The Top 10 Fashion Films Of The Season
Fashion brands continue to invest in short videos as part of their seasonal advertising campaigns. Some are pushing the boundaries with novel narrative content, ‘edutainment’ and big budget directors.
As online video consumption continues to grow, short fashion films have become an increasingly important component of brand advertising campaigns, though, on the whole, the genre still suffers from a host of challenges relating to lack of budget, poor distribution strategies and the political power wielded by photographers and their agents.
In past seasons, big-budget cinematic-style epics, snappy dance-driven shorts and films propelled by humour have typically attracted the largest audiences. This time around was not much different. Zegna’s ambitious “A Rose Reborn” directed by Park Chan-wook made our list, as did Alexander Wang´s funny Autumn/Winter campaign film, featuring Chris Kattan as Mango, a character from the American comedy show Saturday Night Live.
The artist and filmmaker Miranda July’s smart, off-kilter film for Miu Miu about a messaging app which allows users to send messages to friends via the medium of strangers who happen to be nearby took the number one prize for its blend of comedy and social commentary.
Looking at the current crop of fashion films, it’s also worth highlighting the relatively new and fast-rising subgenre of ‘edutainment’ films, perhaps best evidenced this season by Chanel´s “The Colours” (part of the brand’s wider “Inside Chanel” series), which explains the five emblematic colours behind the storied house. Notably, i-D has also helped to drive the trend, publishing funny educational videos like “How to Speak Japanese with Tao Okamoto,” part of the magazine’s “Model Mother Tongue” series in which the world’s top models teach viewers a few phrases in their native languages.
Now, sit back, relax and enjoy my Top 10 Fashion Films of the Season. Which films stuck a chord with you? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
1. Somebody, Women’s Tales #8, by Miu Miu
Miu Miu, like its big sister Prada, tends to take a slightly off-kilter approach to its creative output and its most recent digital venture is no exception. This season, the brand teamed up with artist and filmmaker Miranda July on a short film called “Somebody,” about a messaging app which allows users to send messages to friends via the medium of strangers who happen to be nearby. The surreal and thought-provoking clip premiered at the Venice Film Festival and is the eighth instalment of “Women’s Tales,” a Miu Miu-sponsored film series established to showcase female directors.
