Diane Pernet Talks Fashion Film

Diane Pernet is best known for two things: her signature black headwear and her importance in the fashion filmmaking community. Based in Paris, Pernet was a film costume designer in the 1980s and the fashion editor for both Elle.com and VogueParis.fr before pioneering the concept of fashion blogging with the launch of her site, A Shaded View on Fashion, in 2005.

While some still struggle with the concept of the fashion film, dismissing them as cleverly concealed advertisements, Pernet was an early adopter and supporter of the now-momentous movement. This year marks the fourth annual ASVOF Film, the showcase of feature films, documentaries, conferences, performances and installations, curated by Diane and our friend Jason Last, that will close Paris Fashion Week. This year’s installment includes appearances by Daphne Guinness and Ellen Von Unworth and will take place on October 7-9

We spoke with Diane recently to get the low-down on her introduction to fashion film and what to expect from this year’s festival.

PORTABLE: What was the first fashion film you remember watching? What is your favorite of all the ones you’ve seen?
Who are you Polly Magoo? by William Klein.

What is your favorite of all the ones you’ve seen?
It is not really a fashion film per se, but the fashion plays a major role: The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant.

What would you say constitutes a fashion film, as opposed to a runway video, campaign advertisement or video lookbook?
Big difference: a fashion film has to fill the same criteria as any other film, the difference is that the fashion plays a major role. I don’t consider a fashion shoot in motion to be a real film. There is a lot of diversity in a campaign advertisement—it can be average or it can be amazing, it all depends on the director and the content.

What has changed in the four years since the ASVOFF Festival began?
Actually my first fashion film festival was called You Wear it Well and I co-curated it with my LA correspondent at the time. that was August 2006. When I renamed it ASVOFF it became a real 3 day festival which includes conferences and master class. Four years ago people did not understand what a fashion film was and now there is practically not a brand that has not jumped on the fashion film bandwagon and took the decision to explore the ‘new’ medium. I say ‘new’ because fashion films were around in the 70s but they have taken a new form and at the moment are experiencing a virtual exposition.

What can we expect to see at the festival this year? What are you most excited about?
I cannot limit myself to one or two things. I am happy with the response so far, happy with the personal appearances and just basically happy to have seen so many diverse and interesting films.

Is there one director or designer you’d especially like to see working in film who hasn’t yet?
I’d love to see what Alexander de Betak would do as a director of a film. I’m sure it would be magic.

Describe this year’s festival in three words:
diverse, provocative and inspirational.