Honoring fashion, theater, performance, and most importantly, the six finalists of the 2021 International Woolmark Prize, Solange Knowles has a new, immersive short film starring Dionne Warwick, Dominique Jackson, Joi, KeiyaA, and SahBabii. The IWP is typically staged at the end of London Fashion Week, unveiling the work of its six finalists. Due to the pandemic, this year, Bethany Williams, Casablanca’s Charaf Tajer, Kenneth Ize, Marie-Eve Lecavalier, Thebe Magugu, and Matty Bovan presented their sustainable, traceable looks in merino wool via video, curated by Solange’s multidisciplinary platform, Saint Heron. Directed by Wu Tsang, the six-minute film, titled Passage, reflects both the garments and the conditions they were made in: contemplation, courage, optimism, vulnerability, discipline, and strength.
“To reflect on and honor the creative process with the 2021 International Woolmark Prize finalists, Passage aligns with Saint Heron’s mission to reverence creation as life, from abstraction to being,†Solange said in a press release, according to Pitchfork. “I’ve been a longtime fan of Wu Tsang’s work and to be able to work alongside her, the Saint Heron team, and all of the incredible artists and designers in the film, really fortifies the ethos of collaboration and communal creative exchange that we wish to continue to embody.†Wu Tsang, performer, filmmaker, and recipient of the 2018 MacArthur “Genius†Grant, added, “Solange has such a strong, unique voice and, along with her poetic approach, used performance as a way to unify and contrast each individual look. Working across theatre and film myself, this felt like the perfect melding of everyone’s visions.â€