Prada - SS19

Short Movies

Prada’s 365 SS 2019 Women’s collection came alive in five powerful short films shot in Budapest. Each short film was inspired by a film classic, but they have their own unique narratives and characters. The films’ director was Willy Vanderperre, the cinematographer Benoît Debie, the stylist Olivier Rizzo. They were produced by One Thirty-Eight Productions, while Progressive Productions supplied the local production and location service. The images and short films were published on Prada’s official website at the beginning of February 2019.

The fusion of fashion and film is the central theme of Prada’s 365 SS19 campaign. It was an exciting challenge for us to work with one of the world’s leading fashion houses, especially on a project focusing on an extraordinary collaboration between the world of film and fashion. Artists have always had a large impact on fashion, countless artworks and artists have inspired the collections and campaign videos of fashion houses, as they have in this case as well. Since Prada has an exceptionally strong connection to film, in the last few years they have been creating their campaign films based on the logic of short films. The stories of the SS19 collection were inspired by key scenes of the last 50 years’ most influential films. The iconic Prada bags (Sidonie, Sybille, Odette, Belle, Margit) are given central roles next to international models (Gigi Hadid, Freja Beha Erichsen, Liu Wen, Anok Yai, Maike Inga).

Each story alludes in Prada’s emblematic style to a memorable scene of a famous film. The central theme is the characters’ transformation and the duality of their personalities; the wild and timid self, that are connected by the Prada bags. Due to the rich elaboration of the stories, finding the suitable shooting locations and sets was of exceptional importance. Three of the five films were shot in a studio (Sybille, Odette, Margit), while two (Sidonie, Belle) were filmed on real locations.

The Sidonie short film, starring Gigi Hadid, was shot in Budapest’s grandiose disused “Ferihegy 1” airport terminal. This outstandingly Bauhaus style terminal building has kept its original airport atmosphere and functionality, providing an unparalleled and production friendly location. The entire building was to our disposal during the shoot.

The top model Anok Yai was given the lead role for the Belle bag’s short film. The film’s location was the Hotel Gellért, that is located in the heart of Budapest and has a special atmosphere that has inspired countless photographers and film directors, such as Wes Anderson, the director of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Our crew consisted of approximately 140 people, whose wishes and needs we had to provide for in this historic Art Nouveau hotel, that at the time nearly had a full house with nearly 200 rooms booked. For example, while shooting the elevator scene, we completely closed off one of the central elevators, while keeping the shoot entirely in discretion.

Hungary is home to many modern, well-equipped studios of exceptionally large scales, among which Odette’s, Sybille’s and Margit’s short films were shot in the region’s grandest. While the sets of Odette and Margit represent Prada’s typical, minimalist style, Sybille’s short was set in a jungle for which a long strip of woody area had to be constructed using real plants. Making the most of the studio’s size, next to the sets, we were able to assemble completely separated, exclusive workspaces for Prada’s creative team in order to ensure a calm creative environment.

Campaign photographs with white backgrounds were also made, that also functioned as film posters. Progressive Productions provided complete local production and location support for the 5 days long shoot. The photos related to the short films can be viewed by clicking here.