Classic Direction

BAZ LUHRMANN HONORS A TIMELESS SCENT

A woman wearing no perfume has no future," said French poet Paul Valery. Coco Chanel went further, explaining the power of her signature scents—"It is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate fashion accessory. It heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure." This month the infamous Chanel No. 5, the fragrance of which Marilyn Monroe once purred, "It's the only thing I wear to bed," is being celebrated in a Baz Luhrmann-directed short film (that will air as a commercial), starring Nicole Kidman. The Aussie duo spins a sexy thread, evoking memories of their film Moulin Rouge, with Kidman in the role of the most famous woman in the world. Making a mad dash from the paparazzi, the mythic beauty jumps into a taxi, not realizing it's already occupied by a bohemian novelist, played by Brazilian Rodrigo Santoro. He whisks her to his rooftop, overlooking a light-grid metropolis, where they share a stolen moment before she returns to the red carpet. He is left with only the memory and the lingering scent of her perfume. Luhrmann, speaking from his Paris hideaway, explains, "They said, 'Make anything you want, as long as it involves No. 5.' At first I experimented with characters, a princess, an opera star—but I didn't want to get too specific in terms of ⅜ ? who that woman would be. There are visual references to Catherine Deneuve, who was a Chanel spokeswoman in the 70s, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Di, and Audrey Hepburn. But in the end it all goes back to Coco; she was wilder, freer, more pop and exciting than the accepted story of her. That's what Karl Lagerfeld [Chanel's designer] is trying to do—bring back a little more of Coco."

A. M. HOMES