February 24, 2014
French luxury conglomerate Kering is showcasing its artistic side by co-hosting the first United States event for A Shaded View on Fashion Film with the French Institute Alliance Française in New York.
ASVOFF is a film festival founded by fashion journalist Diane Pernet dedicated entirely to fashion, beauty and style that travels around the world, hosting screenings in various cities. Since this is the first time that the festival will be seen by a U.S. audience, Kering has the opportunity to access a large fashion crowd and a greater presence in the New York fashion world.
"Kering believes in film as a perfect medium for expressing the stories behind fashion," said Laurent Claquin, head of Kering Americas, New York.
"No other medium can capture the movement or spirit of fashion or set the stage for a designer’s vision like film can," he said. "It’s ideal for displaying creativity, unleashing imagination, and telling stories in a compelling way.
"We are excited to be bringing this film festival to the U.S. for the very first time. Through this exciting partnership with ASVOFF and FIAF, Kering can explore the possibilities of this medium for our brands and our foundation, helping bring many voices and points of view to light."
New territory
ASVOFF launched in 2008 with the mission of changing the way fashion is perceived on film. Each year it debuts during Paris Fashion Week, subsequently touching down in cities around the globe, including London, Tokyo and Milan.
ASVOFF venue in Rome
In past iterations of ASVOFF, fashion industry figures Kate Moss, Yves Saint Laurent and Tilda Swinton attended, and this event can expect to attract similar personalities.
Also, the French Institute Alliance Française, or FIAF, is a New York-based nonprofit that seeks to bring French culture to Americans through art and education.
The U.S. premiere of ASVOFF will take place March 14 at Florence Gould Hall with the screening of 12 films.
Following the films will be a questions and answers session with directors Mike Figgis of “Leaving Las Vegas” and Jerry Schatzberg of “Scarecrow.” This will be moderated by Andrea Marcucci, the founder and CEO of Maag Dretti “Lastlook,” a photo-sharing application.
On Saturday, March 15 in FIAF's Tinker Auditorium, there will be a tribute to Mr. Schatzberg, along with a screening of his Golden Globe-nominated first feature film "Puzzle of a Downfall Child," which features actress Faye Dunaway. After the screening there will be another Q&A with the director.
Puzzle of a Downfall Child, still
The U.S. event has been heavily publicized on ASVOFF's Web site and social media platforms, as well as FIAF's homepage. Consumers can buy tickets to the event for $20 here.
"Our target audience is professionals and students from creative industries including film, fashion, art, music, communcation, and more, cultural and fashion press, designers, artists, celebrities, personalities, icons and the public interested in culture," said Diane Pernet, founder of ASVOFF.
"After all, we all wear clothes and we all watch films," she said.
Fashion on film
ASVOFF has previously been tied to other luxury brands, giving it clout and an audience during fashion weeks.
For instance, LVMH-owned jeweler Bulgari collaborated on a short film contest in which entrants had to use the house’s gems as inspiration for their art.
A Shaded View on Fashion Film, a traveling film festival that begins its tour in Paris, combined forces with Bulgari and AltaRoma AltaModa, the fashion week in the Italian city, to host a screening of the Bulgari-centric film. With this film screening and entry process, Bulgari boosted its awareness among a fashion-forward audience (see story).
Kering has previously used film screenings to attract a fashionable crowd.
For instance, Italian fashion house Gucci, owned by Kering, hosted a private screening of its brand documentary during Paris Haute Couture week to become part of the festivities.
The film, “The Director: An Evolution in Three Acts,” follows the brand’s creative director, Frida Giannini, for 18 months. By screening the film for the couture fashion show attendants, Gucci has a prime audience and became part of the schedule, even though it was not showing a collection (see story).
Bringing ASVOFF to the Americas will add to the discussion on fashion video, and examine how fashion brands are using the medium.
“This year, FIAF wanted to celebrate the innovators in the new world of fashion today," said Christine de Lassus, guest curator for fashion at FIAF 2014. "I proposed the idea of including Diane Pernet and ASVOFF in this year’s edition of the program.
"I’ve known Diane since the early Eighties, when she was a fashion designer in New York," she said. "We have remained friends all these years, and I have always been a fervent admirer of hers, whether as a designer, a journalist, a champion of young designers through her blog, or as the founder and curator of ASVOFF.
"Through ASVOFF, Diane highlights the new ways that brands and creators visually communicate today.”
Final Take
Sarah Jones, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York
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