The second annual La Jolla Fashion Film Festival got under way on July 29 and 30 at the Museum of Contemporary Art La Jolla. All the fashion fans arrived for this most anticipated event, a “who’s who” for international directors and photographers. Anna Easteden, wearing an Eva Varro design for one of her five dress changes throughout the evening, was the mistress of ceremonies. Easteden recently filmed a pilot for NBC with Don Johnson. Each short film shown at the festival was a visionary feast to the eyes combining fashion and art. And the fashion had top billing: Prada, Armani, Christian Lacroix and Dior are some of the top name fashion designers that were used in the films. On the first night, the short film “Barefooting around the World” by Bruce Webber was a beautiful, feel-good film about what is important in life. One of the audience pleasers was “The Lady Noire Affair,” by Olivier Dahan, which replicated a 1940s mystery with great suspense. The film starred a Dior handbag playing alongside French actress Marion Cotillard, and John Galliano provided the art direction. The first evening finished up with Best Director-winner Marcus K. Jones showing his skill and versatility with three separate films. The second day began with a seminar in which Mahal Style.com gave tips on how to interact and market around the world on Facebook. Robin Kay, president of the Fashion Design Council of Canada, also shared her knowledge during a seminar on the fashion industry and her experience as founder and director of LG Toronto Fashion Week. The second night boasted a stellar lineup of talent with films that included humor, drama, suspense and even a campy short film with a woman as a hit man. “Remember Now,” directed by Karl Lagerfeld, was an obvious crowd pleaser. As an added bonus, Lagerfeld makes a special appearance at the end of the film dressed from head to toe all in white. Antoine Asseraf and Rene Habermacher, who produced a Hitchcock-style drama with a wide variety of glamorous couture designs and Jamin Puech handbags, took home the Best Fashion Award. Johan Renck directed two seductive shorts for Armani Jeans — one starring Megan Fox and the other featuring soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. The last film was produced by London based Zaiba Jabbar and featured international fashion designer Zandra Rhodes wearing a hat by London milliner Piers Atkinson. For more information, visit www.LJFFF.com
