corseted clothing, offering them freedom of movement and a sense of celebration. Her designs and vision brought her immense wealth, recognition, and a place among the elite, counting figures like Winston Churchill and Cecil Beaton as friends.
Despite her success, Chanel guarded her past closely. Orphaned and raised in poverty, she kept her early years as a mistress and her sense of being an outsider secret until her death in 1971, aged 87. The film weaves together interviews with those who knew her, including long-time assistant Lilou Marquand and muse Jackie Rogers, as well as current Chanel muse Caroline de Maigret, stylist Misa Hylton, supermodel Jerry Hall, and her daughter, Georgia.
The documentary also examines Chanel’s personal life, including her alleged affair with the married composer Stravinsky, a relationship with a grand duke exiled from revolutionary Russia, and her romance with the wealthy Duke of Westminster, which ended when he left her for another woman. One of her most controversial relationships was with a German agent during World War II, leading to accusations of Nazi collaboration and her exile from France for nearly a decade.
Through intimate interviews with her biographer, Paul Morand, voiced by actress Sophie Marceau, and with unprecedented access to the House of Chanel archives, the film provides unique insight into the woman behind the legend. Beautiful animation and exclusive interviews combine to reveal a cultural icon whose work and life continue to define and inspire generations.
Coco Chanel Unbuttoned airs on BBC Two on Friday, 6 September 2024, at 9:00 PM.
