The atmosphere felt slightly strange.
Sam Austin finally couldn't bear it any longer. He deliberately bumped into the clothes rack, causing the hangers to collide with each other, creating a clanging sound that broke the silence, expressing his protest in this way.
In Sam's view, that gentleman wasn't playing fair. His behavior clearly showed he was trying to get close to Edgar, hoping to win the job through connections. While he, an honest person who wasn't good at socializing, was obediently relying on his skills to compete.
He truly despised such behavior.
The noise caused a slight disturbance.
Sam noticed the gentleman's gaze and glared back without showing any weakness, indicating with this gesture that he wouldn't back down easily.
However.
The gentleman's expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't noticed Sam's protest at all - or maybe he had, but he didn't care.
He calmly looked away and continued his conversation with Edgar.
Sam: ...
But Edgar was right there. If the other person chose the same style as him, he needed to claim ownership, to prove that he was the first one to think of it, so he displayed it again.
Sam noticed the guy's scrutinizing gaze. His first subconscious reaction was to turn around and hide it, but then he thought again and deliberately showcased his outfit.
Everything went as expected.
How should one define an Armani suit? Orthodox, upright, handsome. Just look at the Italian football team's World Cup look this summer.
Anger simmered in his chest.
Maybe they didn't notice the details at all; maybe they noticed but it wasn't enough.
He felt a lump in his throat, as if he could hear the sound of his alveoli bursting.
He chose a Dior suit.
Damn it.
Sam cursed silently. He hated this kind of people the most, their faces thicker than city walls, lacking skills, yet always able to get opportunities. While honest people like them, who clearly had the skills but weren't good at socializing, flattering, or brown-nosing, always ended up empty-handed.
Melvin looked away, refocusing—
He himself was also a traditional gentleman, largely focused on his work. After choosing the suit, he continued to pick out accessories like ties, cufflinks, and watches, not paying much attention to Melvin. It was clear he believed men's fashion still relied on accessories to complete the look.
Originally, Sam was worried that the other person would plagiarize, blatantly stealing his ideas, so he wanted to hide.
Thinking of this, Sam straightened his back slightly, confidence surging in his chest.
The other competitor had studied Anson in detail, including his usual dressing style, so he believed Anson was a young man at the forefront of fashion.
One competitor seemed to have roughly inquired about the movie, like the plot synopsis and the cast, so he believed Anson was a traditional gentleman.
Moreover, even if the styles were similar, the final test was still taste and details. In fashion, copying wasn't difficult, but imitating the essence wasn't easy.
He chose an Armani suit.
Then.
Finally, that guy finally finished his conversation, joined the group, and started selecting in front of the racks.
Dior, Dior, it was indeed Dior. Now the whole world knew that Anson had given Dior its soul, and when Dior was worn on Anson, it was simply different.
And no one forgot that Anson's first appearance on the premiere red carpet - "The Princess Diaries" - was also in Dior. Even if others forgot, people in the fashion industry wouldn't. At the same time, they hadn't forgotten that Anson also wore Dior to the "Spider-Man" premiere.
On the positive side, wearing Dior for the third consecutive movie premiere proved the close connection between Anson and Dior. It was a safe choice. But on the negative side, this was a personal stylist interview, and such a safe choice missed the best opportunity to showcase one's abilities.
Obviously, the person who made this choice seemed to realize this too, feeling a bit uneasy, so he kept secretly observing and sizing up others.
Just now, he even glared at Melvin fiercely.
Melvin was completely confused, unable to understand the other person's intention: You've already chosen a Dior suit, which is equivalent to Eddie Slimane helping you with the styling, so what else are you scouting for?
However, the other person seemed to sense a crisis too and didn't stop selecting. He started with accessories like belts and cufflinks, skipping Dior and choosing other brands, trying to showcase his abilities.
Melvin didn't care about this.
Observing others was a way to know oneself and the enemy; at the same time, constantly adjusting his own plan to avoid overlapping with others. He didn't want to be a copycat.
Looking away, Melvin already had an idea.
If he had to choose between the two competitors in front of him, Melvin would choose Dior.
Armani was suitable for Steven Spielberg, for Tom Hanks, for Christopher Walken, and maybe also for Anson. But overall, the cut was still too generic and old-fashioned.
Simply put, Anson should be more youthful.
In Hollywood, Armani was a choice that would never go wrong. If you didn't know what suit to choose, an Armani suit could always solve the dilemma. But precisely because of this, Armani had become a conservative entry-level option, making it difficult to break free and interpret one's own style.
In contrast, Dior represented youth, rock and roll, individuality, and vitality. There was a reason why Anson could make Dior shine.
So, if he had to choose, Dior was indeed the more suitable option.
Melvin even suspected whether that competitor had snatched Dior first, forcing the other person to helplessly choose Armani to avoid repetition.
But Melvin still didn't think Dior was the right choice.
The root of the problem wasn't in Dior or Anson, but in "Catch Me If You Can"—
The key point of this interview.
In "Catch Me If You Can," Anson played a character who was constantly taking risks and committing crimes, yet always unable to let go of the longing for family warmth deep down.
On one hand, he was young and energetic.
On the other hand, he was also traditional and conservative.
It was a contradictory temperament, being too adventurous wouldn't work, nor would being too conservative.
Therefore, Melvin believed that the "Catch Me If You Can" premiere should take an unconventional approach and make some bold attempts.
Moreover, Melvin remembered a detail.
Eddie said to build a fashion brand around Anson, not just for the premiere, but for every occasion Anson appeared in, showcasing different styles.
So, did this mean that the premiere was just the first step, and Anson would also attend fan meetings and other promotional events in other cities? Then, could these occasions be an extension of the premiere red carpet, comprehensively showcasing Anson's charm as an actor and as a character?
Edgar didn't mention this in his words.
But Melvin wanted to take a risk, to make more attempts and challenges. This was also his first reaction when he saw Anson just now:
Changeability. Different possibilities.
Just like how the main character was playing football outside at this moment, daring to break conventions.
Creak.
The door opened again, and a bright and cheerful voice came through. "Hey, are you ready?"