AT A time when summer blockbusters saturate the market, Coco Before Chanel is a welcome dose of Gallic chic chronicling the rise to fame of one of couture’s most revered icons.

The central casting of Audrey Tautou, a luminous screen presence since Amelie, should help to attract audiences unfamiliar with the story of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, the fashion designer from humble beginnings who became a cause celebre in pre-First World War France.

Anne Fontaine’s biopic is impeccably coiffed and tailored, employing authentic models and jewellery from the Chanel Conservatory, augmented by Catherine Leterrier’s costumes which mimic the fabrics and cuts of the original 1930s designs.

Fans of Chanel’s pure, flowing lines will coo with delight – the attention to detail is meticulous, including 300 extras in period wear for a pivotal racecourse scene.

While this history lesson certainly has sparkle and style in abundance, Fontaine’s script, co-written with her sister, Camille, in collaboration with Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons), keeps the emotion buttoned up.

There’s no clear sense of Gabrielle as a standard bearer for successive generations of women in the patriarchal fashion industry.

Also, tumultuous events prior to the climactic catwalk feel a tad rushed; the central character’s grief is lost in a swirl of silks and glittering accessories.

A gloomy opening welcomes the young Gabrielle and her sister to a convent orphanage, where the diminutive heroine refuses to believe she has been abandoned.