MKJ Takes L.A. for The Garden of Desire | Erised Fashion Film !

Team MKJ in LA!

For SS18 the Mani Jassal team decided that showing at Toronto Fashion Week, hosting an independent runway show and shooting our own lookbook wouldn’t suffice; as if we weren’t already busy enough the team travelled to Los Angeles to produce a fashion film to accompany the ‘Garden of Desire | erised’ collection.

The ninety-second film encapsulates the romance, mystery and sensuality of this upcoming season’s self-love story. A Californian palatial home with a feminine floral garden sets the optimum scene to tell the tale of a woman searching for her love and finding it within her own reflection.

A laidback yet entrancing soundtrack accompanies the film; add in the golden sunshine, a selection of Spring/Summer standout styles and eye-catching jewellery from Outhouse and you’re instantly transported to those serene sun-lit days we’re all excited for

Take a look at the video and continue reading below to get some extra information about the shoot from Mani herself.

Hey Mani! Tell us about the team that came together to create this video.

Mani: The model’s name is Manvitha. I met her for the first time at our Alamari campaign shoot in India. She moved back to New York after modelling in Mumbai for a bit, and I really loved her look and wanted her to be a part of this fashion film. The story fit so well with her look- she is just drop dead gorgeous. The fashion film is inspired by a story written by Raz Soos about a girl learning to love herself and was created by Tiger House Films.

How long did it take to film?

Mani: The shoot was a full day. We woke up at 5 am and were wrapped up by 5 pm. After that we did our shoe and accessory returns- it was a long day! Luckily, because we were jet lagged 3 hours, it worked in our favour; waking up at 5 am was a breeze but by end of day we were so exhausted.

Where in LA was the shoot?

Mani: We found this beautiful Tuscan inspired Villa in West Hollywood. The location had so much potential and so many little areas that brought the film to life.

What else did you get to do on your trip?

Mani: The trip was really cool because I was also able to visit Showroom Joplin, which is the showroom that I used to house my collections at in Los Angeles, it was nice to do that. We got the day after the shoot to relax and go to Malibu and enjoy the warm weather. It was a good escape from the cold weather of Toronto!

Who created the music that accompanies the visuals?

Mani: Sikh Knowledge, who is a very talented producer, did the music for the film. I had followed him for a while on social media and was
very familiar with his work. His music is the perfect blend of Indian and Hip Hop- he takes old classic Indian beats and makes them urban and current. I knew he was the perfect person to approach about the beat. This beat is called ' Slow Down ' which can be found on his SoundCloud and iTunes, and when you hear it and watch the film it hits your heart...

A special thank you to the team:

Photographer: Rita Labib

Hair and MU: Genevieve Lamb Kelly

Video: Tiger House Films

Jewelry: Outhouse Jewelry

Assistant: Elisa Gentile

Model: Manvitha Mallela

Stylist / Designer: Mani Jassal