Films about fashion are coming to Phoenix for one day only as part of the inaugural FashFilmFete at the Phoenix Art Museum.
Films from across the world including Belgium, France, Italy, New York and Washington will be shown at the festival, said Mignon Gould, founder and director of FashFilmFete. The April 30 event will feature 28 works including documentaries, short films, music videos and ads which celebrate the past, present and future of fashion storytelling.
“Fashion is that one art form that we all can participate in,” Gould said. “Whether you’re the consumer or the retailer, we all participate. The Valley loves arts and culture. A lot of people love film, a lot of people are engaged with fashion. It’s also our opportunity to give fashion makers and designers who are women and people of color a chance to be seen.”
How did FashFilmFete start?
Gould — who studied communications and journalism — began her fashion career when her graduate school thesis, her blog ChicSpy.com, turned into a 10-year project.
Through her blog, Gould wrote about all things style and entertainment and interviewed costume designers including Madeline Fontaine (“Jackie”), Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby”) and Academy Award-winning Michael O’Connor (“Jane Eyre”).
Blogging, working in the nonprofit industry and founding her brand strategy company Mignon Media, helped Gould form the idea behind FashFilmFete.
“I finally decided, this is the right time,” Gould said. “So I began meeting with people. I wanted to approach it as fashion and film as an art form. I was thinking, ‘we need to bring a more diverse crowd into the museum of people who wouldn’t usually come.”
FashFilmFete aspires to be like independent film festivals such as Sundance and Tribeca, Gould said. The goal is to lift up independent filmmakers in the fashion film world.
“There’s actually quite a few Fashion Film Festivals, but I really didn’t feel like there was one out there quite yet that did what a Sundance or Tribeca did,” Gould said. “They were able to elevate the presence of independent filmmakers.”
“I want to be able to elevate the presence of the people who work behind the scenes when it comes to creating the looks for these films.”
What people can expect from FashFilmFete
The biggest film of the festival will be the 1975 Hollywood classic “Mahogany” starring Diana Ross.
Ross is an iconic singer and entertainer, but always had an eye for fashion and designed. She created many of the looks she wore as a member of the Supremes and as a solo performer. She designed the costumes for “Mahogany.”
“She designed all of the costumes in the film,” Gould said. “That was actually her passion as a child. . . Those are the type of things we want people to pay attention to. Most people won’t realize she designed the costumes she wore in that film.”
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The festival will also include a panel discussion featuring fashion designers and professionals from across the world. Panelists include Sewra G. Kidane, Pratt Institute Adjunct Faculty & Fashion Film Director and editor; costume designer Jessica Wenger who has designed the costumes for “House of Cards” and “The Dark of Night;” and Phoenix designer and influencer Oscar De La Salas, among other panelists.
The festival will also award “Best Documentary,” “Best Short,” “Best Fashion Ad/Music Video,” “Best Cinematography,” “Fashion Impact Award,” “Social Impact Award,” “Best Student Award” and an “Honorable Mention Student Award.”
An art auction at the event, organized by FABRIC incubator co-founder and artist Angela Johnson, will feature her own hand-sketched illustrated and painted characters based on iconic film roles including: Diana Ross as Tracy Chambers in “Mahogany,” Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” Sean Connery as James Bond in “Goldfinger” and Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs in “The Devil Wears Prada.”
“Fashion has such an impact on film,” Gould said. “At many levels, it can help tell a story in a way that sometimes words alone cannot do. For people to look and see that fashion is a part of our history is inspiring. It’s important for people to see.”
For a complete list of the films being screened at the festival visit: fashfilmfete.com/2022-films/
FashFilmFete
When: 10 a.m-10 p.m., Saturday, April 30.
Where: Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N Central Ave, Phoenix.
Tickets: Festival Pass: $125 Public, $100 Museum Member; VIP Fete Pass: $175 Public, $150 Museum Member; Short Films Ticket: $30 Public, $25 Museum Member (access to short films only).
Details: fashfilmfete.com, phxart.org/show/fashfilmfete-celebrating-fashion-storytelling
Reach the reporter at sofia.krusmark@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram @sofia.krusmark
