Reincarnation
IED Milan Project: Fashion Communication & Styling
Academic year
2021/2022
The concept of reincarnation represents the spiritual or philosophical belief that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body.
"Reincarnation" revolves around the story of a perfect angel who lives multiple reincarnations. The film shows different moments as memories of his rebirths: his diary, dance, looking at himself in the mirror (a reference to Dalì), embracing his perfection, and ultimately, his strength and confidence ready to undertake his last reincarnation.
The narrative of the short film is heavily influenced by Sergey Parajanov's 1969 film "The Color of Pomegranates," a masterpiece of visual cinema considered one of the best films ever made and an avant-garde work for its time. The film presents evocative and abstract images that share the memories of Sayat-Nova, an Armenian poet. The visual language is personal and contains the history, music, and folklore of different cultures, and is an excellent example of multiculturalism. "The Color of Pomegranates" is a testament to Parajanov's love for his family and his culture. It is a mourning for the passage of time, the destruction of an ancient society and traditions, but it is also a celebration of beauty, a fundamental element of the short film.
The abstract visual scenes were the inspirations used in the short film to represent the memories of the multiple reincarnations that the perfect angel goes through in his cycle between life and death, represented by different environments and styles. This leads to the final scene that represents his last and ultimate rebirth before reaching Moksha.
The idea of surrealism was inspired by the king of this artistic movement, Salvador Dalí. The use of eyes, magnifying glasses, and frames were all executed with movements to add a surreal touch to the final result.
The overall style was inspired by Eastern cultures, where gold jewelry, simple yet striking pieces, headbands, and arm bands are predominant style features. The looks are deliberately sharp and bold. The result is contemporary designer clothing with a vintage look.
To create the project, designers from different cultural backgrounds were involved in creating the looks. Sara Wong, from China, created designs inspired by medieval art, integrating fashion silhouettes from various cultures. Vaishall S, an Indian haute couture designer who brings with her the legacy of Indian fabrics, used classic waves to create unconventional silhouettes. Shuting Qiu, originally from China and now a designer in Antwerp with multiple awards, was also involved. Finally, Daniel Roseberry, creative director of Schiaparelli, an icon of surreal fashion.
The images of Madonna's successful single "Bedtime Story" were also part of the inspiration moodboard, directed by Mark Romanek and inspired by various works of female surrealist artists and are rich in symbolism, especially Christian and Islamic. The idea is that of death and life, birth and rebirth through art, especially surreal art, which preaches creation through the "unconscious". The fusion of surrealism with cultural references completed the idea developed in the film "The Color of Pomegranates". The soundtrack of "Reincarnation", the fashion film, is based on the mid-tempo influences of electronic house music, ambient, and techno present in "Bedtime Story".
Regarding the makeup, we kept the looks clean and defined to bring the exaggeration of the looks to life.
The result is a beautiful combination of fashion, art, and performance filmed in an abandoned church near Milan, which takes the viewer on an enchanting experience.
