Every film needs a leading lady, but a leading lady also needs just the right outfit to make her presence pop! And in the new short film for Miu Miu, “The Door,” leading lady Gabrielle Union shines in some of the fashion house’s most stunning pieces as she leads an all-star cast of black actresses.
Directed by rising filmmaker Ava DuVernay (I Will Follow and Middle of Nowhere), “The Door” is the latest short in film in series for Miu Miu, called “The Women’s Tales.”
In the silent nine-minute short film, Union stars as a heartbroken woman whose friends, played by Adepero Oduye, Alfre Woodard, Goapele and Emayatzy Corinealdi, rush to her side to share their wisdom, strength and love.
“In the film, characters arrive at the door of a friend in need, bringing something of themselves,” explains director DuVernay. “Eventually, we witness our heroine ready to walk through the door on her own. The door in the film represents a pathway to who we are.”
And throughout Union’s journey to find her strength and herself, once again, the clothes, which are picked out by her friends, represent her transformation from a broken woman, trapped in her shell, to a woman who is whole and ready to step out into the world again.
Besides the fact that the film features an all-black female cast, it’s the first time in years that the fashion house’s head designer, Miuccia Prada, has used black women to represent her brand. Prada made headlines when she cast supermodel Jourdan Dunn in her Prada runway show, the first time a black model had walked for the fashion house in over 10 years — Naomi Campbell was the last one before her.
We commend DuVernay and Prada on the collaboration, and, hopefully, this won’t be the last time we see Prada using black women to sell her clothes.
Watch the beautiful short film here and watch behind-the-scenes footage here. And you can check out other black celebrities who’ve fronted major fashion campaigns below. –nicholas robinson
