I came across another great fashion documentary to share with you – and you know how much I love my fashion films. It’s called, Hearts and Crafts and it focuses on the providing an in depth and personal look inside the work and lives of the ateliers at the French fashion house of Hermès.
Having a documentary that makes the men and women, who work behind-the-scenes, in fashion as its main subject can often times be far more interesting, revealing and connective to what we experience in our everyday life versus the glitz and glamour. The human struggle and personal stories play an integral part into the creation and production of the beautiful garments and accessories we buy and covet.
After waiting for over a year I finally get the chance to watch YSL: L’Amour Fou. The documentary chronicles the life of French fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent with his lifelong partnership with Pierre Bergé. It also examines Bergé’s decision to auction off a lifetime of valuable art amassed by the couple upon Saint Laurent’s death, such as paintings by Picasso and ancient Egyptian statues – it was known as “the auction of the century."
I pre-ordered an advance copy of the DVD from Amazon.ca over two months ago and since then I’ve been counting down the days until it arrived. Well folks guess what was in the mail today! And you know what I’ll be doing later this evening – yup, watching “YSL: L’Amour Fou!!”
To give you a taste and feel of the movie I’ve posted the trailer below. Enjoy!
For my readers in New York City or those Canadians who happen to be in the Big Apple this weekend, Vanity Fair, The Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Arts Design (MAD) have partnered to present the first-ever “Fashion in Film.” It’s a three-day program featuring movie screenings, panel discussion moderated by Simon Doonan and reception all focusing on the presence of fashion in motion pictures.
Taking place at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), from September 9 to 11, the events are sure to delight cinephiles and celebrate New York Fashion Week.
Happy Monday all! I need a bit of a shoe pick-me-up this morning and thought you’d appreciate knowing that a documentary called, God Save My Shoes is being released this fall chronicling women’s relationship with footwear; unfortunately, a North America release date is TBD.
According to the film’s description it aims to decode the “psychological, sociological, historical, cultural and erotic perspective – the fiery emotions that shoes exert on most women.” To find the answers to these mysteries the film travels around the world visiting cities such as New York, Paris, Milan and Toronto, and interviews footwear designers such as Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahink, Pierre Hardy and Bruno Frisoni.
Below I’ve included the trailer to the film and to hold you over until a release date is announced, for your city, the producers of God Save My Shoes has published a series of production diary videos on YouTube to give you an inside look into the film. Enjoy!
The video below is directed by Brennan Stasiewicz and titled, “Daphne Guinness: Undressed.” It’s a hauntingly beautiful depiction of fashion patron, Daphne Guinness in her New York apartment and on display in a fashion installation held inside the windows of department store Barneys.
I’m not sure if Guinness’s dialogue is scripted for this short film, but her choice of words to describe fashion and herself is done in a restrained yet emotional way which I find fascinating, inspiring and powerful.
I’ve always felt that Guinness is a different sort figure than the rest of the socialites and fashion fixtures who attend the runway shows in Paris and Milan, and who patrons designers. She – and I rarely use these terms only when suitably applicable – is a fashion icon and enigma who is more interested in the artistry of clothing and design.
Stasiewicz’s film shows Guinness in moments of deep introspection, one particular thing she talks about is the use of clothing as armour for protection against the world; an indirect reference to the wardrobe of fashion editor, Isabella Blow which she purchased in its entirety last year:
It’s funny when you see the suit of armour and you sometimes can see the portrait of the person that wore it; you’ll see the sort of person was rather tiny and feeble, and they put on this great big armour to look a little more frightening...
Fashion journalist and TV personality, Mademoiselle Agnès and director, Loïc Prigent presents the 10th year of their series, Girl on the Run on the Sundance Channel's fashion and style franchise, Full Frontal Fashion. Girl on the Run has me in stitches laughing as I watch Mademoiselle Agnès run around attending various fashion shows in Paris. The general commentary on the quirks of the fashion industry; front row protocol, anti-fur demonstrations and the voice-overs are particularly entertaining. I guarantee once you starting watching the videos it will be difficult to stop.
I’ve includes videos one to five below from Girl on the Run. To see the entire series visit Full Frontal Fashion.
Fashion in Film is a series of blog entries that looks at elements of fashion in some of my favourite movies.
A short while ago, I went on an online shopping splurge and bought several fashion movies on DVD. One of them was Loïc Prigent’s documentary called, Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton which follows designer, Marc Jacobs around the globe from America to Paris and Tokyo.
Coincidentally, the Fashionist and I Want- I Got blogged about this movie recently which in turn gave me a kick in the butt to put aside my procrastinating ways and post my insights into one of my favourite movies on fashion.
Released in 2007, Prigent’s film offers a humorous yet pressure-driven, behind-the-scenes look as Jacobs sources new inspirations for his designs as the Creative Director of fashion conglomerate Louis Vuitton and his namesake label Marc Jacobs. We are also shown the dynamic personal and professional relationships he has with various people such as his employees, friends (Sofia Coppola and Elizabeth Peyton), artistic partners (Takashi Murakami) and Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH Group.
Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton (part one)
What struck me about the film is Jacobs’ creative process; its beginnings which can be as simple as pictures from an old magazine to the absurd, such as a plate of desserts. He typifies the North American work ethic pushing himself physically and mentally to the brink each season developing collections which captivates the fashion press and consumers all over the world.
Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton (part two)
** I only posted part one and two of Loïc Prigent’sdocumentary in this blog entry due to length, but if you have time double click the YouTube videos which will then direct you to subsequent sections of the movie to watch in full.
I’m taking a break from Shoe of the Moment blog posts for this week and thought I'd share with you a video which features footwear designer, Christian Louboutin who dances for an ad campaign for Fashionaircalled, Dancer in a Daydream. It combines the elements of classical Hollywood musicals – which are my favourite type of movies – with a updated fashionable twist. Louboutin can really move and his dance style is very endearing. Enjoy!
This movie provides an intimate look into Gagnon’s life, the development and presentation of his fall/winter 2009 collection. I haven’t seen this movie yet but the reviews online are very positive.
Toronto screening dates are TBD, but I spoke with the production company and they’re aiming for a screening in the fall of 2010; I will make sure to keep you updated.
Synopsis: Denis Gagnon, designer of fashion apparel, puts the final touch in his collection. Confined in a basement turned workshop studio – his “cave” – he instinctively assembles materials (glitters, Jersey, leather and silk). Later, he returns to Alma Lac Saint-Jean on holidays, the city where he was born and lived up to the age of 20 years. Denis Gagnon delivers us his concerns, inspirations and creator’s perceptions. He makes us meet one part of his family and his friends.
The one that we nickname the enfant terrible of the Canadian fashion becomes the subject of a cinematic picture. Rather than to make the chronicles of an icon of the fashion, “My name is Denis Gagnon” brush in a intimate way the portrait of a complex character, a man and an artist behind his enormous dark glasses. Denis Gagnon comes to light to the spectator in his way. He comes out observed but decides to be engaged.
Synopsis: Denis Gagnon, designer de mode, met la touche finale à sa collection. Reclus dans son sous-sol devenu atelier – « sa grotte » -, il assemble instinctivement les matières . Plus tard, il retourne à Alma (Lac Saint-Jean) en vacances, ville où il est né et a vécu jusqu’à l’âge de 20 ans. Denis Gagnon nous livre ses préoccupations, inspirations et perceptions de créateur. Il nous fait rencontrer un partie de sa famille et de ses amis.
Celui que l’on surnomme l’enfant terrible de la mode québécoise devient le sujet d’un tableau filmique. Plutôt que de faire la chronique d’une icône de la mode, « Je m’appelle Denis Gagnon » brosse de façon intimiste le portrait d’un personnage complexe, de l’homme et de l’artiste derrière ses énormes lunettes noires. Denis Gagnon se dévoile au spectateur à sa façon. Il se sait observé mais prend le parti de se livrer.
As Toronto Fashion Week invites poured into inboxes across the city, one catching the attention of the fashion throng was Nada Sheppard’s invitation to view her label’s (NADA) 3D short film, Future Fashion/Fashion Future, featuring her fall/winter 2010 collection. Billed as the industry’s first ever stereoscopic 3D short film, guests were told this viewing would be an action packed experience combining “futuristic martial arts meets Gladiator vibe in this world-wide fashion first.” How could anyone resist that description especially when movies, such as Avatar have breathed new life into 3D technology.
The host for the evening was Fashion Television’s Glen Baxter who told the packed movie theatre, “This is not a regular fashion event, no one was fighting for seats” – which I have to admit was a good change to the normal fashion shows.
With 3D glasses on, Future Fashion/Fashion Future took the audience into a sci-fi world reminiscent of the video game Street Fighter. Fembots dressed in NADA designs fought each other in three battle scenarios. Model, Madison Schill starred as the Red Warrior and fought her opponent using high flying wire work, martial arts and weapons.
At the start of each fight scene Schill wore an outfit from NADA’s collection presented in carousel format rotating to provide viewers with a glimpse of Sheppard’s designs for fall/winter 2010. Sheppared's inspiration for this collection derived from a recent trip to China where she encountered and was shocked by the power and enormity of mass production in the country; thus, igniting the idea of focusing her designs on this theme combined with the figure of the fembot – exaggerated proportions of the female form driven primarily by technology.
The idea of showing fashion in film and using the concept of the video game was a natural progression for Sheppard who feels this is the direction “entertainment is going.” From a marketing and business perspective it’s a smart move, reaching a larger audience with rapidly increasing access to the Internet.
I applaud Sheppard’s progressive efforts to branch out and try something new and different, incorporating fashion with film and technology. However, after leaving the screening of Future Fashion/Fashion Future I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed by not having the opportunity to see her latest collection in real life, or having the film show the clothes in 3D detail which would have given a more in depth look into her collection this season.
