Cutting Room Falls in Handbag Love for Harper's Bazaar and Chanel

Station Film director Lena Beug and Cutting Room, NY editor Chris Hellman spellbind a woman with the allure of an iconic Chanel purse in the new web film, “Gabrielle,” for Harper’s Bazaar. The editorial short follows a woman incessantly lusting and pining for the Chanel purse she gifted to her partner, developing more affection for the bag than the woman and remaining within an arm’s reach of the lavish bag whenever possible. “Gabrielle” was produced by Harper’s Bazaar in association with Station Film and stars actresses Annabelle Dexter-Jones and Keilani Asmus. The cinematic editorial content short film wraps a stylistic narrative around the release of Chanel’s highly anticipated new Gabrielle bag.

Beug fuses her sharp eye for artistic details with the classic glamour associated with the renowned fashion brand to craft an entertaining storyline with a lighthearted and comedic twist. The team worked closely in pre-production allowing Hellman to maintain fluidity in the cinematic piece and ensure for a seamless editorial process. “Lena was incredibly collaborative and a pleasure to work with,” notes Hellman. “Since we were not limited to a specific running time, I had the freedom to cut the piece with the pacing of a longer format film piece, which really allowed us the creative freedom to tell the story.”

The piece begins by pulling out all the stops of a heartbreak, showing a woman (Dexter-Jones) venting over the phone, shedding inky mascara tears with the evidence of her recent ice cream bender in the background. She dramatically tosses herself into bed, reminiscing on her lost love. The short moves on to feature five flashback vignettes of encounters with the woman and her partner, depicting her spending far more time yearning for the handbag than her partner. The short ends by flashing back to real-time, where the woman’s partner returns with the bag, apparently aware of its supreme importance to the woman, who is filled with utter joy.

Credits:

Directed By: Lena Beug

Starring: Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Keilani Asmus

Produced By: Harper’s Bazaar

Executive Producers: Laura Gherardi, Anna Jimenez, Thomas Beckner

In Association with: Station Films

Executive Producers: Stephen Orent, Caroline Gibney, Michelle Towse

Fashion Director: Kerry Pieri

Director of Photography: Joseph DeSalvo

Post Production: Cutting Room

Editor: Chris Hellman

Sound Mixer: Walter Bianco

Managing Partner: Susan Willis

Post Producer: Lisa Starace

Hair: Tommy Buckett

Makeup: Tiffany Patton

Fashion Assistant: Tennille Yamashita

Prop Stylist: Alexandra Winsby

Prop Stylist Assistant: Alex Royle

Assistant Director: Jonathan Mintz

Second Assistant Director: Henriette Ohno

Gaffer: Eric Hora

Best Boys: Alberto Inella, Tom Jeznik

DIT: Kazim Karaismailoglu

Production Manager: Colin Olsen

Associate Producer: Kathryn Rice

Production Assistants: Bradley Davidson, Colin Wohlrab, Anne Ritz

Special Thanks: Chanel, What Goes ARound, Eugenia Kim, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Bordelle, Re/Done, Layla, Magnolia Bakery, The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel, The Jane Hotel, The Park