Chanel picks Kidman to sell perfume

Nicole Kidman is joining French star Catherine Deneuve and former Bond girl Carole Bouquet as the latest actress hired by Chanel to advertise its No5 perfume, the fashion house said today.

Baz Luhrmann, who directed Kidman in Moulin Rouge will produce and direct a publicity campaign featuring the actress, Chanel said.

Kidman will replace the current No5 representative, Canadian model Estella Warren.

Designer Coco Chanel herself modelled the perfume, the fashion house’s oldest fragrance, in 1937.

The scent’s most famous endorsement came free of charge from Marilyn Monroe, who claimed she wore No5 to bed.

“Ms Kidman was chosen because she represents a unique standard of elegance and embodies the spirit and modernity of Chanel,” the company said in the statement.