Iconic French fashion house Saint Laurent is launching a film production banner spearheaded by its artistic director Anthony Vaccarello.
Named Saint Laurent Productions, the subsidiary is kicking off with a trio of films from renowned filmmakers, including a pair of shorts world premiering at Cannes: “Strange Way of Life” by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal.
Vaccarello, a cinephile who became the artistic director of Saint Laurent in 2016, said launching this new division gives him “the opportunity to expand the vision I have for Saint Laurent through a medium that has more permanence than clothes.”
“You can still see a film in 10 or 30 years, if it’s good. In some ways, making a film can be more impactful than a seasonal collection. For me it’s a natural extension to another field of creativity that perhaps is more general and popular,” the Belgian native continued.
Presented as the first full-fledged film production banner operated by a fashion house, the new outfit is also developing projects by Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino, film legend David Cronenberg (“The Shrouds”), Abel Ferrara, Wong Kar Wai, Jim Jarmusch and Gaspar Noé.
Vaccarello said all of these directors have created films that have “shaped me and inspired me over the years.” Their works also share a “dark undercurrent,” which “can be controversial, in a good way.”
“These directors never fail to open my mind and, in a way, the singular, radical vision they bring to cinema has made me the person I am today,” Vaccarello said, adding that Saint Laurent Productions will look to co-produce two to three films per year for the time being but could expand to more titles in the future.
While there is no branding involved, Vaccarello will design the costumes for the films produced by Saint Laurent Productions.
He said the new endeavor is a continuation of Saint Laurent’s legacy which was “always linked to cinema.”
“Everyone keeps recalling Catherine Deneuve in ‘Belle de Jour,’ but there are many more Yves collaborated with: Luis Buñuel film, Romy Schneider, Jean Seberg and Sophia Loren,” Vaccarello said.
David Cronenberg
Poster of “Strange Way of Life” by Pedro Almodovar
