xxxH: Celebrating 30 Years at Hyères

Julien Pujol takes us on a journey through time as he explores the brilliant fashion of Hyères in this atmospheric film

This year was the 30th anniversary of Hyères Festival International de Mode et de Photographie – the time of year when photographers and fashion designers swoop upon the old town in the Riviera and take residence at the Villa Noailles. Dedicated to emerging talents, the festival is an opportunity for those new to the industry to unite with industry leaders (this year, Chanel sponsored the event) for exhibitions, competitions and conferences. As filmmaker Julien Pujol told us, the atmosphere at the event is particularly unique: "It's strange how people gather from all over in this small city, like pilgrims. It feels like we are all in a little Island for a few days, and people really start opening up. Theres always a special atmosphere... I'm happy that friendships still plays a big role in our work today, and Hyeres is undoubtedly about building them."

"It's an imaginary journey through time, from medieval Hyères to future Hyères" – Julien Pujol

After his fourth year attending the event, Pujol has created this enchanting film with Diane Boulenger exclusively for AnOther, showcasing some of its greatest talents – from the cosy structural pieces of Première Vision winner Annelie Schubert to the sequined shimmers of Chanel prizewinner Wieke Sinnige. Boulenger told us that "The video is a visual experimentation focused on Hyères Festival, with a precise fashion angle. We had chosen different designers that we like the most. Their work and personality were very inspiring for us. And we tried to communicate that in our images, to emphasis the quality of their work."

Titled xxxH, Pujol explains that, "The roman numerals work well with this film because it's an imaginary journey through time, from medieval Hyères to future Hyères. The Villa Noailles is situated on a hill and sits below an old fortress and I love that contrast between past and present: the medieval architecture paired with the the modernity of the villa. We wanted to create a film that is timeless, just like the villa is travelling through time. So this film is about that journey, about history, seeing images that represent the past, but also very futuristic ones. Fashion is great for that, it helps the imagination by having such diverse of point of view. With all the different collections presented this year we were able to create something unique for the 30th anniversary."

Credits
Director: Julien Pujol
Art Direction: Diane Boulenger
Casting Director: Maida Boina
Clothing: Heini-Maria Hynyen & Elina Äärelä, Anna Bornhold, Tiia Siren, Anna Bornhold, Wieke Sinnige, Satu Maaranen, Annelie Schubert, Guillem Rodriguez Bernat
Models: Jonas Glöer @ TIAD, Anastasia Dezhina @ Women, Lana Forneck @ Premium, Robert Laby @ Success, Kersti Pohlak @ Supreme
Music: Fabien Girard
Special thanks: La Villa Noailles and Antoine Asseraf