Audrey Tautou hit up the premiere of “Coco Before Chanel” wearing a flowery bow-barrette thing very similar to the ones Simcha is currently obsessed with. God, are we ahead of the curve or what? [West Hollywood, 9/9/09]

The lovely Audrey Tautou is currently doing press for “Coco Avant Chanel,” which we love since we get to hear her speak in her beautifully accented, somewhat broken English. (Plus, it shows a few scenes from the film that weren’t in the trailer.) What does Audrey think makes Coco so great? “She was a woman at a time when women were not as equal as men, and she managed to win her independence and her freedom.” Watch the interview at MarieClaire.co.uk

Considered a matriarch of the fashion world, most know Coco Chanel as a glamorous figure, an image easily conjured by the famous photos of the designer in her Parisian atélier or through nostalgic black-and-white ads for the brand.

But with Audrey Tautou’s intensely anticipated movie about about Coco, we’re finding out that the history of her legacy was tainted with some not-so-palatable details about her life (including Nazi collaboration and homophobia) that weren’t necessarily secrets per se but definitely ignored and under-publicized aspects of her life.

Tautou spoke out for the first time about the designer’s sketchy past, calling out her flaws: “She was a liar, so it’s difficult to know who she was before she became famous and had some success.” After the jump, three things you might not have known about Coco Chanel:

Nicole Kidman stars as a princess en route to an Indian palace in the above “mini-movie” commercial for Schweppes, which also features Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal as her love interest and Rubina Ali in a supporting role. Produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Shekhar Kapur, who directed “Elizabeth” and “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” this extended ad is one example of a new advertising trend being used in the age of TiVo and DVR. Other companies have produced short movies with hired big-name talent and directors to promote a brand, but it’s generally a technique used to evoke a luxury lifestyle. Schweppes seems a little low-end to go this advertising route, which has been used by Prada, Dior, and Chanel. Click through for more film-like advertisements. Do these extended, big-budget commercials make you want to purchase the product? Or are they just another quick form of entertainment? Let us know in the comments.

Not only is Audrey Tautou playing Coco Chanel in the new biopic “Coco Avant Chanel,” but she’s also the face of the Chanel No. 5 perfume. The luxury brand has released a short film commercial starring Audrey and directed by the man behind “Amélie,” Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The film has a similar feeling to “Amélie,” with its saturated colors and subtle quirkiness, but it’s a little cheesy. Plus, isn’t it some kind of conflict of interest to have Audrey representing the brand and playing the fashion house’s matriarch in a film around the same time?

Chanel certainly does like to do movie tie-ins with its No. 5 ads. Before Audrey, Nicole Kidman was the face of the classic perfume. Her commercial for the infamous perfume bore a striking resemblance to the famous woman/poor man story line in “Moulin Rouge” and was directed by that film’s Baz Luhrmann. But the film had been out for a few years by the time the commercial aired, so it seemed like less of a conflict than Audrey’s. At least Audrey’s new Chanel No. 5 ad isn’t directed by the same person who did “Coco Avant Chanel.” Then, we’d really have issues.

A new study in the Daily Mail U.K. shows that French women are the thinnest in Europe, yet they think they are too heavy, and British women are the biggest, but believe they’re too thin! And to make the Euro-study even more insulting and bizarre, the story is illustrated with pics of Kate Winslet and Audrey Tautou side by side; Winslet representing the big Brit, and Tautou the petite Parisian. Oh yeah, if Kate Winslet is chunky, then I’m Jabba The Hutt. And though Audrey is as thin as a very pretty french fry, she’s probably just a naturally slim lady. I can’t help but thinking this superficial study is a poke at Scottish Susan Boyle and the world’s obsession with her looks. Can’t we all just take a chill pill instead of a diet pill and stop spazzing over weight for a sec?  [Daily Mail U.K.]

One of our favorite actresses, Audrey Tautou, is starring as Coco Chanel in the upcoming movie Coco Before Chanel, one of a few recent Chanel movies. But as the title hints, the film will focus on Coco’s life before she was known worldwide for her little black dresses and quilted handbags, a time you might not be as familiar with, unless you’ve read one of the many books about her. Here are a few things that might be covered by movie, which begins production September 15 in Paris (with dresses from the Chanel collection and Karl Lagerfeld supervising the re-creation of costumes and accessories!).

Maxim just released their latest Hot 100 list and swimsuit model Marissa Miller grabbed the top spot. All in all, the list was filled with the usual suspects—Christina Aguilera, Eva Longoria, Lindsay Lohan—and some surprisingly cool women we’re proud of Maxim for pickings—Zooey Deschanel, America Ferrara, and Kat Von D. But we did have some suggestions for who we would have included—and who we would have have dropped. The Top Five Additions (and Subtractions) after the jump…

I have loved Audrey Tautou ever since she put that spoon to her nose in Amelie. Now she is the face of Chanel No. 5 perfume, replacing Nicole Kidman. This ad is flipping hot. Any woman that is cool enough to pull off a suit and tie is sexy to me. But this begs the question: Why have most of my “Girl Crush Alert!” choices been French?

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