Fashion Film Showcase: Winter 2023

Fashion Film Showcase: Winter 2023

Filmed across Paris, Milan and Barcelona over three years, you may think 'Antoine' by Antoine Plainfossé is your typical skate film, but that doesn't stop Knight and Bassett from praising it. 'Skate film is constantly recontextualising both fashion and the environment' notes Bassett in our fashion film showcase and for that reason, the film's 'chicness' does not escape from our film enthusiasts who both agree that 'Antoine' delicately shows how museums in every big city are often connected to skateboarding culture, even if it's not on purpose.

Matthew Williams' film 'Masked Man' is self-explanatory in the way it depicts a man who is struggling to express himself. The mask referenced in the film is an allegory for the anonymous man's exclusion from society. However, underneath hides someone unsuspecting with a story to tell... we won't say anymore.

What if love at first sight was never a coincidence but instead a planned happenstance? This is the question filmmaker Annabelle Li asks with her film 'Love At First Sight', which presents a scenario to the viewer who thinks they're in on the love story until it becomes apparent that not all is as it seems.

David J. Amado's 'True Colours' tells the story of social conditioning, particularly when concerning black queer men. The film - as striking as it is sensitive - acts as a reminder for Amado himself that he does not have to mould his body or mind to fit the heteronormative standard of what a black man is, or should, be.

In Kyle Paks' 'LOML WYA RN?', fourteen friends share in a universal feeling as they grapple with themes rooted in isolation and melancholia while embarking on their quests to find long-lost love. The film is a collaboration between Pak and his fashion label, HOMME BOY CO.

Jake Zhang's 'SQUEEZE ♡ ME' documents the main character of his graduate fashion collection, which poses the question: 'What if we were in lockdown forever?'. In the film, the protagonist creates a husband from his sofa, going back and forth into the metaverse to meet people and exchange knowledge, continually updating his wardrobe to personify the man he desires.

'Dunusa: Life of A Garment' by Jack Markovitz focuses on an open-air thrifting mecca in Johannesburg’s CBD, where discarded clothing comes to die or find new life. Its mix of mediums, textures and influences create an intentional chaos felt by both Knight and Bassett.

In addition to this year's 2023 Winter showcase, we present to you a fashion film by SHOWstudio contributor Eilwen Jones titled, 'The Constant Need For Perfection' – a visual diary tackling themes of belonging, identity and independence while following Jones' own narrative in her search for acceptance.