Pierre Rinaldi reveals new video fashion blog Zap Mode

Zap Mode

Jesuisalamode fashion agency Founder Pierre Rinaldi has launched a brand new video magazine called ‘Zap Mode’, covering the fashion world in Paris. Pierre’s team of fashion lovers has created some of the most visually appealing behind-the-scenes fashion videos in Paris, including shows and special interviews. With his audiovisual background mixed with a top team of fashionistas and creative minds, Zap Mode is already turning heads because of its high quality video news, and it’s new artistic format.

Pierre revealed to me why he decided to launch the video magazine. Find out how he approaches his videos, and what’s coming next from Zap Mode.

Zap ModeInterview with Pierre Rinaldi

Iain: What is Zap mode and how did you develop this brand from scratch?

Pierre: Zap Mode is a new project from our agency jesuiàlamode. It's a video blog that shows fashion in 6 different topics. Every 15 days, we show on our website events, fashion shows, shops in Paris, backstage of a photoshoots, make overs, young designers interviews and bloggers as well. It's actually stuff about fashion that our team like! The name is ZapMode because in French Zap means you go through images by flipping channels. So we "Zap" through images from "Mode"-Fashion.

Zap Mode video news

Iain: Why did you decide on this format for your blog?

Pierre: The reason behind the format (6 topics and 7 minutes program) is because I think that's the best way to have an overview of Fashion. It’s not too long with 6 different topics because fashion apart from the clothing itself is about events, shopping, photo shoots, make up/hair, new talents and bloggers…so by seeing those different topics you can have a small idea about Paris' fashion. It's enough to bring up the interest, I guess...

It all started last year with friends from the agency. As we already work as a service provider to Fashion clients, we wanted to do something new, to create something on our own that shows our view on Fashion. I tried to make an online video magazine at first with a lot of marketing features and it failed as we were more focused on the marketing part and not on the content making. Lucky I am surrounded by great inspiring people who work in the audiovisual industry or contribute it in and they help me to make things simple.

We decided to create our personal blog and since we make videos, and a video blog seems more suited to our ways of expression. Then, I told everyone around me about this ambition of showing what we only like in a fun way, and people seemed to gather around the project and helped me to create it! It's actually a series of fortunate events that make this possible so it's pretty hard to explain exactly how I developed ZapMode.

Zap Mode

Iain: Why did you decide to make a video blog that showcases fashion?

Pierre: As I mentioned earlier we make a video blog because our team is specialized in audiovisual productions, so we do it with videos. Then, we chose Fashion because it's our passion. We thought that as a production based in Paris, we should learn about it. Fashion is something that is always revolving. Unlike other arts, fashion is wearable and more close to people. I came from a different background, I graduated with a BFA specialized in Audiovisual and to me showing Fashion is the most interesting thing because it's all about visuals, ideas and a statement.

Of course the most important people from the industry are the ones who make the clothes and the textile factory etc. Nevertheless, it's just amazing that we can build or create a whole new concept, a whole new angle using techniques from films, graphic designs, designs, installations or photography to represent the atmosphere of the most concrete and simple random objects that women wear, like shoes for example. I love that flexibility in Fashion.

I was also working in commercials before so I found similarities between those two worlds but Fashion is where I learn the most in terms of creativity. Fashion is a form of design that never ignores people because at the end of the day, the clothes have to be worn by someone!

Iain: How do you prepare your video shoots?

Pierre: I can't talk about how I create my videos without talking about my team!
To create an audiovisual episode we work as a team of 3 cameramen, video editors, 2 journalists, a visual director, an animator, and a stylist.

Since we have 6 totally different topics, each topic is treated differently but first, we discuss with the team about what or who do we like to have in our program according to events as well; brainstorming, exchanging ideas, favorite items etc.

Then, the second thing is that our content must be dynamic. Tempo is important to me. It's pretty weird but I always ask my team to listen to various types of music during work hours so they get used to different tempos and rhythms. I also show them weird visuals, weird videos, fast ones, slow ones, bad quality content as well as other high quality videos so we can understand when things go wrong to our eyes…To me that is important to have that in the preparation. After that, we proceed like other videographers do:

We get the information, and contact the people that will be involved to have an appointment. We visualize together with them the video, then we film. After that, we write an article depending on the contents that we shot to have an eventual script.
We edit according to the articles, the visuals, the topic chosen, the tempo, the music, the writing and the format. Once each topic is done, I gather all their Final Cut Projects, to be specific, and finalize everything...

Technically speaking we use the same methods as everybody else.
I just give my team a goal on what to achieve in terms of visuals and understanding ability for our viewers then they have the freedom to do it on their own. The most important thing is that they have fun creating it creatively!

Iain: What's the most important aspect of fashion you want to highlight in your bi-monthly video mag?

Pierre: The first word would be "fun"! More seriously, I want to show that Fashion is not only about big brands, celebs, big magazines, etc. I want to show people that OK, obviously the big fashion houses are the ones we should look up to, but there are other players too! They are very important for the industry and for the people outside of it.
For example, in the industry, young designers and small brands contribute in terms of creativity, awareness and from the outside they represent a certain fresh air, something more unique, more suited to them and more accessible. Small boutiques make the small brands and huge brands blend in together and help them to reach people who might be interested. Photographers, even the smallest ones, contribute! They make people constantly interested in photography, art, modeling, clothing, styles and creativity: things that evolve around the Fashion world.

All that eventually will convince people that we can see Fashion from another angle as much as we can see ridiculous things with another perspective and they will become interested with what we do. If people do that with everything, we will live in a better world!

Zap Mode

Iain: Who do you look up to in the fashion industry and is there anyone you would like to work with in the future?

Pierre: I would like to work with Betty Janis, Q-pot, Peachoo and Krejberg, Yiqin Ying…a lot! Mostly young creative designers! There are so many of them, it's impossible to pick only one because they are all interesting, fun and good people! I also love Viktor&Rolf. We had the chance to interview them during fashion weeks in Paris but we never really worked with them on a project whether with the magazine or with the agency.

Apart from that Stella McCartney, Lanvin and Kenzo are brands that I find really nice as well. I have a huge admiration for crazy film makers too like Michel Gondry. They are the ones who inspire me. That said, I want to work with anyone who wants to have fun, to be creative, to try something constantly new, and if the result can benefit other people, it will be the best for me!

Zap Mode

 

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