The Stylish Screen: Fashion and Film Best of 2013

Fashion and film have a symbiotic relationship. Directors are inspired by the visuals of fashion collections, while fashion houses themselves draw on the talents of film directors to provide a greater sense of narrative to collections and see their apparel in motion in an unexpected, dramatic manner.

As film making equipment becomes more accessible and as fashion designers realize the importance of seeing their creations move beyond the confine of the catwalk, fashion film is an increasingly powerful visual weapon in the designer's arsenal. 2013 proved no exception, with multiple themes and techniques emerging to dazzle the fashion-savvy.

In Mat Maitland's video for Kenzo’s “Electric Jungle,” collages project bright moving patterns over the models movement. This results is a bright psychedelic journey in which the Kenzo woman emerges immaculate though the hallucinatory near future digital jungle. Not all videos are as experimental, renowned director Martin Scorsce of Taxi Driver fame shot, for Dolce and Gabbana fragrance “The One”, a classic beautifully rendered story featuring a romance between Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson.

A director famed for his unique visual sense, Wes Anderson's film for Prada’s Castello Cavalcanti, starring his frequent collaborator Jason Schwartzman as an unsuccessful racecar driver, creates an evocative depiction of an Italian village. The film was praised for Wes Anderson’s whimsical pop-baroque stylization.

But it was not only film directors creating films for fashion. The multi-talented Karl Lagerfeld creates more than 20-minute films for each season—creations like 2013’s Deauville, which, besides the stunning visuals, explores the history of the house of Chanel. A must-watch for the Chanel devotee!