Rebirth of the Fashion King

Chapter 70 Fashion and Film

"Rhine, you must have seen it, right?"

Li Xun put down his knife and nodded.

"Of course I saw it, and I believe that every employee who works at Chanel saw it."

"How does it feel?"

Li Xun organized his thoughts before speaking.

"The camerawork is very powerful."

Maureen Shika raised an eyebrow.

"With force?"

Li Xun nodded. "The director wanted every shot to be like a blockbuster movie, but he forgot that movie scenes sometimes need to breathe."

"So what do you think the relationship should be between fashion and film?"

"There are three types. The first type is that you give us money, and we'll get your Iogo on screen."

"Implantation".

Li Xun nodded and said, "That's right, this is the most superficial level of relationship."

"What about the second one?"

"Brands provide personality labels for characters. The tweed jacket in 'Coco Before Chanel' is a good example. This woman is saying 'Who am I?' The audience can tell her economic status, taste and personality just by looking at the clothes, without any lines."

""

Virginia interrupted after Li Xun finished speaking.

"I didn't know you were so knowledgeable about movies."

Li Xun shrugged helplessly and said, "Ms. Virginie, the vast majority of our brand ambassadors are filmmakers; fashion and film are closely related."

"You're right, what about the third one?"

"The third type is rare. When the clothes themselves become part of the narrative, they are no longer just worn on people. They grow into the plot. Without the clothes, the story would not work."

The Empress Dowager pressed on with great interest, "For example?"

"In Breakfast at Tiffany's, Holly stands in front of the shop window wearing a Givenchy little black dress. If she were wearing a floral dress, the scene would be different. The dress may or may not be beautiful, but it defines the loneliness of that morning as black (applause if you understand).

"So, which type of film should 'Secret Love Story' be?"

Li Xun turned to look at Virginia Wiard, who had raised the question.

"It doesn't seem to count at all."

Li Xun's words surprised all three of them.

"It wanted to become the third kind, but it went in the wrong direction."

"The film suggests that No. 5 perfume was inspired by an extramarital affair. This narrative seems quite romantic and cinematic, and audiences will remember it. The key issue is that what they remember is not the scent of No. 5, but the story of a married composer and his mistress."

Maureen Shika looked at Li Xun: "So the problem now isn't how well the movie is made."

"Of course, we make clothes, but we're not just about clothes. This brand has its own story, a story that Mr. Carl and Ms. Virginia rewrite every season. Now an outside director has barged in, taken away our most valuable material, stitched together a very—in my opinion, not very elegant—plot, and then told the whole world that every drop of No. 5 you smell is lust."

Li Xun took a sip of warm water and continued to organize his thoughts.

"That's right, Anna's face appeared on the big screen, wearing a vintage dress replicated from our archives, and told us a story for an hour and forty minutes. She portrayed Coco as a flesh-and-blood woman, driven mad by love—"

"Ordinary viewers might not think much of it, but those who know ChaneI might have a lot to say about it."

"Are you saying that we should be careful when making movies related to Chanel?"

"Of course, Chanel is at the top of the luxury goods industry, and Mr. Karl is a leading figure in the fashion world. So, we need to be careful when it comes to movies."

Fashion and film are the most dazzling twin flowers of the 20th century. One creates dreams with light and shadow, and the other shapes with clothing. They are intertwined, complement each other, and together define the aesthetics of that era.

The connection between film and fashion goes far beyond simply dressing actors in beautiful clothes; it's a profound symbiotic relationship.

For a time, movies were the ultimate fashion runway.

In the era before fashion shows and magazines were popular, Hollywood movies were the world's most influential "fashion launch platform." In the 1930s, Jean Harlow's silver silk satin fishtail dress in "Hell's Angels" brought the designs of the bias-cut queen Vione into millions of American households. When a screen image becomes a cultural symbol, the clothes she wears will set off a global imitation craze. The power of film brought designers from behind the scenes to the forefront.

To put it another way, fashion designers are actually the "invisible screenwriters" of the characters.

Clothing is the most direct language for character portrayal; identity, class, emotions, and transformations can all be silently conveyed through clothing.

A good costume designer does more than just make clothes; they write a visual biography for the character. Conversely, when a fashion designer creates a look for a film character, their design concept is also given a narrative soul through the character, transforming static clothing into a dynamic personality.

Films mold actors into idols, while fashion solidifies these idols into aesthetic symbols. Audrey Hepburn's little black dress and Marilyn Monroe's white deep-V dress, captured by film shots, have been elevated from mere garments to cultural icons.

If there's a perfect match between film and fashion, it's Audrey Hepburn and Hubert Givenchy.

Encounter: Born for "The Dragon and the Phoenix".

In 1953, a young Audrey Hepburn went to Paris to find costumes for her new film "Sabrina". She found Givenchy, who was only 26 years old at the time and had just founded his own fashion house. Givenchy originally thought that the big star Katharine Hepburn was coming, but he was surprised to be greeted by this girl who looked like a fawn, wearing skinny jeans, a T-shirt and flat ballet shoes.

Givenchy initially declined, citing that he was preparing a collection, but Hepburn insisted and invited him to choose outfits from the previous season's clothes.

It was these "out-of-season" clothes, worn by Hepburn, that created the iconic looks in "Sabrina": a dark cocktail dress, an embroidered strapless evening gown, and a sharp cropped pantsuit.

After the film's release, Givenchy's designs caused a sensation across America, and Hepburn's screen style was established.

This collaboration began a legendary period that lasted for forty years, with Givenchy almost single-handedly providing Hepburn with her most important costumes: the glamorous transformation in "Funny Face" that resembled a fashion magazine shoot, and the simple trench coat in "Love in the Afternoon".

And the most classic black satin floor-length dress in "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

This little black dress, designed by Givenchy, paired with a pearl necklace, sunglasses, and a long cigarette holder, not only became Hepburn's personal icon, but also propelled the little black dress from "Chanel's legacy" to the absolute core of the modern woman's wardrobe.

Audrey Hepburn once said, "I am only myself when I wear Givenchy."

Givenchy called Hepburn "my sister." He designed costumes for her films, wedding dresses for her personal life, and even chartered a plane to send her back to Switzerland when she was seriously ill in her later years.

This trust that transcends commerce allows Hepburn's pure, lively, and unconventional elegance to blend seamlessly with Givenchy's simple, architectural, and feminine tailoring.

Hepburn was Givenchy's muse, and Givenchy, through Hepburn, gave "elegance" its most vivid face throughout the 20th century.

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