Written by Shirley Baugher
If you don’t believe that fashion film can rise to the level of art and technical excellence, watch the films of Álvaro de la Herrán: Enjoy, Searching, Alumbramiento, Why?, and Marrakech. He will make you a believer. His works are fresh, edgy, seductive, and endlessly intriguing. “As usual, I think [Searching] is gorgeous. Everything: the lighting, color, grading, framing, screen direction, editing, model, titles, music. It all relates to your theme. I wouldn’t change a thing. It makes me want to do a fashion project again (I haven’t done one in 21 years). If I could do it and not have a client, I’d jump on it” says Steve Weiss, Zacuto USA.
The term “fashion film” implies a high fashion focus; and many of Herrán’s films are fashion stories. But the clothes are not just garments hung on models; they are featured players in a mesmerizing story. A ruggedly handsome man dressed casually in black shirt and trousers appears to be searching for an unknown someone and comes upon a girl by a tree wearing a brightly covered jacket (Why?). The black attire gives the man an air of mystery; the jacket covers the girl’s initial nakedness. We are immediately drawn to both. In the simplest of stories, two people try to connect and answer the questions: why here, why now? As the scenes change, the costumes change—subtly, but effectively. A black blazer becomes a casual shirt, and then a grey leather coat; the colorful jacket morphs into a “little black dress”. Each change makes us want to inhabit both the characters and the costumes. GQ did well when they chose Herrán to shoot this film. Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry never looked so good. “The first fashion film I watched until the end. I am not interested in fashion at all, but this movie [Why?] is mesmerizing. My compliments” says Rudolf Boogerman, London-based web consultant, multimedia pro, visual artist on Vimeo
Marrakech, which Herrán dedicates to Yves Saint Laurent, was shot for GQ Spain, and was the first Spanish editorial fashion film for the Internet. In it, under the stifling light of Marrakech, a man is harassed by his conscience. The actor flees his unseen pursuer– through the exotic city and its environs. wearing by turns, a rust blazer, a grey pullover, a plaid trench coat, a grey shirt and scarf, and a Hugo Boss watch—past a desert oasis, over sand dunes, through the souk of the crowded city, and back to the oasis. In the course of his odyssey, he encounters an old nomad, two men with his face, and a cobra demanding his honor—already lost in a poker game.
De la Herrán doesn’t only make fashion films. It’s Better with Mustard, featuring a woman trapped into caring for her physically and mentally disabled son, brings to mind the eminent Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar’s masterful All About My Mother, about a mother’s obsession with her late son. Like Almodovar, De la Herrán shows great understanding and empathy for women. The short drama, Business, is a powerful story of two women—one cripplingly introverted, the other outgoing and aggressive–who join forces to combat abusive treatment in a male-dominated business world. “I have watched this film [Business] several times now, and I’m still absolutely intrigued by the beauty, power and argumentative depths this subtle critique of capitalism can reach in 15 minutes, covering as well a wider ranger of key issues like sexual harassment in the workplace, machismo, (non) solidarity among women and so on.” says A. Corsini, aka DoRian Carlos SenSI, writer, producer, and director of short fiction films, promotional videos, and TV ads (Un Piccolo Prestigiatore, The Carousel’s Marvelous Gears).
The following interview with De la Herrán gives us some insight into the man and his concept of filmmaking.
Q: What inspired you to go into filmmaking, especially fashion filmmaking?
A: In 2005, when Apple launched ipod video, I thought it was the beginning of a new era. That year, incidentally, my film It’s Better with Mustard was pulled from the SEMINCI Film Festival on the erroneous assumption that it had already been released on the Internet. Disillusioned, I decided to turn to Internet distribution. Fashion film seemed a logical choice since the fashion industry was always looking for new and creative outlets.
Q: How did you decide to become a filmmaker?
A: I did not have many friends when I was in high school. Instead, I went to the cinema about five times a week. Sitting in the darkened theatre, I found my calling. I started using my uncle’s camera to film my own “super eights”. I began by shooting family discussions. I graduated to commercial film production, starting out as a “best boy” and going through all jobs related to filmmaking—you know, old school. At the same time I earned a BA in Advertising and a degree in photography. Later I went to the Madrid Film School.
Q: What do you like about being a director?
A: I like pushing a crew to create something exciting and interesting. And I love to “create trips”. For me, a film is like a trip. A director should learn something from each journey and build an archive of memories. This analogy works for me since I am constantly traveling.
Q: How do you select your subjects?
A: Subjects are always all around you. I think about so many things: the economy, social issues, magic, love, desires, personal conflicts…all of these become subjects for my films. I put my personal thoughts and feelings into every project I undertake. In the past, I chose a more analytic approach to my works—now, I make greater use of ideas and feelings. My concepts are like seeds—I water them, and they grow.
Q: Once you have selected a subject, how do you approach a film?
A: Depends on the film. Sometimes, I believe the location is telling me something and I listen to what the location is saying. Then, the story comes easily. Other times, someone gives me a subject and I develop it using my own point of view. Often, I have an idea or an image that I need to express, and I build a project around that idea or image. I don’t have strict rules about this.
Q: How do you determine the elements of your film?
A: With fashion film, I don’t always have the option of determining all of the elements. There are certain limitations, and a director must be flexible. Instead of viewing the limitations as obstacles, I work with them, make them part of the overall creative concept. A film is the filming process. For example, in a dramatic film, you can develop the story in a linear fashion and let it play out in its own time. Fashion filming must be done quickly; you have to capture and mood and move on. You have to use the clothes and the location rather than dialogue to tell the story.
Q: How do you incorporate all of these elements into a complete film?
A: I use both a conscious and an unconscious process. It is like completing a round trip. I trust my intuition to guide my journey. If I get lost along the way, I reroute. Mistakes are an important part of the creative process.
Q: How do you feel about your films once you have completed a project?
A: I’m always very excited waiting for a film to be shown. I want people to like it. I feel that I have done my best to portray the subject, tell the story, develop the concept. I don’t have time to revel in satisfaction, however. Because once a project is finished, it’s time to move on to the next one. Ideally, I’d like to shoot a fashion film every month.
We hope that De la Herrán will produce a fashion film every month—and that he will continue to make dramatic pieces as exciting and thought-provoking as Business and It’s Better with Mustard.
Álvaro de la Herrán is a digital film director based in Madrid. He has been working as a film and creative director for the past several years, doing fiction shorts, brand content, and fashion films. With a background in photography, advertising, and music, he has a wide experience developing new kinds of audiovisual formats using the Internet as his main window. His work is a mesmerizing and elegant blend of visuals, storytelling and music; and display personal aesthetic that balances emotional and intellectual input.
Álvaro’s short films have been shown in film festivals worldwide, including the Palm Springs Short Film Festival and the Berlinale talent Campus in 2003; and LA Cinematheque in 2004, where his excellent film "Business" was featured. He has directed fashion films for such well-known brands as Volvo, Nike, GQ, ELLE, Vogue, and Yoox among others. Both his dramatic and fashion films been recognized and won awards in the short film genre.
Álvaro de la Herrán can be contacted by:
www.alvarodelaherran.com
www.facebook.com/alvarodelaherran
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