From Hollywood to Shanghai and Cannes to Cine Citta, cosmetics brands court the hottest actresses and directors. In the midst of a whirlwind of glamour, perfume loves to be the star of the show. osMoz invites you for a peek behind the scenes in the world of cinema.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Dior and the Cinema

Charlize Theron is the current face of J’Adore, and Sharon Stone’s the one for Capture, Dior’s skin-care line, but the couture house’s relationship to the movies goes all the way back to the 40s. The House of Dior also designed costumes for some of the great actresses, and several cult directors, like David Lynch and Ridley Scott, have directed ads for Dior fragrances.

Photo: Charlize Theron at the Cannes Film Festival Cannes / image: Dior Parfums



Chanel N°5
a Star Fragrance

With Nicole Kidman as the star and Baz Luhrmann as the director, the current Chanel N°5 ad was directed like a veritable Hollywood film. Before Nicole Kidman, other major actresses, like Carole Bouquet and Catherine Deneuve, incarnated the image of N°5. But the best publicity ever was undoubtedly provided by Marilyn Monroe. When asked by a reporter what she wore in bed, the sex symbol replied, “Why, Chanel N° 5 of course!”

Photo : Chanel

Burberry, the Sweet Scent of British Cinema

Besides their impeccably elegant impeccable design (by Fabien Baron) London, the new women’s fragrance, and Brit for Men, Burberry’s latest men’s scent, have another point in common. They both have an English star as their face. For London, it’s actress Rachel Weisz (Oscar 2006 for best supporting role in The Constant Gardener). For Brit for Men, it’s actor Hugh Dancy (seen most recently in King Arthur and Basic Instinct 2). Together they bring a sense of renewal to the English brand

Photo : Rachel Weisz, publicité du parfum London / image : Mario Testino pour Burberry Parfums

I Smells Like Hollywood

A Golden Screenplay

Ever since Hollywood’s golden age, the most famous actresses have leant their images to fashion designers and cosmetics brands. Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Liz Taylor and Mae West (whose sensual curves inspired the bottle for Femme by Rochas) are among those glamorous icons who sometimes become designers’ bosom buddies, and in whom the world of luxury finds its true muses.

Actresses have been making a major comeback in the perfume world lately. Nicole Kidman got what is probably her most fabulous role from Chanel. Famous for her appearances in The Hours and, more recently, The Interpreter, she stars as the face of Chanel N°5 in a clip that was made with production values worthy of a Hollywood film: her touching role as an actress being chased by paparazzi evokes the everlasting spell of stars from the 50s.


Halle berry Photo : Mario Testino for Versace

I- Un parfum d’Hollywood
A Dream Cast

Dior, Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and more: they’re all pairing off with the biggest actresses. Catherine Zeta Jones, the sexy star of films like Chicago and Zorro, found a glamorous new role as the face of Elizabeth Arden perfumes. And the lovely Gwyneth Paltrow, seen in Seven and Shakespeare in Love (for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1999), is the new face of Estée Lauder’s star perfume, Pleasures.

At Dior, actress Charlize Theron brings even more golden glamour to the fragrance J’Adore. The relationship between Dior and the cinema is one long love story. Christian Dior personally designed for some of the biggest stars: Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren and more. The couturier was even an Oscar nominee for Best Costume Design, back in 1954. So choosing Charlize Theron – who burst upon the scene with her 2004 Oscar-winning performance in the film Monster, and was also seen with Keanu Reeves in The Devil’s Advocate – showed the continuity in Dior’s long-lasting relationship with Hollywood. And to sing the praises of his skin-care line Capture, who better could Dior have chosen than actress Sharon Stone, one of the couture brand’s most high-profile clients?

Acclaimed Directors

Another important tie that binds fragrance brands and the movies: it is becoming more and more frequent to turn to top film directors to direct fragrance ads. To surprise us, and to create the dream-like aura of fantasy that surrounds perfume, houses no longer hesitate to hire the most-acclaimed filmmakers. So create v cinematic image for Fahrenheit, Dior called upon the skills of David Lynch (Twin Peaks, Dune, Elephant Man) and Ridley Scott (Thelma & Louise, Alien, Gladiator); for Poison, they used French filmmaker Claude Chabrol (La Cérémonie, L’Ivresse du Pouvoir) .

Recently, we’ve been hearing a lot about Baz Luhrmann, the director of blockbusters like Moulin Rouge and Romeo & Juliet. He’s the one who directed the famous Chanel N°5 ad with Nicole Kidman (who he had already directed with panache in Moulin Rouge) that was seen both on TV and at the movies (at least in places where they show ads at the movies). Indeed, the story, built around the timeless fragrance conceived by Coco Chanel in 1921, is more like a Hollywood film than a simple ad. To stir women’s imaginations, brands are erasing the boundaries between film and advertising in these scenes that portray a dream-like fantasy world.

Luc Besson (The 5th Element, Le Grand Bleu) is another favorite of perfume houses. Last year, he was in charge of filming the advertisement/movie for Estée Lauder’s fragrance Beyond Paradise. A few years ago, he directed an ad/movie for N°5 with a Little Red Riding Hood theme.

Chanel has always worked with the most talented photographers and film directors. Even years later, who could forget Jean Paul Goude’s ad/movie in which Carole Bouquet metamorphoses into Marilyn Monroe…


Givenchy Parfums

   
 
NEXT PAGE >