LOCATING, SHOOTING AND FILMING IN VALENSOLE

Being in the right place! Situating the ARTIST collection in the space most suited to its story.

It is on the Valensole plateau that the ARTIST team was guided on the lands of the painter ISABELLE MERLET just a few days ago, for her latest shoot.

Photos and videos to stage the theme "The Great Paths" developed from a canvas by the artist and a collaboration with the Art-à-Porter brand. A session resembling a sensory journey from November 28 to December 7, 2025.

 

Whatever the season, the horizon stretches as far as the eye can see until it bumps against the foothills of the Southern Alps, striking with blue reflections. The snow-capped peaks, the almond trees in bloom in March give way in July to the multiple shades of lavender swaying alternately with the gold of the wheat. The immensity of this condensed Provence is so aptly captured by the colorist, imbued with this setting since childhood.

 

Isabelle M. embodies the hospitality of these spectacular expanses and wonderfully facilitates the first hours of scouting. She knows every detail of all the secrets of the site dear to her heart. Available, she deploys all her energy to successfully carry out this collective project. Generous, she shares all her favorite spots for to go on a reconnaissance of the terrain. His advice lightens the organization of the visual production which gains in efficiency. The next day, Mélina, the model will wear all the outfits in this enchanting setting. Everything needs to be ready.

 

On explorations on trails, here and there, the cars eventually stop. We are there! Crouched at the foot of the dormant lavender fields, Jean-Luc PETIT finds his best angle and simulates his low-angle shots. A few minutes later, the photographer straddles, then observes, then climbs onto a stepladder. With the help of Fred, the makeup artist, they do tests with the light reflector. The weather forecast is good but everything needs to be planned.

The quality and originality of a scenefor filming will serve as a setting for theshots. Even if paradisiacal, as breathtaking as it may be, the environment must not overshadow the clothing being highlighted. The silhouette stands out as the central character, always.

 

In November, the ochre of the grooved plots contrasts with the purity of the blue winter sky. An 800 km2 attic scratched or grid-like with equally photogenic crops such as fields of sage, sunflower, wheat, or buckwheat.

 It is noon when François G. starts the camera to interview the painter under a brilliantly soft light. Facing Moustier-Sainte-Marie, his contemporary house stands in the middle of the family olive grove.

At the back, red pottery overflowing with flowers rhythm the openings of the gray concrete facade. The sobriety of this hidden elegance contrasts with the large bays of the main face through which one dives immediately upon entering into the life and charm of the village, straight ahead.

 

Here, ISABELLE MERLET takes her winter quarters. Beyond the foreground houses, the view continues over the entire valley, the gorges of Verdon, and the lake of Sainte-Croix. Majestic landscapes that continue to inspire the entirety of a work fully dedicated to Provence and Haute-Provence. For over 30 years, her brushes have told stories of vines and cabins in all weather. Her hand follows the twisted trunks of iconic olive trees, rows and rows of purple lavender. under the azure of the summer sky.

An inland sea of soft or hard wheat at harvest time, greenish-gray furrows on a gently sloping ground that hibernates: all year round, its eyes rest on a patchwork of colors, its talent transcribed.

 

The ARTIST team and ISABELLE MERLET have just staged the collection "The Great Paths". A few dates to remember to feel everything, to sense everything, to miss nothing:

 

-               Sunday 23: article on the work of Isabelle MERLET

-               Sunday 30: article on the collection "The Great Paths"

-               Online collection presentation: Nov. 28 – Dec. 7, 2025

 

A cloakroom designed for a complete sensory experience, to take the path of scents and the color palette of a lavender blue south.