Catherine Martin directs her debut short film and designs the Miu Miu Upcycled collection
Miu Miu unveils the latest chapter of its Upcycled initiative through an imaginative collaboration with four-time Academy Award winner Catherine Martin. Known for her costume, production, and set design work, Martin not only leads the creation of the new collection but also makes her directorial debut with Grande Envie. This hauntingly elegant short film anchors the project.
Since its launch in 2020, Miu Miu Upcycled has championed circular design through exclusive collections crafted from carefully sourced vintage garments. Each piece is reimagined with Miu Miu’s distinct aesthetic, breathing new life into pre-loved fashion. Martin’s interpretation extends this mission into the realm of narrative and nostalgia, blending cinematic storytelling with sustainable luxury.
Grande Envie unfolds as a ghostly love triangle, starring Callina Liang, Daisy Ridley, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Diana Silvers, Eliot Sumner, and a cameo by Willem Dafoe. Set in a lavish French chateau during the interwar years, the film captures the tension and allure of a transformative era. “It’s a dynamic, in-between period,” Martin explains, “where great clashes and contrasts in style were taking place.” The plot follows a widowed Count (Dafoe) entangled with mysterious young visitors, only to be haunted by his late wife (Ridley) through the surreal gaze of a camera.
Martin’s inspiration draws deeply from 1920s and ’30s artistic enclaves and the evocative photography of Jacques Henri Lartigue. That eclectic spirit is visible in the Miu Miu Upcycled by Catherine Martin collection: a daring mix of lingerie with striped tees, denim fused with eveningwear, and rowing blazers paired with delicate lace.
The garments reflect nautical hedonism and sun-soaked leisure, echoing the film’s mood. Bias-cut gowns emerge from t-shirts, while vintage scarves are transformed into halter tops. Male and female undergarments meld into a gender-fluid outerwear aesthetic. The tension between soft and structured tailoring is explored with poetic precision.
Miu Miu Upcycled by Catherine Martin will debut exclusively at the New Bond Street store in London on June 7, available for two weeks before rolling out to select global locations starting June 21.
