Roger Vivier Spring 2021 Goes Virtual With An Interactive Film Fest Starring Isabelle Huppert
Stephanie Hirschmiller
European Editor
The pandemic has forced most brands to pivot to digital formats this fashion month. But with attention spans at saturation point, a one-way traditional runway show video just isn’t cutting it.
Enter Roger Vivier. Today the brand is turning to an interactive digital film format to woo screen weary fashion followers and make them feel like they’re actually there.
Welcome to Hotel Vivier Cinémathèque. Creative director Gherardo Felloni is showcasing his spring collection via an interactive movie game with six virtual rooms or halls, each representing a different film genre” Thriller, Fantasy, Crime, Comedy, Horror and Animation.
Think the shoe equivalent of “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch”
Felloni’s physical presentations are always thoroughly immersive, experiential affairs so it made total sense to him that a virtual show should allow the viewer to play a part as well and to interact with the characters.
“You can choose what you want to see and influence the ending,” he told FN.
“Each film genre represents an episode where, if you make the right choice, you can win the key to unlock the next level and reach the final Treasure room. But if you answer wrong, then you have to start again.”
The films are variously inspired by Felloni’s cinematic heroes like David Lynch and Tim Burton. Another, typically Felloni twist, has the protagonist of each episode is played by the same character — cult actress Isabelle Huppert. Huppert most recently won a Golden Globe for her performance in the French thriller, “Elle”.
Cinema is a continued source of inspiration for Felloni who previously created a short film with cinematic legend Catherine Deneuve.
“It’s a metaphor to explain my vision of womanhood, using characters,” he said. [For me,] women are not just a body or just a face, but a complete personality” he explained of his creative process. That, he said is “crucial to my job.”
In the Fantasy genre, inspired by “Batman Returns”, Huppert plays the role of an eccentric cat lover while Crime sees her transform into a character recalling Robert Aldrich’s “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.” Horror references scenes from “Suspiria” by Italian director Dario Argento.
Last Friday during London Fashion Week, Burberry’s spring collection, presented via live streaming platform Twitch, also featured interactive elements. The action was broadcast from multiple angles — all visible in one window — allowing followers to enlarge or shrink the screens and personalize their experience according to what they wanted to see.
Watch the action unfold today Thursday Oct. 1, from 09:30 CET at RogerVivier.com
