Wrapping up in style

By Malwina Gudowska

After 10 packed days of fashion, films and fun, the Calgary International Film Festival came to a close over the weekend. But before we said goodbye to the cameras and action, we caught the last two movies in this year’s inaugural Fashion in Film series, Useless by Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke and Gloss, set in modern-day Russia and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky.

While Useless was an uncomfortably slow-moving and challenging look at clothing manufacturing and fashion design in China, Gloss was an amusing and sometimes absurd story of one woman’s unexpected journey to becoming a cover model. And with all the rumours swirling about Vogue Russia’s Editor Aliona Doletskaya possibly dethroning Anna Wintour at the American office, it was a timely look at the magazine business in Russia—even if it was a bit extreme. Either way, we loved the Karl Lagerfeld look-alike designer who is even asked in the movie: “Who do you think you are, Karl Lagerfeld?” And even the editor-in-chief of the movie’s fictional beauty magazine resembles Doletskaya, but then again, maybe it’s just the blonde hair.

After the matinee screening of Gloss, I ran into Jacqueline Dupuis, the executive director of CIFF, shopping downtown. She was looking for a new bag to take with her to Italy, where she’s headed in a couple of weeks for the film festival. And not to talk too much shop, but we did briefly discuss how the Fashion in Film series will only get bigger and better in the upcoming years, so stay tuned.

And although sadly, we weren’t treated to any more celebrity sightings at the festival, when we took a break from the films to attend a pre-season Calgary Flames game over the weekend, we spotted Elisha Cuthbert, Kim Bauer off of 24 who of course is dating current hockey star, Dion Phaneuf. Hockey games really are great for people watching.

Shown: Still from Jia Zhang-ke’s Useless.

Malwina Gudowska is FASHION’s Alberta reporter. Click to read the latest shop notes from Calgary and Edmonton.

Read all of FASHION’s coverage of the Calgary International Film Festival.

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