Brit stunner Keira Knightly has been offered a spot as the face of Coco Mademoiselle perfume, replacing Kate “China White” Moss. The actress has signed a deal with Chanel of which the details are not clear. She is believed to be earning at least $1 million for at least one year’s work.

“Keira is very modern and has an incredible beauty and freshness, yet she has a certain edginess to her,” head of Chanel’s US business, Maureen Chiquet, told WWD. “Coco Mademoiselle is a very current and modern brand with an independent spirit. By partnering with Keira, we continue to reinforce the brand’s personality and remind everyone that Chanel is and always has been forward-thinking.”

The Coco Mademoiselle fragrance was founded in 2001 and from the very beginning Kate Moss was its face. “Kate Moss has embodied Coco Mademoiselle’s character since the fragrance launched in 2001,” Christine Dagousset, executive vice president of fragrance and beauty told WWD, while declining to discuss the cocaine scandal clinging to the supermodel. “Chanel has enjoyed its collaboration with Kate for the last six year, which continues until the end of 2006, and Chanel maintains a close relationship with Kate Moss. Keira Knightly becomes the new face of Coco Mademoiselle in 2007.”

Knightly already has experience as the face of a brand, with her role as the face of British luxury good and jewellery retailer Asprey. She won the contract in July 2003 and continues to work for the brand.

With estimated global revenues in excess of $2 billion a year, Chanel has been known to use celebrities to sell its products and leading filmmakers to shoot its commercials. It spent an estimated $8 million on its 2004 ad campaign for its Chanel No.5 fragrance, featuring Nicole Kidman and directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Coco Mademoiselle, which was launched in 2001 as a sort of little sister to the classic fragrance Coco, has come into its own since its inception. In its first year of sales it achieved $21 million in retail sales in the US. It was created by Chanel’s in-house ‘nose’ Jacques Polge, and features bergamot, orange, heart of jasmine, rose, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla and white musk.