Wes Anderson is the inspiration behind Bergdorf Goodman’s new holiday campaign, The Present Moment. Created in partnership with The French Dispatch, Anderson’s latest movie starring Timothée Chalamet, Benicio Del Toro, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, and Tilda Swinton, the director’s signature aesthetic is reimagined in the eyes of the luxury retailer.
Developed and directed by Elle Strauss, Bergdorf Goodman’s Vice President of Creative and Brand Marketing, short film The Present Moment follows a mysterious courier who makes his way throughout the store in search of the perfect holiday present.
The film features some of fashion’s biggest names including Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Waris Ahluwalia, Sergio Hudson, Emily Bode, Christopher John Rogers, and Linda Fargo, who don their seasonal best as they stop on each floor of the department store.
“I’m naturally always drawn to Wes’ aesthetic and the colors. There are so many parallels, especially with lots of his other films that are set in New York, but also The Grand Budapest Hotel. There’s this one image of Ralph Fiennes in the lift with Tilda Swinton and it feels so beautifully BG because there’s that purple and we’re obviously known for the purples and lavenders. And I thought, I think this elevator could kind of stop on every floor and could represent what we have going on for the holidays for the present moment, but also wrap everything in quite nicely because we have so much to offer,” Strauss tells Vanity Fair.
Fresh off her CFDA win, Bode, who appears in the spot with her one-year-old Wirehaired Pointing Griffon named Monday, explained what being part of the film meant to her. “It was lovely to see a New York City institution like Bergdorf Goodman pay homage to the wonderful Wes Anderson. This film shares the magic and tradition of the holiday season,” she says.
And Hudson echoed the sentiment. “It was a dream to be included in something so iconic. I’m usually on the other end of the camera behind the scenes, so to be the talent was different but an exciting experience. I’m looking forward to this holiday because fashion is back. People are dressing up again and it’s ok to be excited about shopping. I think this video will convey that message loud and clear,” he explains.
There’s lots to celebrate at the New York City landmark this season. Kors is celebrating his 40-year anniversary after famously being discovered by Bergdorf’s Fashion Director Dawn Mello when he was designing windows and clothing for Lothar’s clothing boutique so many decades ago.
“I would go anywhere, anytime with Michael Kors! He’s a great storyteller, and has the best insider scoops on old BG lore! He’s been part of the Bergdorf story for 40 years, and boy, has he seen it all! So if you saw us laughing and carrying on in the Wes Anderson-inspired holiday video, there was no play acting needed at all! And putting on that gold sparkler gown of his that made me look like an Oscar and feel like a bubbly glass of champagne just took it over the top,” Fargo, SVP of the fashion office, and director of store presentation and women’s fashion for Bergdorf Goodman, tells V.F.
In The Present Moment’s final scene, a cheery Jacobs makes his way out of the store carrying a stack of lavender boxes to brighten someone’s holiday. “I’m always excited to partner with Bergdorf’s. I had a lot of fun filming in the store and creating the role of the trusted courier,” Jacobs explains.
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