Diane Pernet is a trailblazing fashion icon, celebrated for her distinctive style and visionary contributions to the industry. As a pioneering fashion blogger, she founded in 2005 A Shaded View on Fashion a platform for avant-garde fashion. Diane’s influence extends beyond the digital realm: she is also the founder of the ASVOFF (A Shaded View on Fashion Film) festival, championing the intersection of fashion, contemporary art and film. Her unique aesthetic and innovative spirit have made her a respected figure in the global fashion community, continuously inspiring new generations of creatives.
- Diane, please tell us about your early years in the U.S. and your experience in Paris ?
{D.P.}: I started with a degree in documentary filmmaking at Temple University with a passion for directors such as Cassavetes and Fassbender. They were my favorite. Then I studied fashion for nine months at both Parsons and FIT at the same time before having my own brand for 13 years.
In 1990, I moved to Paris and had several projects including costume design for a couple of films; but Amos Gitaï’s Golem the Spirit of Exile was the first one. I then worked for CBC Fashion File as an assistant producer. I ended up being a journalist by a kind of accident, starting with a Japanese magazine, elle.com and vogue.fr. In February 2005 I started my own blog.
It was my experience with Amos Gitaï, that was not my favorite experience, that planted the seeds for my film festival. I was supposed to be the first costume designer for this film when I moved from New York and I ended up being the last one. Indeed I was the sixth costume designer on the film because they kept being fired or quit. I was brought to reshoot the beginning and end of the film with the two main characters and one was Hanna Schygulla which was great because she started her career working with Fassbinder. Again, I absolutely love this director and I have seen all his films. So, I was on the set of Golem, L’esprit de l’exil and it happens that the cinematographer was Henri Alekan. He was more than 80 years old but had the energy of a 40 year old. He was great. On the other hand Amos got scared because I was a fashion designer. When you are a good costume designer, you develop your character, it is not about: here is the bag, here are the shoes.
It was in 1991, I started my blog in 2005 and it took until 2006 to start my festival because things move very slowly in France. I have been living here for 33 years and obviously I love this country otherwise I would not be here. But to describe it, I always quote Orson Welles who is talking about making a movie: “Making a film is like riding a tricycle through molasses”. It’s like: “god knows how long it’s gonna take ?”. In my view, if you want to do something, you just do it. Because if you wait for people to support you, you can wait forever. Only last year did I get the stamp from the Ministry of Culture. I hope it is not going to change with the new politics.
As I was the first, I was invited everywhere and those countries said: “we are going to do our own festival” and did copycat festivals but they seem to be more interested in the celebrities than anything else.
- What strikes me is your kindness towards young creators. Does it come from the fact that you were a fashion designer yourself ?
{D.P.}: Exactly. I was an independent designer and I had my own brand for 13 years in New York with a license in Tokyo. When I worked for Vogue, Elle and CBC, I realized that unless you are an advertiser, you wont have proper press coverage. As a journalist I could only get one independent designer every season. I had to fight for Martin Margiela because he did not advertise. This is the reason why I support independent designers.
- Why did you choose to have the festival during Paris Photo ?
{D.P.}: One of my jury members, who is a curator at the Tate Modern, suggested doing the festival during Paris Photo. It was a great idea because this is a period when there are more people in town.
Bruce Weber, one of the most famous fashion photographers, now does great films. His producer calls me one day and tells me that Bruce did a film on Italian photographer Paolo di Paolo that he suggests to screen during the festival. Few days before the screening Bruce asked to have a piano player coming from London. I knew there was a piano at Dover Street Market but not a new and beautiful one; so obviously not the type that Bruce wanted. Ultimately Bruce sent a Steinway at his expense and Jay Jay Johanson came to perform the first day. Jay Jay had no idea we would have this beautiful piano. At the end of the day this was a wonderful moment and I thought I would stick to Paris Photo. You never never know what may come out of it.
- The festival is held at Dover Street Market. Why is it the right place for the festival ?
{D.P.}: We spent 7 years at the Centre Pompidou which was fantastic. It was great. But I understand that it is not that easy for them to work with someone independent. So we moved to Dover Street right after COVID.
At this time, they were building Dover Street Market and started to curate their first exhibition: “Je t’aime moi non plus” and I knew Adrian Joffe, President of Comme des Garcons and Dover Street Market who founded the concept store with Rei Kawakubo, because at the time I was a fashion journalist and the editor for a fashion magazine in Hong Kong called Joyce. Adrian travels all the time and has so much work. When we finally came together he asked me what I needed. At the time the 35-37 was a purely cultural space. It was not a commercial space. He showed me his space in Paris that was under construction and I just said: “this is it”.
When ASVOFF was at the Centre Pompidou they gave us a space, technicians. So it was amazing, but If I had a sudden idea such as the one with the piano, there is no way it would work. It should have been decided weeks/months in advance. Working with Adrian is like having a blessing. He is somebody so special and I don’t know anybody like him: he supports creativity and believes in it. He wants to keep the collaboration like it was at the Centre Pompidou but still keep a space for cultural events. With Rei it is part of their whole “raison d’être”.
- What is the process when it comes to nominating the jury ? Could you briefly present the members of the next edition ?
{D.P.}: I am in charge of selecting the jury. I choose people that are interesting and that have something to say. This year Michèle Lamy is going to be the president for the second time and I invited Jay Jay Johanson, this amazing singer, composer and human being I mentioned earlier. Among the other members will be Matthieu Orléan, a curator of the cinémathèque française, Bina Daigeler a costume designer who is currently working on the new Almodovar movie, she also did Only Lovers Left Alive by Jim Jarmusch. Elias Medini aka Ly.as, who is absolutely great, Audrey Marnay a model and actress. I have been following her since she was 15. This is a very varied jury because I like to have different input.
My festival is very inclusive and diverse. In addition to the official competition there are eight separate categories. They all have their curators and they choose their own jury. This involves children and teenagers for the climate warriors categories because sustainability has always been part of the festival. I thought it would be interesting to see what kids think and give 30 sec per film for the kids and 60 seconds for teens, made on their mobile phones or in stop motion to show how they see the future. Their president of the jury is someone who is 13 for the children and 15 for the teenagers and they pick their own jury as well.
There is also the Skateboard icon Steve Olson. He is my friend from when I was a designer in New York in the 80’s. He was going out with one of my models back then. When I did my first festival in 2006 on Hollywood Boulevard we had some problems with our space because we had it for free and it ended up being double booked for Terminator 2. At the end they put us on a terrace at 7 o’clock in August. As you can imagine we had an issue with the sun. So I called Steve that I had not seen in years and he came to help fix the problem. We have been super close since then. He was on my jury last year and I asked him to be on that new edition. There is also in the jury this great actor who played Deputy Andy Brennan in Twin Peaks: Harry Goaz. It is a mix between people from the previous editions and new people with different ages, mindsets and life experiences.
- Having the opportunity to watch a lot of films and videos, what is the zeitgeist at the moment ?
{D.P.}: Well, there is not that much hope at the moment, unfortunately. There is a kind of escapism in fantasy. One of the categories that is important to me, and new with this edition, is “mental health in fashion”.
Something totally different: a few editions ago I gave a guy that was in his 20’s a few hundred euros to pull together a project for Tiktok films. He was able to create an installation that does a cacophony and it was interesting to see people’s reactions. Now there are AI generated films. I always try to include things that I feel are valid at the moment.
Ink & Voices 