I could not have dreamed this opportunity. No matter how far I often find my imagination is willing to venture, I do not believe I have the capacity to envision a culmination of aspirations quite as fulfilling as my involvement, and subsequently starring role, in a video by both my favorite director and childhood soundtrack, David LaChapelle and Sir Elton John.
This project began from the moment I entered the studio for my first day of work. Musings entertained around a large conference table, maturing to sketches and color swatches and finally graduating to the construction of an elaborately crafted set, built in a room that was once only an empty white psyche.
We spent the summer designing a decadent Seventies penthouse hotel suite, with attention to details as thorough as fine art renaissance murals adorning the walls and a handmade baby grand piano, designed to collapse on cue.
Perhaps taking a prompt from the ivory keys, I too found myself instructed to collapse on cue after landing the role of a drugged out model, surrounded by simulated over-indulgence and unparalleled debauchery and dressed in hot pants with a blonde Isadora bob. Throughout the video, I traveled across the room in a bewildered stupor and migrated between places to pass out. I’ve probably watched the video close to 100 times, and it never becomes less of a fantasy for me.
I owe my costume part to the stylist Fraunk Chevalier but mostly to a whim of Mr. LaChapelle. Fraunk dressed me in an outfit that was accurate for the era and in seemingly correct sizes, however an encounter with David upon exiting the wardrobe revealed a major flaw in the selection of garments: there were just too much clothes! With a sudden spark in his eye and taking notice to gold fabric that was draped around his neck by chance, David handed me the garment and said “Molly you’re not wearing THAT, you are wearing THIS! Tell Fraunk you want to wear this scarf as a top!” And together we went to the wardrobe and this character was born. We could not stop laughing, and I think it was the irony of this unexpected persona that he enjoyed most of all.
In the makeup room waiting for another layer of lashes!
Posing with “Bernie Taupin”.
A still from the end of the video (a screen capture of course) but check out the real stills below!!
View the full video here: www.lachapellestudio.com/film/music-videos/elton-john/
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