Frontline Fashion Documentary

Frontline Fashion is available now on iTunes. I love a good design competition. Let me know what you think.

20th Century Women Style

I just watched the movie 20th Century Women. So good. It’s deeply moving and well acted. I especially appreciate the care that went into the design of the movie. I love the color combinations and how scenes are composed.

Certain scenes feel inspired by the photographer Stephen Shore.

I noticed all the wall colors, lamps, and fabric choices.

I love the wardrobe choices for the character played by Greta Gerwig. The character tells us that she decided to color her hair red after seeing the movie The Man Who Fell To Earth. (BTW — we have that DVD at the library)

A few times throughout the movie they use this 3D coloring effect. It makes it feel so real to the time period. I was 11 years old in 1979. I clearly remember wearing paper 3D glasses as a child and looking at photos that looked like this. 

The librarian in me appreciates all the references made to books and movies throughout the film. The image below is from a New York magazine article where the filmmaker, Mike Mills, shares seven things that inspired 20th Century Women. Check it out.

Jimmy Carter’s Crisis of Confidence speech plays an important role in the movie. It’s worth a re-listen. I ♥ Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter’s Full “Crisis of Confidence” Speech (July 15, 1979)

The movie is set in a time before the internet. People got together and talked face to face. Let’s all resolve to have more dinner parties —  but without the cigarette smoking.

xo jam

Slow Fashion

I was contacted via email by a researcher at the University of Helsinki about this short film on the Slow Fashion movement in Finland. The film is the result of academic research. It can be viewed in its entirely for free on Vimeo. Help spread the good word. #slowfashion

This research-based film explores how clothing designers and seamstresses in the Kallio neighborhood of Helsinki understand and practice sustainable fashion. It discusses contradictions of the concept of sustainability and emphasizes that sustainability should include responsibility towards nature and also towards people, including the designers and seamstresses themselves, who experience precarity because of tension between sustainability and profitability of their micro-enterprises.