Video highlight: Jean Paul Gaultier talks 2014 Barbican exhibition

There’s three types of good fashion films these days: the conceptual creative type (think features for seasonal campaigns), the product shots (more for selling, a lot shorter in length but ideally still tied to a story), and then the interview. That was an idea coined by Harriet Mays Powell of The Look Now (formerly fashion director at New York Magazine), speaking at the first Fashion Forward conference in 2011.

Her focus was that each needs investment, not just in terms of money, but in terms of a strategic approach. The better interviews for instance aren’t haphazard behind-the-scenes clips that don’t do a high fashion house any justice, but well-shot and insightful pieces in their own right.

This one (below) just released by The Barbican Centre in London serves as a great example. It captures designer Jean Paul Gaultier animatedly discussing his upcoming exhibition in its art gallery in April 2014. Set in his Paris studio, with shots of various items from his collections interspersed, he jokes about the retrospective being shown while he’s still alive, and highlights his appreciation for the city of London.

The entire video is such an enthusiastic insight into him and his brand, that when he says, “I am very lucky because I am living my passion”, at the end, the viewer truly believes him.

 

The exhibition itself also sounds like a winner. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, as it’s called, will see more than 140 garments from 1970 to today presented. Included will be the infamous conical bra from Madonna’s Blonde Ambition Tour, as well as costumes for Kylie Minogue and films such as The Fifth Element.

The exhibition will also comprise catwalk footage, music videos, films, dance performances and snippets from Gaultier’s cult TV show, Eurotrash. It will be accompanied by an events programme and film season.

It has been initiated and produced by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with Maison Jean Paul Gaultier, and will tour worldwide.

Louis Vuitton’s #PFW live-stream sees shareable three-second video clips

Louis Vuitton rounded out the fashion week season in Paris this morning with a live-stream show that invited viewers connected via Facebook to record and share their own short video clips.

“Share your favorite moments with your friends,” said the intro from the brand. Accordingly, it allowed users to capture up to three seconds of the show in a small window on the bottom left of the stream they were watching. They could then play it back before agreeing to post it to their Facebook timeline for their friends to also see.

The idea is similar to that launched by Topshop last season, which enabled users to “Shoot the Show”, posting still images to their pages. LV’s idea moves the concept on, while simultaneously tying to the success of apps like Vine that are focused on short, easily shareable videos.

In practice it was a little bit sticky, as well as restrictive in terms of what you could capture – the smaller window mainly showed close-up shots of the collection, and the frame didn’t allow you to snap multiple sections like Vine does. Still, it’s a great leap forward again for the social side of fashion weeks.

LV also invited users to its “Social Room” during the show, a side bar that opened out to reveal a multitude of social media updates from both its own official accounts as well as from guests and publications in attendance.

Jean Paul Gaultier celebrates grown-up ‘enfants terribles’ with digital advent calendar

Jean Paul Gaultier has launched an online campaign for the festive period centred on a digital advent calendar.

Created with digital agency Isobar, and housed on jeanpaulgaultier.com, the calendar’s 24 dates appear as the inside pockets of Father Christmas’ coat (in this case with Jean Paul Gaultier playing the role).

Each one reveals a variety of games, entertainment and prizes to be won. Designed for “grown-up enfants terribles“ (Gaultier’s own long-standing nickname), and celebrating “the Christmas of naughty children”, it features animations including sexy reindeers and naughty elves, and names such as “Shake your snowball” and “Eat the log”.

“Once upon a time, it was a Christmas unlike any other. An alternative Christmas, an upside down Christmas, a new slant on Christmas, as only Jean Paul Gaultier could imagine it, “ reads the write-up.

Users will be able to open three pockets at random each day, followed by a further three when they share the experience with their Facebook or Twitter friends. Prizes include bottles and boxsets of fragrance, Jean Paul Gaultier stuffed animals and a special gift due to be revealed on Christmas Eve.

Check out the intro video below:

H&M teases digital content ahead of & Other Stories line launch

There’s some nice digital content going on to seed the launch of H&M’s new upmarket concept, & Other Stories.

The womenswear line, which will include ready-to-wear, shoes, bags and accessories, was teased through a one-minute video on Vogue.co.uk this week (as below).

The “Shoes & Other Stories” spot sees a series of polariod frames streamed one after the other as though a slideshow. It features a woman walking around Paris barefoot until she receives a delivery of & Other Stories footwear.

“Documentary-like snapshots tell the story of a day in the life of a Parisian girl while giving glimpses of & Other Stories’ concept and SS/13 collection,” reads the write-up.

There’s also a Tumblr page in action showcasing all manner of inspiration and product shots (including some from the film), as well as a couple of what looks like the & Other Stories team at work in the atelier.

Facebook, Twitter and a website have also launched, the latter inviting fans to sign-up in order to “receive tons of inspiration on a regular basis because we love to share our secrets, tips and tricks with you”.

The line aims, it says, to inspire women to create their personal style, or story. It will launch for spring 2013 in stores and online in selected European countries. Expect lots more to come…

Louis Vuitton invites viewers on a journey through the Louvre in debut TV ad

 

Louis Vuitton headed to the Louvre in Paris to film its first ever television ad, L’Invitation au Voyage.

Directed by photography duo, Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, the cinematic spot sees model Arizona Muse discreetly working her way through different rooms in the museum, surrounded by its famous paintings including the Mona Lisa. With a key spotted around her neck from the beginning, her quest is to unlock a secret that’s been hidden inside a legendary LV travel trunk for more than 150 years.

“For centuries, the most wonderful intrigues have been woven in the Louvre, a haven of culture and history. An intrepid young woman enters this universal temple and unwinds the skein of time,” reads the write-up.

