“I wanted to increase the propor-
tions of fractioned patchouli; push it to
the limit and unleash its power on the
skin without altering the top notes,”
says Polge, who has also added night-
appropriate notes of Brazilian and
Venezuelan Tonka beans, and Madagas-
can vanilla for that elusive magnetism.
“[Coco Mademoiselle Intense] has more
texture, more substance,” says Polge. “It
has more depth and more fullness.”
Actress Keira Knightley, the fra-
grance’s face for the past 10 years, also
takes on a new, more seductive role for
the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Intense
campaign. Immaculately dressed in a
custom-made Chanel gown, Knightley
is, much like the scent, both stunningly
pretty yet playfully sensual as she revels
in a party gone spectacularly and lav-
ishly wild (as only a Chanel party could).
“Keira’s personality in the film adds
playfulness and some mischief,” says
film director Johan Renck, who has also
worked on other Chanel campaigns
such as the Chanel No. 5 film starring
Lily-Rose Depp. “Keira has an amazing
sense of humour [coupled with]
thoughtfulness and creativity.”
Although obviously a seasoned pro-
fessional when it comes to media
interviews, Knightley is far from
untouchable. When marie claire meets
the actress backstage at Chanel’s
autumn-winter 2018 show in Paris, she
is both hugely polite and charmingly
self-efacing. Comfortable amid the
buzz of one of the world’s most influen-
tial backstage areas, Knightley afably
thanks her hairstylist for brushing out
her “dreadlocks” and swears she is “low
maintenance for everything”.It is perhaps this low-key attitude
that has made her alliance with Chanel
so enduring. “I first signed to the house
when I was 21 and I never thought that,
over a decade later, I would still
be working on new and beautiful
Chanel campaigns,” says
Knightley. “[The process]
has just been very easy,
natural and relaxed.”
Deftly juggling moth-
erhood with a stellar
acting career, Knightley
likes to keep things simple.
“I think I only have
five make-up products,”
Knightley says when asked about the
contents of her minimalist cosmetics
bag. “I have eyeliner, I have mascara.
I’ve got a concealer, a lip tint and one
eyeshadow; I’ve only got a few things.”
Both backstage at the Chanel show,
which saw Paris’ glass-ceilinged Grand
Palais transform into an autumnal
French forest, and in the campaign film,
Knightley is radiantly beautiful withher flawless skin and signature smoky
eyes. “[The look] suits my face,” says
Knightley. “I’ve found my thing.” But
it is perhaps the film scenes in which
Knightley has her shoes of and hair
just a little less pristine where she looks
most stunning.
“Keira is a woman
who does what she
pleases,” observes Renck.
“Her heart beats in the
opposite direction.”
Considering Polge’s
desire to “reinvent” the
Coco Mademoiselle per-
sonality, this contrariness
perhaps applies to the scent, too.
Whether you are a Coco Mademoiselle
devotee or new to the collection, this
latest addition is designed for those
moments when you want to reveal
your mischievous side.
“I wanted to deal with action and
consequence,” says Renck. “To dare
to make the jump without fear of the
landing.” Time to up the intensity.“Smelling all
D8549K5B5>D
raw materials is
something I
love so much”
-Keira KnightleyPHOTOGRAPHY BY EDWARD URRUTIA; CAMPAIGN IMAGES COURTESY OF CHANEL.
Keira Knightley starring
in the playfully seductive
Coco Mademoiselle Intense
campaign and film, directed
by Johan Renck. The actress
has been the fragrance line’s
face for the past 10 years.BEAUTYmarieclaire.com.au 145