'Arrivalist': A short film that highlights Penshoppe's Nouvelle collection

MANILA, Philippines - Having recently completed shoots for their Christmas-themed billboards and TVCs, Penshoppe takes on the emotionally-charged theme of “coming home for the holidays,” and reformats the entire collection based on the Arrivalist — a multi-faceted marketing aesthetic that will carry the messaged of remarkably showing up to any occasion.

“The focus is on the clothes and accessories, imbued with mystery and romance, and set in a nostalgic backdrop in desaturated hues,” claims marketing aesthetics consultant Ramón Grupe Cacho, MA, MFA — an alumnus of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. “It’s the dream and urgency to make it home — to make an appearance — dramatically. To be an Arrivalist is to be significantly noticed.”

A fine romance: Bridging the gap between two lovers torn apart.

As one of the dominant fashion retail houses initially geared towards the youth market over the past 25 years, appearing in a Penshoppe ad has helped boost the careers of many models and celebrities — from Victor Basa, Matteo Guidicelli, Akihiro Sato, Solenn Heusaff, and Melissa Ricks — to mention a few. The Penshoppe customer has since evolved. They’re likely to have finished college and are updated with the current fashion trends. They know how to put together a smart ensemble. They don’t want clothes that just fall apart. They are sophisticated, well-exposed, and knowledgeable about the world. That is why Penshoppe offers its market much more. The brand is taking inspiration from high fashion sensibilities but at price points well within its market’s reach. Thus, from mere tees and jeans, the present collection introduces clothing and accessories that can be worn from morning to cocktails, dinner, and a party — street wear with a distinguishable European cut and flair.

Bringing in esteemed commercial director Rafael “Cholo” Hidalgo Laurel to helm the shoot, the team was confident that he would be able to capture the mood and look they wanted for the short film and TVC. After all, Laurel swept the FAMAS awards in 2006 for Nasaan Ka Man, a brilliantly shot feature film that picked up trophies for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Story, and Best Picture. Also known for his HIV/AIDS advocacy, Laurel created the positivism.ph site as a means to educate, influence, and inspire not only those living with HIV, but also the great majority-at-large who have clouded ideas of the facts surrounding HIV/AIDS.

Describing a bit of the process that went into making the short film and TVC, Laurel says, “We wanted to visualize and evoke feeling along the concept of “Arrivalist.” I looked at my most favorite film works and drew inspiration from them, and used the style that was most appropriate for this.”

The lady is a vamp: She dreams of remembrances past.

Makeup artist Tor Torre welcomed the opportunity to be part of Arrivalist, quickly grabbing the concept as soon as he was told about it, and contributing much-valued input during the creative process.

Torre confesses that this shoot was most enjoyable as it combined elements of work and play that made it so easy to get up every morning and report for work. “At the end of the day, I’m very, very inspired,” he confides.

As director of the National Museum, Jeremy Barns is currently in the process of restoring parts of the revered institution back to its original glory. Despite his initial training as an economist, he considers himself more of a historian than a career civil servant. Having the museum as a backdrop for the Penshoppe short film serves the purpose, he says, of promoting the building and encouraging an audience to appreciate its architectural heritage.

Combining the different talents and efforts of people form various sectors of society, “the Arrivalist” is sure to be a memorable and much-talked-about Penshoppe campaign that will earn its niche in Filipino pop culture.