Short fashion films new, creative way of advertising?

Recently, Los Angeles’ not-so-popular fashion label, Wren instantly became an international sensation, all thanks to its unique video. Wren’s First Kiss is a fun video where the founder designer’s friends and colleagues have been mixed together to kiss strangers. The awkwardness and shyness of the first kiss in the video managed to catch the attention of viewers and the video went viral. The women in the video are wearing Wren, but one tends to miss out on that. That’s the whole point of presenting one’s brand in a subtle but engaging way. Back home Valliyan by Nitya, Jewels by Queenie, Anita Dongre and Sreejith Jeevan among several others have utilised the power of short fashion films.

Ace photographer Vikram Bawa showcased a special film at The Lakme Fashion Week Summer/ Resort 2014. The fashion film, shot by Vikram Bawa with Queenie Singh as the model, for her jewellery brand immediately caught the attention of the viewers. “I firmly believe that fashion films are an impressive art work in their own capacity. I have been keen on pushing this form of expression, and I’m happy that it is catching up,” says Vikram.

Short videos or films are a perfect way to bring forth the mood, idea and inspirations behind a designer’s creations. The romance of rainy skies, black thundering clouds, pristine pure white raindrops and the wet month of Karkidakam has been the source of inspiration for young textile designer Shreejith Jeevan.

“Such short films depict the attitude with which the designs are to be flaunted. For my debut collection, I went into a brainstorming conversation about a rainy day with my weavers and friends. The varied interpretations ranging from playing cards on a rainy day to riding a bicycle or watching from a window pane — the images and ideas were translated into clothes and have inspired my short film,” adds Shreejith.

These films, playing between a minute to under 10 minutes are a crisp, fun and indulgent style of advertising. “Fashion films could be anything ranging from creative videos highlighting the philosophy of the brand, or even behind-the-stage shots. Often they are shown before opening of a fashion show; sometimes they’re only shared on networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube. With their fine quality and thoughtful editing, these short films speak for the whole collection,” says fashion stylist and young designer Neha Panda.

International brands have been embracing the trend since a long time. Last year, lingerie label Agent Provocateur roped in Penelope Cruz to direct their raunchy fashion film. One of the outstanding examples of such films is Prada’s Spring/Summer 2014 video campaign. One can see well-dressed teenagers bringing out their best acting skills to react to an imaginary series of events unfolding before them, from a tennis match to a horror movie to an opera night. “Italian label Trussardi’s film, Sky Watcher demands attention mainly because of the stunning animated visuals and catchy music. Louis Vuitton’s The Spirit of Travel conjures the spirit of travel for GenY and transports you to the locales of South Africa,” adds Neha.

Fashion films allow room for creativity and condense the whole idea in a short video. They can either tell a story about the fashion label or dwell on a particular collection and its essence. Fashion and lifestyle blogger, Akanksha Redhu says, “Like they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words, a video is almost like a book that tells us about the collection. Short films are an extension of the designer’s vision and how they would like people to perceive the label. Such films are a complete visual treat in terms of styling, make-up, sets and effects.”