Dear Shaded Viewers,
At ASVOFF, conversations go far beyond the frame. This year, one of the most resonant moments came from a panel hosted in partnership with LOTKA&Co., bringing together designer Willy Chavarria and creative studio MATTE Projects to discuss their collaboration on Safe from Harm. The discussion was not about process, but about possibility: what happens when a designer and a studio decide that existing formats can no longer hold what needs to be said, and choose instead to build something entirely new.
Guiding the exchange, Pascal K Douglas proved an exceptional moderator, drawing out the emotional, political, and aesthetic stakes of the project with a light but assured touch. This marks his third time serving on the ASVOFF jury and his first, and hopefully not the last, appearance as master of ceremonies for the festival, underscoring his evolving role in the ASVOFF community.
Willy spoke with disarming honesty about opportunity and responsibility in the creative world. He emphasized how much he values giving people a break and an opportunity to show their work, noting that he received many such chances throughout his own career and sees it as essential that smaller brands and companies open the door for emerging talent to step up and deliver with dedication and conviction.
As jury president, collaborator, and someone who deeply understands what Diane Pernet has built, Willy set the tone for the festival: generous, exacting, and forward-looking. In dialogue with MATTE Projects and under Pascal’s deft moderation, his commitment to storytelling as cultural change rather than mere spectacle crystallized why ASVOFF continues to matter in the fashion film landscape.
Later,
Diane
