The Phoenix Art Museum hosts FashFilmFete, a film fashion festival

Fashion films are coming to Phoenix for a single day as part of the first ever FashFilmFete at the Phoenix Art Museum.

Films from around the world, including Belgium, France, Italy, New York and Washington, will be screened at the festival, said Mignon Gould, founder and director of FashFilmFete. The April 30 event will feature 28 works including documentaries, shorts, music videos and commercials that celebrate the past, present and future of fashion storytelling.

“Fashion is that art form that we can all participate in,” Gould said. “Whether you are the consumer or the retailer, we all participate. The Valley loves arts and culture. A lot of people like cinema, a lot of people are interested in fashion. women and people of color a chance to be seen.”

How was FashFilmFete born?

Gould – who studied communications and journalism – began her career in fashion when her graduate thesis, her ChicSpy.com blog, turned into a 10-year project.

Through her blog, Gould has written about all things style and entertainment and has interviewed costume designers including Madeline Fontaine (“Jackie”), Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby”) and Michael O’Connor ( “Jane Eyre”), Oscar winner.

Blogging, working in the nonprofit industry and founding her branding company Mignon Media, helped Gould form the idea behind FashFilmFete.

“I’ve finally decided, this is the right time,” Gould said. “So I started meeting people. I wanted to approach it as fashion and film as an art form. I thought, ‘we need to bring a more diverse crowd into the museum of people who wouldn’t usually come .’

FashFilmFete aspires to resemble independent film festivals such as Sundance and Tribeca, Gould said. The goal is to elevate independent filmmakers into the world of fashion film.

“There are actually quite a few fashion film festivals, but I really didn’t feel like there was one that did what a Sundance or a Tribeca did,” Gould said. “They’ve been successful in elevating 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 festival’s biggest film will be the 1975 Hollywood classic “Mahogany” starring Diana Ross.

Ross is an iconic singer and artist, but he’s always had an eye for fashion and design. She created many looks that she wore as a member of the Supremes and as a solo performer. She designed the costumes for “Mahogany”.

“She designed all the costumes for the movie,” Gould said. “It was actually her passion as a child… It’s the kind of stuff we want people to pay attention to. Most people won’t realize she designed the costumes she wore. in this film.”

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The festival will also include a panel discussion featuring fashion designers and professionals from around the world. Panelists include Sewra G. Kidane, Pratt Institute adjunct professor and fashion film director and editor; costume designer Jessica Wenger who 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 Film’, ‘Best Fashion Commercial/Music Video’, ‘Best Cinematography’, ‘Fashion Impact Award’, ‘Best social impact”, the “Prize for the best student” and an “Honorary Prize Mention Prix Étudiant.”

An art auction at the event, hosted by FABRIC incubator co-founder and artist Angela Johnson, will feature her own hand-drawn, 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 cinema,” Gould said. “On many levels, it can help tell a story in a way that sometimes words alone can’t. For people to look and see that fashion is part of our history is inspiring. It’s important that people see.”

For a full list of films screened at the festival, visit: fashfilmfete.com/2022-films/

FashFilmParty

When: 10am-10pm, Saturday April 30.

Or: 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 film ticket: $30 public, $25 museum member (access to short films only).

Details: fashfilmfete.com, phxart.org/show/fashfilmfete-celebrating-fashion-storytelling

Contact the reporter at sofia[email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @sofia.krusmark