Jumping Jacques Flash

Jacques Helleu & Chanel

Vanessa Paradis caged like a bird by Jean-Paul Goude, Nicole Kidman swooshing through Paris in couture with Baz Luhrmann in pursuit, Little Red Riding Hood clutching her No 5 directed by Luc Besson, and a raft of unforgettable images of Kate Moss, Laetitia Casta, Ali MacGraw, Lauren Hutton and Catherine Deneuve photographed by the likes of Avedon, Ritts, Bailey and Demarchelier – this is Jacques Helleu’s portfolio, but it reads more like an A-Z of film and fashion greats of the late 20th century. Creative director of Chanel’s beauty and fragrance division since 1965, Helleu has always had a talent for capitalising on the creative élite of a moment, throwing them together to mould an image for one of the world’s most celebrated fashion houses. This retrospective, organised alphabetically around said élite, knocks most fashion tomes into a cocked hat.

20 April 2006 | Fashion