Miu Miu, Zoe Cassavetes and the future of short fashion films

 

These days, fashion houses are rolling out short films faster than you can say, "Action!" Chanel has produced several, the most recent being the bizarre "Window World" directed by Karl Lagerfeld; Dior's  "Lady Grey London," starring Marion Cotillard, premiered in December; and L.A.-based photographer/director Lisa Eisner teamed up with Devendra Banhart on a short film for eyewear brand Oliver Peoples released earlier this month.

But what about the quality of these pieces? Are they really any more than 3- or 4-minute commercials? Do they really qualify as entertainment?

Miu Miu is the latest to join the fashion film fray with "Powder Room," directed by Zoe Cassavetes,  best known for her 2007 feature film "Broken English." Out this week, it's the first in a series of "Miu Miu Women's Tales," which will be unveiled on the brand's website in the coming months.

Miuccia Prada, who designs both the Miu Miu and Prada lines, was early to the fashion film genre. And she's been behind at least one film that has artistic, not just commercial value. That would be "Trembled Blossoms," created around the spring/summer 2008 Prada collection. The CG-animated, fairy-in-the-Prada forest tale was directed by James Lima, with concept artwork by Los Angeles-based illustrator James Jean. And it is engaging (even the second and third time) in an acid-trippy kind of way.

 
Cassavetes' film for Miu Miu, on the other hand, isn't nearly so impressive. The action takes place at Claridge's Hotel in London in -- you guessed it -- a powder room.  And the players are model-actresses, which may be part of the problem.

Audrey Marnay enters, takes a mint, slides her finger across a glass table and crumples down onto a white sofa. Then, two mean girls come in. Marnay steals furtive glances at their fab Miu Miu shoes. They spritz perfume, powder their noses and take off. Marnay gathers herself, slides back into her own fab Miu Miu shoes (black glitter heels), and prepares to head back into the night. Reads like a commercial to me.

You can watch the film at www.miumiu.com and see interviews with Cassavetes and the cast, if you are so inclined, as well as behind-the-scenes footage. (There's lots of discussion about the powder room as sanctuary, etc. )

Studies have shown that several fashion films have increased the number of visits to designer websites. But are they attracting new eyeballs or just the people who are already fans? Maybe it doesn't matter.

Still, if the future is branded entertainment, let's make sure it's really entertaining.

-- Booth Moore  

Photos: Top and bottom images from the Zoe Cassavetes-directed short film "Powder Room." Courtesy of Miu Miu. Middle image from the James Lima-directed film "Trembled Blossoms." Courtesy of Prada.

Paris Fashion Week: At Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu, Paris Fashion Week boogies out

The spring-summer 2011 runway season ended in Paris on Wednesday with the same color and optimism that started nearly four weeks ago in New York.

Marc Jacobs' Louis Vuitton show was Shanghai grand, perhaps because China is the luxury brand's newest retail frontier.

In electric brights, the clothes walked the line beautifully between classy and campy, with silk mandarin-collar suits and slender heels swinging tassels, and evening gowns shimmying with a rainbow of beaded fringe.

The collection was a jewel box of cheongsam-style dresses in popsicle stripes or orchid prints, some worn with low slung sequined obi belts. There were tiger stripes in this year of the tiger too, abstracted into disco prints. China's beloved giant panda even made an appearance, silhouetted on a sequin T-shirt.

Compared with the glitz of the clothes, the bags were understated. Long clutches and compact flap bags came color-blocked or covered in the all-important (to new luxury markets at least) LV logos.

Louis Vuitton spring-summer 2011 runway collection photo gallery

The party continued at Miu Miu, where Miuccia Prada's rock 'n' roll wannabes looked like they stepped off the bus in Hollywood and into a vintage store full of leather jackets by the famed 1960s-era East West Musical Instruments Co.

Flashing metallic flower and star cutouts, leather jackets were the headliners, paired with pleated school girl skirts or satin dresses, and neon sandal booties. 

Miu Miu spring-summer 2011 runway collection photo gallery

Snippets of audition tapes played on the soundtrack while Rihanna sat front row. In the words of Joni Mitchell, Prada was "stoking the starmaker machinery of the popular song."

-- Booth Moore in Paris

Photos, top and middle: Looks from the Louis Vuitton spring-summer 2011 runway collection shown during Paris Fashion Week. Photos, bottom: Looks from the Miu Miu spring-summer 2011 runway collection. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson & Peter Stigter / For The Times

 

Miu Miu launches a mens-y capsule footwear collection

Miu Miu is going mens-y for spring. Prada's stylish sister brand recently released a capsule collection of guy-inspired lace-up loafers heavy on the razzle-dazzle.

It’s an unexpected turn for the brand, which is famous for its vampy heels and wedges. But then hints of a more subdued Miu Miu surfaced for fall 2009, when the brand released a capsule collection of ballet flats.

Paris Fashion Week: Sexuality lurks beneath the surface at Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu collection

There was a sly sexuality to Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu collection, shown in Paris on Wednesday to a packed house that included actress Renee Zellweger.

Like little Lolitas with long braids in their hair, Prada's models stalked around the runway in cropped jackets and slim-fitting pants in white-on-black panther or reclining nude prints. Meow!

The covetable, girlish prints showed up on clutch purses and chunky platform shoes with ankle straps, too -- should be money in the bank.

Dresses with white schoolgirl collars and pleated skirts were short and sweet, with decolletage-enhancing details such as satin bustiers and crystals arranged in designs that suggested chandeliers, hearkening back to the terrific spring Prada collection shown in Milan two weeks ago. Double score for Miuccia.

-- Booth Moore

Photos: Miu Miu's Spring-Summer 2010 runway

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Photo: Miu Miu's Spring-Summer 2010 collection. Credit: Miu Miu

PFW: Miu Miu, Prada's little sister, is all grown up

PARIS -- Miuccia Prada closed out the fall season Thursday night with a strong collection for Miu Miu, which is looking less like Prada's little sister these days and more like Prada's sassy friend.

For Miu Miu, she worked the season's dual themes of masculine tailoring and feminine draping on sexy, sleeveless felted wool dresses that brought to mind a modern-day Mrs. Robinson. The dresses were sheath-like in front, tied on the side in back and cut low enough to reveal shimmer-dusted cleavage. In shades of camel and bisque, some also had a single fur lapel draped across the front, almost like a beauty queen's sash.

Slightly flared skirts that hit below the knee came in rich paisleys, or tribal-looking jacquards, topped by sheer blouses. And for evening, wool dresses, cut low to expose the bra, were dotted with crystals the size of bottle caps. There were even crystal-covered tights and knee socks, worn with fur-trimmed pumps.

Not sure how wearable the heavy wool dresses will be, but they were lovely to look at, classic yet quirky.

-- Booth Moore

All the Rage's Paris Fashion Week coverage

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Paris Fashion Week review: Christophe Decarnin's Balmain show flashes back to Michael Jackson, MC Hammer 

Paris Fashion Week review: Alexander McQueen's fall 2009 show sends up fashion world

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Photo: Courtesy of Miu Miu