February 21, 2017 |
Following their SS17 campaign reveal earlier this month, Kenzo have released their brand new film ‘Music is My Mistress’, that accompanies the campaign, by Kahil Joseph. Being a personal long-standing admirer of Joseph’s previous work with Shabazz Palaces and Queen B, I have been (to put it mildly) sweaty palmed at the prospect of its release. And it doesn’t disappoint. The film gives, nay, oozes, the trademark features of Joseph’s previous works, namely: stunning cinematography, indulgent single frame takes and split narratives, all accompanied by a gripping musical score. The film’s stars, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jesse Williams, Kelsy Lu and Ishmael Butler, each inhabit their own seemingly unconnected storylines, all of which are bound together by a sense of journey and purpose with music at the heart of them all. At least that’s what I got from it. Oh, and did I mention the clothes? Apparently yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far (a sweltering 18° reported in Kew Gardens) and the items showcased will have you longing for summer. I’ll say no more. Kenzo’s Creative Director, Carol Lim, said in a release, “this is the second time we’ve worked with Kahlil on a short film and with ‘Music is My Mistress’ he evoked another viewpoint on our collections that felt right to us. Visually the movie is incredible and leads us to confirm we were right in trusting our instincts when we asked him to work with us on the project.” Watch it for yourself above.
