James Franco, Sean Avery, and 7 For All Mankind Plan a White Wedding

February New York Fashion Week wouldn’t be the same without a chat with our favorite ice hockey player-turned-fashion enthusiast, Sean Avery. This year, we started a little early. The topic in question: Avery’s role in the new campaign for 7 For All Mankind, The Beautiful Odyssey.

Recently retired from professional ice hockey, Avery now works with David Lipman and his eponymous New York advertising and marketing agency, whose clients include Burberry, David Yurman, Fendi, Harry Winston, and 7 For All Mankind. When Avery heard that Lipman was working on a short film for 7 with James Franco as the director, he quickly volunteered to help. “I said, ‘I want to come out to the shoot and be there and see what’s happening,’ ” Avery tells us. “David and James decided that I would be weaved into the story line and they would actually use me in the campaign.”

Shot on a picturesque beach in California, the film focuses on the white (denim) wedding of a beautiful, young, love-saturated couple. It’s not all cupcakes and sunset strolls, however—Avery confirms our suspicions that his role in the film causes some trouble for the lovers. “There are different textures to [love],” director James Franco explains. “There’s a range of emotion that goes beyond happiness alone. People like to pretend that part’s not there, but that’s the way passion is. We didn’t shy away from that. We went for it.”

A new convert to 7 For All Mankind, Avery remembers wearing Levi’s as a teenager. “I think for athletes, [denim] is sort of a different conversation, because your bodies are built a different way…I stopped playing hockey last year and at that point my body started to change,” he continues. “The campaign opened up my eyes to a different world.”

Is working a nine to five job difficult for Avery after over a decade in the NHL? “I think that any nine to five office job is weird. We’re a creative agency—along with being creative you take an unorthodox approach to how you work,” he replies. “Do I have the ability to work an eight-hour day straight? No, but I definitely work more than eight hours a day.”

An interactive campaign, fans of 7 For All Mankind can choose from one of three possible endings for a special Audience’s Cut of The Beautiful Odyssey via the brand’s Facebook page. In the meantime, you can stream an exclusive trailer above.