EXCUSE ME, MADEMOISELLE: Catherine Deneuve is taking up a new role for the holidays: boutique manager at Ami Paris.
The French actress is the star of the French brand’s Ami d’Hiver holiday campaign, which will drop on Wednesday as a series of short scenes directed by Loïc Prigent and set in its Paris boutique on Place des Victoires.
Deneuve welcomes visitors — or rather viewers — into the store, reaches for a sampling of the brand’s bestselling items such as the Carrousel bag or a long-sleeved polo shirt, offers kind fitting room commentary and revealed that a handsome circle skirt was drawn for her by founder Alexandre Mattiussi.
With a mischievous smile, she rings closing time — and heads outside to meet the designer, waiting for a big hug.
In an exclusive interview with WWD, she said the energy of Mattiussi and Prigent is what had her signing onto the project. “They are both very dynamic, it’s rather remarkable,” she continued, praising their liveliness.
That had another advantage: keeping a brisk pace to the filming, which took place over a half-day.
“We agreed that we weren’t going to spend eight days on it,” she joked. “I speak rather fast so we kept rolling one after the other. Alexandre too was keen to keep a certain [rhythm].”
Playing a supporting role to Deneuve is the Ami d’Hiver holiday capsule, which features a city-ready selection of generously cut coats, enveloping knitwear and plenty of easy layers, including colorful scarves, hats and gloves. Yellow sweaters are a highlight, nodding to a childhood memory of Mattiussi dressed in a polo shirt and a small yellow bow tie for his first day of school.
Being behind the counter was not entirely unfamiliar territory, Deneuve revealed. “I had a friend, [actor and antiques dealer] Robert Capia, who was a specialist of antique dolls,” she continued. “I would often go see him at his store and once or twice to keep him company, I acted as though I were his assistant.”
That might be the extent of her retail experience, but she has a clear idea of what makes one successful in such a role.
“You have to be really attentive to the person who is looking for something [and] know how to really listen to that person’s personality,” she told WWD, adding a good salesperson should be honest and advise “with a lot of tact.”
Confessing she has “no patience” when it comes to shopping for herself, the quintessential French actress said she “always goes alone and in places I know [well].”
But come the holiday season, “it’s a different story because I am looking for all sorts of gifts — I have a large family — and I try to find original things that match the personality and character of these people who [I] want to treat,” she continued. “I often buy things in advance when I spot something that really reminds of that person.”
Keeping all of them organized is another story that had Deneuve describing her stash humorously as “a total disaster.”
The campaign films featuring Deneuve will make their debut on the brand’s website and social media platforms. They will also be shown in cinemas between Nov. 18 and Dec. 1.
Ami’s holiday campaign includes a second chapter captured by photographer Bruno Staub, who captured a series of portraits of Parisians crossing a snow-blanketed Place des Victoires, meant to evoke the wonders of peering into a brightly lit store window in wintertime.