once upon a time

The full version of Karl Lagerfeld's latest short film for Chanel, called Once Upon a Time, has finally landed online. The film, which stars Keira Knightley as a young Gabrielle Chanel, tells the story of one of the designer's first shops, which she opened in the French seaside resort town of Deauville in 1913. In the film, which will be screened at Chanel's Resort 2014 presentation in Singapore this month, Chanel is helped along by her aunt Adrienne — played by actress Clotilde Hemse — as she caters to wealthy clients like Jacqueline Forzane (played by Ashleigh Good) and Ida Rubinstein (portrayed by Caroline de Maigret). When Vita Sackville-West — played by Saskia de Brauw — looks through the windows of the store toward the end of the film, she asks, "I wonder what it will be in 100 years from now?" Take a look at what it was like 100 years ago, in the video below. . . .

Keira Knightley has taken on multiple roles in her time working with Chanel, but in the house's next short film she'll play its beloved founder, Coco. Karl Lagerfeld cast Knightley in the film that will accompany his Resort 2014 presentation in Singapore next month, which has been titled Once Upon a Time. The film focuses on a young Gabrielle Chanel tending to her first store, which she opened in the French seaside town of Deauville. Actress Clotilde Hemse plays Chanel's aunt Adrienne, and models Lindsey Wixson, Stella Tennant, Tallulah Harlech, Caroline De Maigret, and Brad Kroenig, among others, are reportedly in the film, too. A look at the teaser, here.

We've been keen to watch Once Upon a Time ever since we heard about its premiere in the US many months ago, and it's finally getting Australian airtime on Channel Seven. It's a drama that explores the idea that fairytale characters are real — they've just forgotten who they are.

What it's about: Jennifer Morrison stars as Emma Swan, a woman who gets an unexpected visit from a 10-year-old boy on her 28th birthday. When she takes him back to his hometown of Storybrooke, the lonely lad tries to convince her that the Wicked Queen in his fairytale book cursed everyone in the Enchanted Forest (like Snow White, Prince Charming, Rumpelstiltskin, and so on) by taking away their happy endings. Now they're living regular lives (Snow White is a teacher) with no recollection of their magical past. Though Emma is skeptical, we learn that she is, in fact, the key to making everything right again in Storybrooke.

Where it works: The pilot has cheesy moments, but it also has enough edge and twists to keep me invested. I was happy to see both Ginnifer Goodwin (as Snow White) and Morrison back on the small screen, and they both fit their roles nicely (though Goodwin is a teeny bit bland). The juxtaposition of the characters in their magic lives and real world is also fun to see; the kid in me enjoyed each new character reveal (Pinocchio, Little Red Riding Hood, etc.), and there are plenty more that aren't even touched on in the first episode.

Find out more about the pilot episode when you keep reading.