“Bafta’s Brutalist Strat”
Fashion and film went hand-in-hand at the EE British Academy Film Awards held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday Feb. 16. Held annually in honor of excellence in British and international film-making, the awards drew a diverse crowd, critical to its mission “to promote a wider understanding and appreciation of all that film can achieve” (Bafta 2022).
After a three-year COVID-influenced hiatus, the red carpet was packed with major A-list names in fashion including Catherine Deneuve, Marina de Tavira, Kristin Scott Thomas, Daisy Ridley, and Oscar Isaac, all looking as elegant and sophisticated as ever. But amidst these perfectly-coiffed starlets and the formidable Bafta sponsors, one aesthetic in particular shone through: that of brutalism, the design movement that arose in the late 1940s and emphasized form over aesthetics.
That is, all of the aforementioned Brits and their international counterparts were dressed to the nines in clothing designed by four out of the five fashion houses selected by Bafta for London Essentials, an “exclusive collection plan” offering Bafta attendees wearable, trendy, and eco-sustainable fashion collaborations that marry “film and fashion together and minimize [their] environmental impact” (Bafta 2021). With gold piastrels radiating magnificently in every direction, I wondered which fashion line would be selected as the centerpiece for 2021, focusing my gaze on the Grace Kelly Awards Pavilion.
The answers were both surprising and enthralling: “One British jewellery label, one British womenswear label, one British menswear label, and a British accessories label” (Bafta 2021). My initial reaction was pure excitement and awe. After all, androgynous and bold statements are exactly what Bafta, and the fashion that was worn therein, are all about. So, which fashion labels does Bafta deem worthy of such esteem and support this year?
During London Fashion Week in September 2020, it was announced that Bafta had selected Fenwick, the hyper-exciting and electronically-commissioned technology-oriented art and fashion boutique situated in the heart of Bond Street in London’s ultra-exclusive West End district (Brownet 2020). Suddenly, I felt like I was once again back at the epicenter of “fashion as art” aura, visually appealing interiors, and unforgettable chocolates as I watched as the “greatest talent in the world at work” (Sacher 1990). I still try to visit the Ginger Sapphire chocolate shop at least once a month and enjoy the Ginger Sapphire collection, which is one of the most exquisite instillations available to us today (Sacher 1990).
Back at the EE Bafta Awards red carpet, I saw
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