Pedro Almodóvar takes a turn in front of the camera for the latest Prada campaign

Pedro Almodóvar is leaving the director's chair, at least for a moment, to throw himself into the fast-paced world of fashion. The Spanish film director has been tapped as the next face of high-end fashion label Prada. Designer Miuccia Prada has cast the iconic film auteur to tout the label’s next fall/winter collection in a fashion short directed by fashion photographer Willy Vanderperre. 

The film of just 30 seconds has already managed to capture public interest, unsurprising for the Italian brand which is known for pushing the envelope. In the ad, the Spanish director appears surrounded by posters and photographs, which endow the space with a mysterious, avant-garde air, an atmosphere seen often in Almodóvar’s own films. 

While it is uncommon for the Spanish director to get involved in fashion projects, he has been spotted in a few campaigns, such as a Missioni ad alongside Blanca Suarez and Rossy de Palma.

Prada on the other hand is a fashion house that often rubs shoulders with the world of cinema and famous directors. Last year it recruited American director David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) to direct in a 12-minute art-house-style film, the cast of course, clad in Prada, but nothing too commercial about it. In 2013, Miuccia Prada gave the creative reins to director Wes Anderson, who produced a flirtatious romance in 1950s Italian cinema style, starring Jason Schwartzman.