FashFilmFete, a film festival with a mission of providing a platform for historically underrepresented voices in film and television, returns to the Phoenix Art Museum on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 11 a.m. The festival will honor the works of two of the most distinguished costume designers in the nation. The day-long festival will celebrate fashion storytelling and feature presentations and films where fashion plays a pivotal role in the film’s narrative.
“Our goal is always to bring together a global community of fashion and film aficionados to explore style in cinema and its influence on pop culture, fashion design, contemporary art and beauty standards,” said founder Mignon Gould. “This year it is particularly special because we will be honoring two icons with the inaugural Costume Design Career Achievement Award.”
The 2023 honorees are Ruth E. Carter and Patricia Field, receiving the 2023 Costume Design Career Achievement Award in Film and Television, respectively.
As one of the most prolific costume designers of the 21st Century and with more than 40 years of fashioning costumes for stage, television and film, Carter has stitched her niche amongst the elite in her field. The Oscar award-winning costume designer has collaborated with Hollywood glitterati running the gamut from directors Spike Lee, Ryan Coogler and Ava Duvernay to actors such as Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston and Chadwick Boseman.
She costumed more than 40 films including critically acclaimed and award-winning movies such as “Malcom X” and “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and period films with narratives woven in the fabric of American history such as “Amistad” and “Selma.” She also made history twice with the iconic Black Panther franchise when in 2018 she became the first Black person to win an Oscar for Best Costume Design, and in 2023 at the 95th Academy Awards she became the only Black woman to win two Oscars, with her second win for the Black Panther sequel.
Carter’s penchant for cultivating Afrocentric costuming, both historical and fantastical, has made an indelible impression on the film industry as well as filmgoers. She not only elevated the art of costume design on the silver screen, but has also had a profound impact on representation and diversity in film.
"Thank you to FashFilmFete for honoring a career that enriched the black experience on screen and allowed audiences to understand us through the powerful storytelling medium of costume design,” Carter said. “Over my career, every historical film or biopic I costume designed set the stage to introduce Afrofuturism in the Black Panther films. With this career achievement award, I’m proud that Afrofuturism continues to be celebrated."
FashFilmFete is also honoring Field for her outstanding contributions to the industry. Her career began in the 1980s and her boundary-pushing style quickly became synonymous with the “it” crowds in New York City. Her 30-plus-year costuming TV shows not only included HBO’s "Sex and the City," but TV Land’s “Younger” and Netflix’s “Emily in Paris” as well.
Field’s meticulous attention to detail and unabashedly bold aesthetic brought characters to life and showcased unapologetically feminine and strong women on TV. Her design prowess was also seen on the big screen in films such as “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Second Act.”
Field created costumes that captured the essence of the characters, while enhancing the storytelling and shaping the narrative. Her legacy will continue to inspire costume designers and fashion enthusiasts for generations to come.
"It feels good to be honored for the role my work has played in engaging viewers and helping shape a narrative that showcases a woman’s individuality through the lens of fashion. My theory is that fashion is an art form that depicts the story and the mood of the time. I’m grateful to have been a contributor to the art form, and I thank FashFilmFete for this recognition,” Field said.
“Happy Clothes: A film about Patricia Field,” which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, is the showcase film. The director Michael Selditch will be in attendance for a Q&A.
Other films being screened and in consideration for FashFilmFete awards include:
-
“American Made,” directed by Dana Nies.
-
“CityCenterDC – Celebrating You," directed by Dean Alexander.
-
“Finissage,” directed by Pabli Stein and Sebastian Muro.
-
“Franciacorta - A Golden Feeling,” directed by Enea Colombi.
-
“House Of Mystic Magic,“ directed by Alexander Miguel.
-
“How to Deal With Fame,” directed by Tiffany Ike.
-
“The Missing Piece,” directed by Hitaali Dharamshi.
-
“The Power is Yours,” directed by Urivaldo Lopes.
-
“Time is Eternal,” directed by Daniel M Lir and Bayou Bennett.
There will also be an encore presentation of select award winners from the 2022 festival.
For more information and tickets, visit phxart.org.
