Today in Culture Annette Messager: A bold messenger for feminist art A novelist s dark stories amid treasures of a well-traveled life Book review: Peeling the Onion Wong explained to the fashion company that the movie was a road film and the brand, which has always been associated with the world of travel, gave the director free rein to pick and chose what he wanted for the film. Just before seeing the final results at the premiere, Yves Carcelle, the president of Louis Vuitton, explained why he decided to work with Wong for the brand s first film collaboration: "The greatest voyage in life is one of self-discovery, and we wanted to be a part of that," he said. "It fit well with the identity of our brand.
" In the end, the association is a subtle one: a set of keys that play an important role have a Louis Vuitton key chain; that cherry-blossom print dress from Vuitton s spring/summer 2005 collection is worn in a pivotal scene; and bags with the Epi leather and LV logo are worn casually in shots where the focus is on everyday life, not fashion. Awareness of the Louis Vuitton brand seeps into the psyche over the course of the film. "A movie and a commercial are not the same thing," Wong said after the premiere, remembering the moment he first spotted the dress he chose to use in film.
"It worked with the movie; we wanted that exact shade of blueberry and when we saw the dress, we knew we had to have it." On the big screen, designers have a captive audience s undivided attention. Brands get to become part of a story, forever linked in the minds of the public with the film flickering in front of them.
But as jaded movie audiences become more adept at spotting brands and their more blatant attempts to advertise on celluloid, top luxury houses are turning to a softer sell with understated product placement. "The worst thing that can happen is that the audience feels like it is watching a commercial," Khazen said. "It can have a very negative effect on the film and the brand because it draws the audience out of the movie.
Sometimes it s kind of shocking." The powerful link between film and fashion can be seen as far back as Hubert de Givenchy s work with Audrey Hepburn in "Sabrina," which was the beginning of a lifelong partnership between the designer and the star. There was also Catherine Deneuve wearing Roger Vivier s silver-buckled shoes for her seminal film "Belle de Jour.
" The film created a cult following for the shoes; now known as Belle Vivier, which continues to this day. And in 1980 Giorgio Armani seared his name into the collective American consciousness when he dressed Richard Gere in the film "American Gigolo." Recently, luxury brands have seen their products take a more central role in films.
In the Merchant Ivory film "Le Divorce" (2003), a Kelly bag from Herm s carried by Kate Hudson throughout the film (until it was unceremoniously thrown off the Eiffel Tower) was arguably another character in the movie. The dark purple fox fur-trimmed cashmere wool coat that Jennifer Lopez wore in a central scene in the movie "Shall We Dance" was unmistakably a Versace creation. And who could forget Toni Collette s repeated cries of shock and anger - "She broke my Jimmy Choos!
" - when she discovered her sister had snapped a heel off her favorite pair in the movie "In Her Shoes.
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