Released yesterday, Saint Laurent’s short film Summer of ‘21 previews its collection for the upcoming season with an air of mystery and intrigue. Directed by Gaspar Noe and produced by the house with Anthony Vaccarello, it features a deep, hazy red light and an unsettling mood that only draws its viewers closer.
An eerie forest scene reminiscent of a horror film kicks off the video, as a Saint Laurent-clad woman runs from the shadowed trees to the safety of what appears to be a large estate. Inside, the cameras follow Charlotte Rampling as she sits, adorned in feathers, admiring herself at a vanity mirror.
Courtesy of Saint Laurent.
A sense of urgency brought by SebastiAn’s remix of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love keeps tensions high, as the work cuts to a collection of glamorous women lazing within the building’s decadent interiors. Rampling departs from her dressing room, descending a set of spiral stairs, moving through the space to reveal the location’s true identity: an opera house.
Courtesy of Saint Laurent.
Dressed in looks from the new collection—including chic, black dresses with miniature hemlines, flowing gowns in sheer material, and sleeves adorned in clouds of feathers—the cast of characters rally to gather in the gilded theater. Scattered among the many red seats of the audience, the characters anticipate the start of a show.
The curtain rises, revealing Rampling bathed in misty vermillion. She lifts her arms, embracing the gaze of her audience, before the film ends with a shot of the lavish ceilings, leaving viewers ready for more.
