"Nicole!" "Nicole, over here!" "Baz!" "Nicole!" "Baz…!" Nicole Kidman and Baz Luhrmann's entrance into the Chanel show, to a soundtrack of cries from the paparazzi, was as spectacularly theatrical as any of his movies. Kidman and Luhrmann were there in their capacity as star and director of Chanel's new advertising campaign for No. 5. But of course, Karl Lagerfeld couldn't resist adding a subtext to this event.
His runway was decked out with a red carpet—a witty nod to the one that Kidman walks in Luhrmann's ad. Moments later, superstars of another type—Linda Evangelista, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow, Naomi Campbell, Kristen McMenamy, and Nadja Auermann, all dressed in liquid black satin evening dress—began to walk the scarlet runner, while men ran alongside them popping flashbulbs. The message was clear: In an era when celebrity dressing has become so over exposed, it's only exciting when an actress has exceptional talent and style.
The whiff of Kidman's presence in this collection was as heady as the house's famous scent. Her petite shoulders and slim, lithe frame were made for Chanel's small, sculpted jackets, ankle-skimming skirts, and sinuous dresses. For those not blessed with the bones, there was also a wide range (perhaps too wide; the ideas came striding out in rapid succession) of wearable clothes that would work for, well, work. The classic tweed cardigan jacket with a little nip at its waist; a trenchcoat with an oversized houndstooth check; and spring's omnipresent gypsy skirt now chicly dressed up in the house's signature bouclé. The many evening looks were matched with flat jeweled sandals, a casual approach to nighttime dressing that's been a distinct presence in Paris.
Amid this evening section, there was one true star: a black velvet column, with a low back and a fishtail hem, which would make the perfect foil for jewelry (and happens to be the dress Kidman wears in the ad). If you're in the market for a true stunner, you—and every celebrity stylist out there dressing the nation's actresses—would be well advised to let it take a leading role next spring.
