France gave Vera Wang the country’s highest honor yesterday at Paris Fashion Week, naming the designer a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur. In lieu of a runway show, Wang celebrated the occasion by releasing a short film titled It Was Paris From the Start to debut her fall 2017 collection.
In the clip above, much of the clothing modeled by Mariacarla Boscono is fittingly inspired by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established the Légion d’Honneur in 1802. Gold-medallion embellishments, embroidered coats, and feathered tops resemble armor from the French emperor’s era, but the best part in this film is Wang herself, as the film’s narrator. While she recites a love letter to the City of Light, stylist Panos Yiapanis takes the collection from ornate staircases to Paris rooftops.
“How does one define a lifelong love affair?” Wang asks, remembering her time in Paris as a child, and later as a dancer and a professional figure skater. “I could never see things the same way ever again.” Watch the video by director Yvan Fabing above.