Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 250 An Invitation from the Fashion Circle

While Liu Yifei was still teasing Shu Chang with Doraemon's little round hand in the living room, a silent power struggle was quietly unfolding in high-rise conference rooms in Paris, Beijing, and Shanghai.

In the 8th arrondissement of Paris, dawn has broken, and the lights of several art institutions are always brightly lit, day or night.

This area houses the headquarters of the LVMH Group, as well as administrative offices of companies such as Dior and Chanel.

Meanwhile, in the conference room of Chanel's headquarters at 31 Rue Cambon, a cross-time zone video conference had just ended.

“Our red carpet proposal this time needs to be close to the summer Haute Couture theme.” The brand’s creative director turned to the last page of the document in his hand and said crisply, “Take a look at the candidates for each collection.”

Actresses from the main competition films and big-name stars who will be participating in Cannes films flashed by, each sparking heated discussions.

At this moment, the projected image on the wall freezes on a screenshot—Xu Wei, the female lead of "Black Peony," turns her head to look back in the dim stage light, her hair slightly disheveled, her eyes calm, her shadow dreamlike.

"Liu Yifei is a rising star actress who has quickly gained popularity in recent years. She is young, has pure eyes, and possesses a mysterious and dramatic quality. As the leading lady in the competition, she has an oriental, elegant, and unpretentious image, and her clothing is highly versatile."
This role is a perfect fit for our direction this year.

At this point, the Asia-Pacific marketing and public relations director added, "She already has a very high level of discussion in China, and we expect that once she is revealed on the Cannes red carpet, the international market will also accept her quickly."

The next moment, the resource selection list for the Dior and Givenchy Asia collaboration was quietly updated, and Liu Yifei's name officially entered the "Invitation First-Level Recommendation" column.

Behind this is the contingency plan system activated by the entire fashion industry for the main competition of the 60th Cannes Film Festival.

Brands and film festivals are inherently symbiotic.

One is a hub of artistic authority, and the other is a trendsetter for visual consumption.

Every year, Cannes is not only a battleground for filmmakers, but also a stage for fashion brands.

This year, "Black Peony" became the last shortlisted work, and Liu Yifei naturally became a "sudden and strong" new star in this competition.

Compared to Zhang Ziyi's entry into the LV system with Zhang Yimou's "My Father and Mother" and her subsequent appearance on the Oscars red carpet in Armani;
Compared to Gong Li, who has been a frequent guest of Chanel and Bulgari for many years, she firmly represents the international image of Eastern women;

Back in 2007, the vast majority of actresses in China were still focused on the domestic market, at most attending Asian brand shows or participating in small endorsements. Very few could actually wear "haute couture" and appear on the world's red carpet.

Liu Xiaoli was incredulous when she received emails from several major brands inviting her to collaborate on the Cannes red carpet.

She had already started worrying about Liu Yifei's upcoming appearance on the Cannes red carpet, since it would be Liu Yifei's first time walking the Cannes red carpet, and she needed to prepare in advance.

Chanel's brand PR team was the first to call: "Ms. Liu, we sincerely hope to collaborate with Ms. Liu Yifei on the Cannes red carpet. Our summer Haute Couture collection would be perfect for Ms. Liu Yifei."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaoli's heart skipped a beat.

She's not an outsider to the entertainment industry. Although she knows this isn't an endorsement, these days, being able to wear haute couture on the red carpet is already a symbol of top-tier resources.

Very few actresses in China can enjoy this kind of treatment.

After hanging up the phone, she immediately went out of the bedroom and saw Liu Yifei and Shu Chang still arguing downstairs. She couldn't help but complain:

"You brat, still playing around. The opening ceremony is in a little over a week, aren't you going to hurry up and come up? A brand is looking for you."

"Sisi, you have amazing resources! Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy are all contacting you!" Shu Chang exclaimed in surprise as she looked at the several emails that had appeared on her screen.

"No wonder everyone wants to go to the three major film festivals now."

"It's not an endorsement, it's just a collaboration."

"What are you thinking? How will people know if you're suitable if you don't cooperate? Endorsements always start with cooperation, okay?"

A little while later, while Liu Xiaoli and Shu Chang were still having a heated discussion about which brand to choose, Liu Yifei quietly slipped out and happily dialed Wu Chen's number. "I'm going to choose haute couture these few days!" Liu Yifei's cheerful voice came through the phone. What girl doesn't love wearing beautiful clothes? Wu Chen smiled when he heard this.

Which brand?

"There are several, but I think Chanel is better; the designs they release look really nice."

Wu Chen nodded. Styling by a professional fashion designer is generally good. Although it's unlikely that Liu Yifei would style it herself, he still advised, "Let a Chanel stylist style it for you, don't choose it yourself, understand?"

"Hmph, you just don't trust my taste. I can definitely pick something really nice myself."

"For haute couture, it's unlikely that you'll be asked to choose something, take a picture, and send it to me for my approval."

"Hehe, okay then."

Liu Yifei's visits to select haute couture pieces from several major brands were impossible to keep secret in the fashion industry, given how small the industry is.

The news undoubtedly sent shockwaves through the domestic actresses' circle.

Because currently, very few domestic actresses can actually wear a truly haute couture gown on the Cannes red carpet.

This move effectively opened the door to the international fashion scene for Liu Yifei, a position that symbolizes the pinnacle of resources among actresses.

"What great luck!"

"She tried on clothes just two days after the Cannes Film Festival announcement?"

"Which media outlet provided the image?"

"It wasn't publicly released by the media; it leaked from the brand's distribution channels."

"."

At this moment, Liu Yifei had already chosen Chanel and was standing in front of the mirror, her Chanel 2007 Spring/Summer Haute Couture evening gown being gently adjusted by the dresser.

This is a light silver-gray sleeveless long dress with a high waist. The fabric is light and soft, covered with a delicate feather net and adorned with very light beaded embroidery. The skirt is like smoke and mist, slowly spreading out from the knees, like a peony about to bloom with a cool fragrance.

"It suits you perfectly," the French fitting assistant exclaimed softly, gently tucking a pearl hair clip into her long, flowing hair.

Liu Yifei turned around quietly in the mirror, her eyes gentle yet distant. Her face, already possessing a classically beautiful contour, seemed to be drawn into a still frame of an old movie when she wore this dress.

She picked up her phone, casually snapped a few photos of the mirror from different angles, and happily sent them over. After seeing Wu Chen's reply, she walked to the balcony, leaned against the carved iron railing, and gently dialed Wu Chen's number.

"Junior brother, I'm sending you some photos. Can you take a look and see what you think?"

Her tone carried a hint of pride, "The Chanel stylist said this dress was tailor-made for me."

“Aren’t all the high-end couture lines from brands just runway looks?” Wu Chen chuckled.

Liu Yifei gave a snort: "Can't you speak properly? Humph, these are minor modifications made based on my figure and the requirements of the red carpet. Hurry up and report your opinion!"

"Beautiful, stunning!" Wu Chen had to admit that the photos were indeed stunning, but there was something odd about Liu Yifei's photos, so he immediately began to complain:

"But what's wrong with your hands? Do you not know how to take pictures and your hands are awkwardly stuck out? Why is there always a peace sign across your photos? I wonder what the owner of that peace sign is trying to do."

"Isn't this cute?" Liu Yifei was quite dissatisfied; she thought a peace sign in the photo looked much better.
(End of this chapter)