In the Fashion of Shorts

gucci1

Author: Deia Valez

Gucci is known for being one of the most recognizable couture clothing brands in the world. What seems to be greatly underappreciated, however, are their seasonal campaign short films. Glen Luchford has directed several masterful shorts, usually around a minute in length showcasing whatever Gucci has just put out for that season, bringing life back to vintage cinematic techniques and themes such as camera shake or poor picture quality to capture the essence of early film making. One of Luchford’s most recent works being Gucci Showtime: The Spring Summer 2019 Campaign. The campaign follows the theme of the golden age of hollywood, including, kicklines, costumes, spotlights, and staircases. The short film also makes reference to popular films from the 50s such as An American in Paris, Singing in the Rain , and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, paying homage to time when cinema was booming, while showcasing the designs of Alessandro Michele.

Gucci Showtime: The Spring Summer 2019 Campaign still of performers, showcasing the Spring Gucci line, with linked as if to bow after a performance. There is a performer front, center waving a ribbon.

The campaign starts out with an introducer welcoming the big show on stage and continues with a unique spin on the classic red curtain being drawn, replacing the red with a deep blue, to contrast the mustard yellow Gucci logo. The introduction is followed by a montage of traditional 50s entertainment: tap dancing, women singing, clowns, and movie sets. Lucheford cleverly breaks from the montage with an “Intermission” featuring the film director and crew in order to showcase both the formal wear (demonstrated by the performers) as well as the streetwear of the crew.

I have always appreciated the art behind marrying the fashion and film industry, especially when done as masterfully and seamlessly as Gucci has done in the past. Gucci campaigns stand alone from other couture brands in that there is a unique cinematic style that strays from the typical French or European storyline. Often in short film campaigns, especially when advertising fragrances, the short follows two lovers, or some semblance of a romance, and includes the fragrance as an integral factor in their relationship. Gucci often follows themes of iconic media in the past such as the sci-fi wave in the 60s, including motifs from Star Trek, biblical references

to Noah’s Arc, and references to the riots in France during the New Wave cinematic movement and the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris.
The Gucci campaigns, particularly those directed by Luchford with art direction by Christopher Simmonds, have a unique style of cinematography that is unique and very identifiable. They often like to contrast the use of pastel and vibrant colors, especially in the Showtime campaign. Often when there is a dark, or pastel color scheme, Simmonds includes small objects with vibrant colors, such as a pocket square or a scarf. The use of montage, jumpcuts, and the illusion of handheld camera work is another identifiable feature of the work of Luchford. These techniques draw from the French New Wave styles of cinema and serve a purpose of creating an artistic style to this new form of advertisement.

Deia Zalez | Hot Take… Eff Ariana, Pete Davidson FO-EVA | KXSU Arts Reporter

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

*