A hot-air balloon whisks her away above the Cour Carrée (the courtyard of the museum) with the letter containing the secret in her hand, all the while the man that’s been following her throughout looks on from the ground.

The film launched exclusively on Facebook yesterday, before appearing on TV screens worldwide last night. The multimedia campaign will also comprise print and digital ads, and appear in cinemas from next week. A longer two-and-a-half-minute director’s cut of the film is shown on the Louis Vuitton website.

Archive Lanvin film reveals founder at work in atelier

 

Lanvin has released another video of its founder Jeanne Lanvin, this time at work supervising fittings and making final adjustments on her collection before its unveiling to the press.

The historical, recently-discovered footage shows the designer, who lived from 1867 to 1946, busy with the last-minute preparations at 22 Faubourg Saint Honoré, which remains the flagship store of the brand today.

A beautiful glimpse into fashion history, it documents the launch of her “Sorbier”, “Tubéreuse” and “Azalée” eveningwear designs. It also provides a look inside her office. “This is not just a dressmaking studio; it is a veritable cabinet of curiosities furnished by the famous Eugène Printz and houses her fabric library,” read the notes.

The notes also suggest films resurfacing from the founder’s era such as this one are “thanks to the digitalisation of cinematic archives by companies such as INA or Gaumont-Pathé”.

Vogue Paris tells #storyof1million Twitter followers with dedicated microsite

French Vogue has celebrated reaching one million followers on Twitter by launching a microsite dedicated to its digital history.

Storyof1million – available in both French and English – is an interactive experience featuring highlights of the @VogueParis Twitter handle, through images, music and video.

It documents over four years of coverage; from launch on September 4, 2008 to today. Its first ever tweet read: “Retrouvez dès le 5 septembre les télégrammes de Vogue.com en direct de la fashion week de New York” (See our Vogue.com telegrams from New York Fashion Week from September 5).

Sarah Herz, director of Condé Nast France’s digital operations, explained it as “a unique digital narrative with over 400 elements, created entirely by the editorial staff to celebrate the site’s most exciting and pivotal moments yet”. She added that the initiative was designed to express the magazine’s deepest gratitude to all the followers, fans and celebrities that have supported it.

The one million mark makes Vogue Paris the most followed French publication on Twitter. It continues to tweet from behind-the-scenes with its editorial team, covering everything from exclusive interviews to fashion week shows, news exclusives and after-party snippets.

Balmain joins Twitter and Facebook

Another luxury label has succumbed to social media! Balmain announced its arrival on both Twitter and Facebook this morning, providing fans with an inside look at what goes on at the 67-year-old French fashion house.

Image-drive on Facebook, it will post everything from runway and backstage shots, to ad campaigns and editorial spreads. There is also access to much of the design archive dating back to the 1940s in Paris. Twitter meanwhile plays host to daily news from the company as well as insights from its new 25-year-old creative director, Olivier Rousteing.

“We have product and pictures and creations to show, and we’re ready to communicate with the followers,” said chief executive officer Emmanuel Diemoz, reports WWD. He explained that there’s been huge demand for information surrounding the brand, but it’s been kept very closed to the consumer. “Now we have all the key items to be able to do it properly and in the best way.”

“You will be able to see everything, from our inspiration, to detail of the clothes,” said Rousteing in an introductory video (as below). He added that he’s looking forward to obtaining real-time feedback: “It’s an experience. I will reply, and be the first to check it and see if there are a lot of ‘likes’.”

French Vogue to relaunch website, launch social reader app with Facebook

French Vogue is set to unveil a new website (as pictured) on February 6, which will blend its digital and print editions under the charge of Emmanuelle Alt.

Vogue.fr will cover everything from private meetings with fashion creators to backstage access to shoots with fashion photographers including Mario Sorrenti, Peter Lindbergh, Mario Testino and Inez & Vinoodh, and key insights into the current fashion and editing choices of its team.

“The age of internet has given way to a digital world in which media brands can at last express and use their skills, and that has made the creation of new emotions possible, the aim of the new Vogue.fr,” explains Sarah Herz, director of digital affairs at Condé Nast.

The design of the new site is based on large-format pictures and full-screen slideshows. The navigation of it is inspired by the iPad. It also integrates with social networks – allowing fashion shows and events to be followed live, as well as the magazine’s posts on Twitter and Tumblr.

“With this new website, we wanted to go a step further and create a new and original brand experience. We have overthrown the normal codes of web design. Our aim is to make it the digital reference in the field of fashion and trends,” says Delphine Royant, editor of French Vogue.

In further news, the magazine will also launch an application in partnership with Facebook called the “Vogue Paris Social Reader”. It will enable users to see the content read by their friends, consult the whole article within the Facebook ecosystem and share with others:

Net-a-Porter launches Karl line with pop-up window shops worldwide

Net-a-Porter returned to its virtual window shop concept to launch the new Karl by Karl Lagerfeld collection in several cities around the world today.

First previewed at Fashion’s Night Out in September 2011, the augmented-reality storefronts allowed customers to shop the collection by scanning products with their iPads or iPhones. In doing so, they were also in with the chance of winning various prizes from the luxury retailer.

The pop-up windows were on show in London, New York, Berlin and Sydney, as well as in Paris where Lagerfeld himself was in attendance. He told reporters: “We are making fashion and technology history.”

The 70-piece collection launched exclusively online at 10.30am EST worldwide; following which numerous pieces quickly sold out.

The site also hosts a huge variety of Karl-themed content, not to mention what can only be referred to as a Google Doodle-inspired logo, featuring Lagerfeld’s silhouette in place of the “a” in Net-a-Porter…