In her fashion film, Paula Canovas del Vas turns a questionnaire about love into a surreal ritual of transformation. A poetic extension of her SS25 collection, the five-minute piece explores intimacy, identity and emotional exposure through powerful visuals and quiet reflection.
The latest collection by Paula Canovas del Vas unfolds as a meditation on intimacy, ritual and belonging. Inspired by the viral New York Times article ’36 Questions That Lead to Love’, her SS25 show at the Instituto Cervantes in Paris staged a gradual transformation: performers in grey corporate suits gave way to models in vibrant mesh pieces, sequined dresses with puffed shoulders, and accessories handcrafted by her mother. It was a performance about emotional exposure, about standing apart while still longing to belong.
This emotional core is brought to life in ‘It Was Just a Background Noise’, a five-minute fashion film directed by J.B. Braud, which mirrors and deepens the collection’s themes. Set between the austere stillness of a library and a dreamlike performance space, the film follows a woman through a quiet journey of self-discovery, guided by the voiceover of the 36 questions read by Meryl Yana and J.B. Braud.
These are not generic questions. They touch on the most intimate corners of a life shared with another: What are your expectations for marriage? How do we handle conflict and disagreements? How do we balance work, family and personal time? As each question is spoken, the camera lingers on moments of stillness, motion or transformation, gestures that echo the weight of the words. Topics like emotional support, household routines, health, spirituality, death and legacy all surface, turning the act of dressing into a metaphor for exposure and truth.
The film avoids narrative in favour of atmosphere. Garments don’t just clothe, they become emotional containers, soft armours, celebratory veils, symbols of care and commitment. There is no resolution, just an ongoing movement towards vulnerability, much like the nature of real connection.
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