Io sono l'amore

Put it on the body of Tilda Swinton, and you have a figure so intellectually elegant, even Michelle Obama might look she got dressed in the dark in Alabama. Hence, was the desired effect of this collaboration between muse and designer for the movie Io sono l'amore.

Director Luca Guadagnino must have realized that when his story required a context of minimal turn of the millennium luxury, there were no two people better able to consummate this cinematic reality than Mr. Simons and Ms. Swinton. Both on the screen, and the red carpet the team of

Io sono l'amore have pulled a decidedly brilliant marketing move by having the actress remain attired in Jil Sander by Raf Simons throughout the entire promotional tour.

Could this be too much of a good thing - hardly. Any director worth taking seriously realizes that a film and its effect are made up of more parts than most people recognize. An audience takes in the celluloid finishing and wraps it into their minds as though the product was always so cohesive. Alas, it wasn't, and in reality it seldom is. The many detailed choices made throughout the journey of a movie (i.e. casting, costume, and sound engineering) are comprised to unnerve almost every human sense. And to create a world so entirely believable that a viewer can step away feeling as though they had “lived truthfully under imaginary circumstances” (quoting Sandy Meisner completely out of context). To be fair, film (when done correctly) is the most complete and complex artform that exists in our present culture.
By this logic, if the atmosphere of Io sono l'amore is extended beyond the theater the public will never be given the opportunity to doubt its authenticity.

And really who better than Tilda Swinton to engage in such an intelligent advertising stunt? Her sensitivity to the arts as a whole, in particular her wardrobe choices have made her a cross-medium muse. Designers clamor to dress her, visionary directors compete to cast her. And she also looks damn good in flawless tailoring. Even if the actual movie doesn't live up to the hype, at least you know this red carpet premiere will be far better styled than Pirates of the Caribbean 3.

Tilda Swinton is this year's VIENNALE 2009 star guest, where a retrospective of her films will be shown. Unfortunately the film Io sono l'amore will not be shown as part of the festival.

Text: Adia Trischler