Seven Fashion Films By Your Favourite Auteurs

Just last week, silver-haired Chanel head Karl Lagerfield debuted his new fashion film, The Return — a 25-minute biopic about famed designer Coco Chanel’s 1954 comeback collection, starring Geraldine Chaplin (Charlie’s daughter) and Rupert Everett.

With its improvised approach, the whole thing stood out a bit from the usual stylised gloss that’s become a regular playground for some of your professional faves. Last month, Wes Anderson and his bestie Roman Coppola made their second foray into the genre: a short work for Prada, titled ‘Castello Cavalcanti‘, that was typically Anderson-esque and excellently moustachioed.

Numerous other well-known auteurs have made similarly lengthy and wanky fancy-pants commercials for their designer friends, in order to a) quickly showcase their chops, and b) subliminally entice us into buying expensive products. It’s time to take stock of some of the more successful…

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Candy L’Eau (2013)

By Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (for Prada)

In which a girl named Candy (played by Blue Is The Warmest Colour’s Lea Seydoux) is fought over by two French suitors with amazing quiffs. Sure, it follows a classic two guys-and-a girl formula (recalling Truffaut’s 1962 New Wave classic, Jules Et Jim), but factor in ‘the Wes Anderson effect’ — the pretty pastel palette, the quick pans, the deadpan humour — and you’d be forgiven for falling for this three-part ad.

But would you buy it? I can only imagine the positives in smelling delicious.

And what would Coco say? “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.”

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Non Plus One (2010)

By Gia Coppola and Tracy Antonopolous (for Opening Ceremony)

In which Francis Ford’s granddaughter Gia Coppola and friend Tracy Antonopolous enter the fold (the duo’s second film — Writer’s Block, for Diane Von Furstenberg — came out last year starring Parks And Rec‘s Aubrey Plaza and, for some reason, Ray Liotta). As you might expect, this one stars Coppola cousin Jason Schwartzman and his Marie Antoinette co-star Kirsten Dunst, who once again gets all Manic Pixie Dream Girl-like, amidst an old ’70s home-video style aesthetic. And if it doesn’t already sound like an indie dream come true, the short is set to “Is This Okay” by Coconut Records (aka, Jason Schwartzman’s musical side project).

But would you buy it? Well, yes — wouldn’t you pretty much buy anything the Coppolas and their friends tried to sell you?

And what would Coco say? “You live but once… Might as well make it amusing.”

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Best Friends (2013)

By Lena Dunham (for Rachel Antonoff)

In which Lena Dunham recruits her Tiny Furniture co-star and sister, Grace Dunham, to create an educational nature video that’s perfectly narrated by Lena’s TV boyfriend, Adam Driver. The film casually observes the shared habits and interests of best friends.

But would you buy it? Uh, we all need good clothes as much as we need good friends, right?

And what would Coco say? “A good woman with good shoes can never be ugly.”

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City Limit (2010)

By Kris Moyes (for Romance Was Born)

In which Kris Moyes (local music video director and brother of Kim from The Presets) writes and directs an awesomely bloody and flamboyantly satirical film that delivers this great line: “Give it to me like a Monet painting.” Having worked together in music videos for Architecture In Helsinki and Softlightes, Sydney label Romance Was Born approached Moyes to highlight their Autumn/Winter 2010 collection, and the result is this story about a somewhat psychotic businesswoman who goes on a Tarantino-esque killing spree to seek revenge.

But would you buy it? I probably don’t have the swag to pull of a Romance Was Born outfit, but somehow their sequined intergalactic full-bodied leotards remain oddly appealing.

And what would Coco say? “The best colour in the world is the one that looks good on you.”

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Wonderwood (2010)

By The Brothers Quay (for Commes des Garcons)

In which the avant-garde Japanese fashion label makes another weird (“A positive overdose of woods, woody notes, and synthetic wood”) fragrance, and so naturally, enlist expert stop-motion animators Stephen and Timothy Quay to create a fittingly cryptic and surreal short film featuring a dimly-lit set, dusty puppets, crawly things, no spoken dialogue, and an evocative score. While I can appreciate the Quays Brothers’ aesthetics, they nonetheless give me the willies.

But would you buy it? Nah, saw the creepy doll head and I balked.

And what would Coco say? “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.”

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L’Invitation Au Voyage (2013)

By Romain Gavras (for Louis Vuitton)

In which David Bowie sings a harpsichord version of ‘I’d Rather Be High’… really high (I mean pitch!). Directed by Romain Gavras — best known as either “that guy who directed a bunch of M.I.A. music videos” or “Costa Gavras’ kid” — this short film, which depicts a lavish Venetian masquerade ball, is a parody of the ‘As The World Falls Down’ scene in Labyrinth (1986).

But would you buy it? I assume we’d all totally buy the hot air balloon?

And what would Coco say? “The best things in life are free. The second best are very expensive.”

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A Beautiful Odyssey (2013)

By James Franco (for 7 For All Mankind)

In which James Franco does everything (as usual) — from being the photographer to casting the models (including the children of Dennis Hopper and Vogue editor Lisa Love) — except star in it. Ever the artiste, Franco released three interactive trailers to the short so that audiences could help shape their own ‘Audience Cut‘ ending by voting on Facebook.

But would you buy it? Ha!

And what would Coco say? “If you were not born with wings, do nothing to impede their growth.”

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Andy is Junkee’s intern. She is mostly harmless, moderately cheerful and recently discovered she can justify her “drinking” and “drug” problem by telling people she’s a writer. She takes her cafe noir, no sugar thanks.