We love Gsus López’s work (you can read his last interview here), so on this occasion, So Catchy! Where Fashion Begins and Gsus López are joining forces to bring you his latest creation: a delightful fashion film, homage to the film “Le Mepris” (Contempt) by Jean-Luc Godard. With original music by the Scottish composer Blair Mowat, shoes by Carolin Holzhuber (you can read her interview here) and jewelry from Mawi London, the piece, clocking in at a little over a minute, is an ode to love, cinema and fashion.
We’re quite happy with the results and we hope you are, too. Wish us luck!
SO CATCHY!, Where Fashion Begins from Gsus Lopez.
SO CATCHY!: How did you come up with the idea for this mini fashion film?
GSUS LÓPEZ: I wanted to do something simple, with two actors and one set, and to create a mood rather than display some clothes in the center of the frame for no reason. A few days after watching Godard’s film ‘Le Mepris’, a fascinating film that I had had on my list for far too long, I remembered the scene with the bed and I got the idea to inject fashion into it and experiment a bit.
I wanted to recreate the melancholic mood of the film, and pay homage to it through one of its most iconic scenes.
SC!: Why did you settle on the theme of an homage to ‘Le Mepris’ (Contempt) by Jean-Luc Godard?
GL: Because I think that fashion and cinema go hand in hand. This scene is a clear example of that. In the case of ‘Le Mepris’, Brigitte Bardot is completely naked but her face, her lips, her body and her hair, they were a definite trend at the time and they are also fashion. And I love how subtle the scene is. Everyone, at one time or another, test the love that we believe others have for us.
SC!: What do Carolin Holzhuber’s shoes and jewelry from Mawi London add to the story?
GL: The shoes that we chose are the most ‘wearable’ ones that Carolin designs as many of them are structures, but the actress gives them a fetishistic touch, which is what I was looking for.
The Mawi jewelry adds elegance, and the actresses are more or less naked with it. The story is about falling out of love. One of the two loves the other but she no longer returns the love. And I’ve always found it interesting how jewelry can be used as a symbol of love.
SC!: Tell us about the music in this film. It usually plays a big part in your work.
GL: I normally make a playlist that goes with the story I’m writing and some of those songs might end up in the film. On other occasions, I collaborate with artists like Shaun J. Wright, Rossy de Palma, or Chicks on Speed from previous projects. Working with artists always takes the work to another level, it’s incredibly important.
This time around, as it was a clear and direct homage to Godard, I needed a more classical composer, so I got help from my Scottish friend Blair Mowat here in London who I had met at the Berlinale. And I hope that it’s the just the first of a number of collaborations. I love the way he works and the awareness that he has. I’m particularly happy with the music in this short piece.
SC!: If you had to sum up the piece in one sentence…
GL: Our love fell apart as a result of overuse.
SC!: What do you hope to achieve with this film?
GL: To prove that I can also do simple, easy pieces and pay homage to other directors I admire. We’ve also sent it out to a fashion film festival so maybe we’ll get lucky and it will be shown in other places; it always looks better on a big screen though most people will watch it online, of course.
SC!: What part of you can we find in this fashion film?
GL: My love for cinema, and the touch of ‘queer’ that I usually add to my work.
Video courtesy of Gsus López
Poster from ‘Le Mepris’ by Jean-Luc Godard
Translation and layout by Michael Padilla
