Solange Creates A Film Showcasing The Work Of The International Woolmark Prize Finalists

Solange’s agency Saint Heron has collaborated with the prestigious International Woolmark Prize to create a film showcasing the award’s 2021 finalists.

Entitled Passage, the film exhibits the works of Bethany Williams, Casablanca, Kenneth Ize, LECAVALIER, Matty Bovan and Thebe Magugu. The International Woolmark Prize is a steppingstone for many upcoming designers with previous winners including Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. The prize contains mentoring and an education program for its participants. The competition aims to express the versatility of certain materials such as Australian Merino Wool.

Passage from the offset appears clandestine, a clear story that is secretive in its narrative. Visuals similar to an old-timey film create a grained aesthetic coinciding with earthier tones often appearing in the clothing pieces. Director Wu Tsang conveys a traditional theatre as the setting of the film and uses conventional theatre techniques such as movement and shadows to orchestrate an awareness of live performance.


Dionne Warwick in Passage

Standing on the Corner score Passage, working on tracks from Solange’s album When I Get Home, they appear familiar with her distinct creative vision. An emphasis on more traditional and woodwind instruments add to the old-fashioned aura. But abrupt pauses leave a sense of tension and uneasiness that creates a feeling of wonder.

The pieces included in Passage act as a character. Styled by Ib Kamara the clothing not only adds to the narrative but creates that versatility that is cherished within the IWP. Each designer’s individual style seeps into the film affecting the tone of each scene. Switching from monotone slip dresses to intricate corsets.

The Saint Heron website describes Passage as “a survey of the full-body experience of reality and translates that to all elements of theatre - the spectator, the performer, the writer, the stage and the story.”

To find out more about the International Woolmark Prize and its 2021 finalists visit their website.

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