IT’S FILM AND FASHION: EVERYBODY IS JONATHAN ANDERSON AS DIOR MEETS A24
words by SONNY NGO
In a newly released video by Dior and A24, an all-star ensemble of Drew Starkey, Josh O’Connor, Sabrina Carpenter, Sophie Wilde and Camille Cottin channel their inner Jonathan Anderson. The longtime friends of the creative director are dressed to a mirrored-T as they rehearse their lines and emulate his iconic shy-guy walk. The short film, lensed by Aidan Zamiri, marks the beginning of a two-year long partnership between the maison and the American independent entertainment company.
Central to their collaboration is the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City – the oldest off-broadway venue – which has just been reopened by A24. The location will be supported by Dior as a space for experimentation and creativity, serving as a platform for upcoming talent across fashion, film, theatre and other live experiences. For one night only, a performance directed by Zack Winokur and inspired by playwright and Cherry Lane co-founder Edna St. Vincent Millay was held by Justin Vivian Bond in the theatre. Naturally, Anderson designed the wear for the evening.
Of course, this is not the first time Anderson has dipped his toes into cinema. He is a frequent collaborator with director Luca Guadagnino, having done costuming for both Challengers and Queer, as well as the upcoming Artificial starring Andrew Garfield. The two have consistently fed into each other's creative energies, reflecting much of the symbiotic relationship between fashion and film. A quick look into the archive and you will find plenty designs inspired by the world of cinema: Alexander McQueen SS95 and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, Raf Simons SS18 and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Undercover FW19 and Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange – the list goes on. Even Anderson himself has previously taken inspiration from the medium, having worked together with Christiane Kubrick for his own namesake label and Eyes Wide Shut-inspired designs.
But the other way around, too, film has borrowed much from fashion’s capital and costuming. Designers like Armani and Jean Paul Gaultier have worked on films like American Gigolo and The Fifth Element. Then of course there is the off-screen red carpet dressing, from Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Wuthering Heights to Zendaya’s anything (Dune: Part Three, we are eagerly awaiting your roll out). When fashion and film come together it is like an overflow of creative juices. To see a partnership between a legacy house and a hit-making machine like A24 is genuinely exciting – and Anderson has reassured that Dior will not just be product placement, or vice versa. Like Sophie Wilde concludes in the initial announcement video: it’s film and fashion, fashion and film. We wonder if Charli XCX’s triangular album title will be vindicated soon after.