KEY POINTS:
She is an Oscar-nominated actress who conquered Hollywood as a teenager and is often counted among the most glamorous women in the world.
Yet it was Keira Knightley's 'natural flaws' that inspired fashion house Chanel to pick the British-born actress to become the next face of its Coco Madmoiselle perfume.
Jacques Helleu, the artistic director of Chanel, said it was only after seeing Knightley in her film role of Jane Austen's adapted novel, Pride and Prejudice, in which she apparently wore no make up and had her hair pined back in a bun, that he noticed her unadorned beauty.
"Her natural flaws were visible . . . Keira wore no make-up. She wore lengths of fabric as dresses. She had almost no hairstyle, just a little bun behind her head. She was a Cinderella in the making!
"For me, Keira embodied perfection itself. She was remarkable without any kind of decoration. And I thought that if this is how she was bare, then I could imagine how wonderful she would be embellished," she said.
The image of a sultry Knightley, who is shown naked with a strategically placed bowler hat and bottle of perfume, will replace that of Kate Moss, who has been the face of Coco Madmoiselle perfume for the past five years.
Mr Helleu added that the concept for the new advertising campaign, which will be launched in September, followed the successful profile that Kate Moss - who is more than a decade older than Knightley - gave to the perfume.
This is not Knightley's first foray into modelling - she was the celebrity face of the luxury goods brand Asprey, as well as Lux haircare products in Japanese television commercials.
Last year, she was confirmed as the new face of Coco Mademoiselle and featured on the front cover of Vanity Fair magazine with Scarlett Johansson and Tom Ford in the nude.
For Knightley, 22, this latest modelling role can be seen to reflect her evolution into a Hollywood icon.
The highly prized contract with Chanel has been regarded as more than just another modelling assignment in the past, and has helped to cement the legendary status of actresses who have been selected before her, including Nicole Kidman and Catherine Deneuve.
Ever since she appeared in her debut role in Bend It Like Beckham at the age of 17, Knightley's waif like figure has attracted both adulation and criticism, particularly during the recent 'size zero' debate in the fashion industry, including much speculation of increased weight loss, which she vehemently denied.
Miss Knightley, who was born in Middlesex, is thought to have signed a one-year contract worth more than 500,000 pounds ($1,361,068) to be the face of the scent.
- INDEPENDENT
