Tribeca Report: Karl Lagerfeld, Ice Cream and Three Short Films

What do you get when you mix Karl Lagerfeld, Rachel Bilson and Magnum Ice Cream? A seriously puzzling mash-up, three charmingly funny Karl-directed short films, and a star-studded red carpet for their Tribeca Film Festival premiere.

“Obviously it sounds a little random at first,” says Bilson. “But it’s two amazing things: ice cream and Karl Lagerfeld. Who doesn’t want ice cream and who doesn’t want a little Karl?”

It seemed everybody wanted a little Karl. Who else can bring out a crowd with the likes of Crystal Renn and Patrick Demarchelier for a frozen snack and three two-minute ads? Even Anna Wintour cracked a toothy smile when she whisked through with the man-of-the-hour, leaving him to charm the particularly ravenous gang of photographers.

Inside, the room was as lively as the red carpet (though with less photog shrieking) and was packed to the gills with a sharply dressed crowd festooned with telltale bouclé. Lagerfeld took his seat next to Bilson in the VIP area, where a tall glass of what looked to be red wine (or possibly Diet Coke) was waiting for him on a silver tray held on-so-cautiously by a visibly nervous waiter. Bilson looked sweetly stunning in pale pink Chanel Haute Couture, though it was hard not to notice how petite she is (even in towering Louboutin pumps) next to the likes of Elettra Rossellini and Ajak.

“As you know, in the fashion world, we have all of these huge models,” says Lagerfeld. “It was great to work with a tiny, beautiful, doll-shaped person who was clever, witty, and gifted.”

The lights dimmed and the short films started: Bilson is a model on set, the photographer is frustrated, she pops open an adorably vintage-y freezer, grabs a Magnum, enjoys a few sensuous bites and then nails the shoot. Next, Bilson is in an art class, her sketch isn’t up to snuff, so she pops open the same vintage-y freezer, has her ice cream, and then masters the piece. Then, she’s a ballerina, she just finished a wonderful performance, is greeted by her dashing beau (played by Baptiste Giabiconi) in her dressing room, but first (you guessed it) she pops open the vintage-y freezer (this time to muffled laughter from the crowd) grabs a bar, and eats it in-between kisses. Food porn indeed. Oddly enough, at this point, the crowd still hadn’t even tried the oh-so-enticing ice cream (though Lagerfeld, who doesn’t eat sugar, wouldn’t have partaken anyway). The bars were MIA until the very end of the fete.

“Directed by Karl Lagerfeld” flashes on a black screen and barely six minutes later, the entire screening is over. There’s hearty applause, though a few “That’s it?”‘s were heard from the crowd. Apparently the term “short film” was a bit misleading. Though Bilson packed enough of her “Summer from the OC” charm into every second to make them enjoyable. “Divine, I must tell you. She is a real actress,” says Lagerfeld. “She can play with her face without saying one word.”

At that point in the evening, the oddity of the mash-up seemed to be all but forgotten. “I am mass market too,” says Lagerfeld. “Don’t forget that I did H&M. There are lots of people who can buy a Chanel dress, but there are many, many, many more people who can buy a Chanel lipstick.” And many, many, many more who can buy three dollar ice cream.

Check back with the Editors’ Blog on Monday for an interview with Karl Lagerfeld