Radical Vertical

Symone Ridgell
Fashion
Interview by Holger Homann
Photos by Symone Ridgell
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HH The New York Times once described
you as having a “late-80s, early-90s thing”—
watching “Channel Surfing”, I can see you
stick to the glam—what is so fascinating about
that time period you never lived in? How does
it affect your daily life?
SR I’m not sure at all. I have a theory
that the decade one’s born into is constantly
looking at least two decades before them,
because that’s the age group that was cool
when they were kids. Sort of how “Dazed
and Confused”, “Boogie Nights”, and
“The Wedding Singer” were so successful
repeating the 70s/80s in the 90s. There’s this
strange transition that happened to film after
video emerged that I’m interested in mixing
together, rather than keeping apart (especially
in the digital/web-based era of video).
HH How would you describe
“vintage glamour”?
SR I’d describe it as Helmut Newton’s
“Cold Eye” mixed with your Mom’s
old headshot.
HH You are Director/Editor | Video
Producer at PAPER magazine—tell us more
about PAPER magazine and your contributions
for that medium.
SR PAPER gave me my jumping-off
point and from there sparked a symbiotic
relationship between the brand and my
personal taste.
HH Please tell us about the casting
process for those shorts—did you have
freedom of choice?
SR I worked closely with the casting
director and stylist, Ella Cepeda, who has a
natural eye for both. I can’t take any credit.
She just showed me her choices and I loved
them both.
HH You studied at the Parsons School
of Art and Design. How important would
you rate your academic background in terms
of your current work, and how much more
important has the actual experience become?
SR I couldn’t imagine there being any
other route for myself academically. I use
everything I learned in my time spent there in
all facets of my life.
HH How important is the influence
of photography in general, and fashion
in specific?
SR For me, very important. Fashion is
where you create the character. It’s the same
as wardrobing on a narrative feature.
HH How important would you say
Music and Pop plays in conjunction with
your own work?
SR Music is major. I don’t think I
would’ve ever dove as deep into film without
it. As a kid I would sit in the passenger seat of
my Grandpa’s car listening to my iPod classic
and think up music videos for each song
playing that didn’t already have one.
Sound is an incredibly manipulative source.
With it, you can change the entire scope of an
image with one good or bad move.
HH You mentioned Gia and Sofia
Coppola having a major influence on you
for their storytelling styles. In terms of your
own work—would you consider that you’ve
achieved your own style?
SR I do. I, however, don’t think it’s
completely manifested, but I’m not sure I’d
like it to. I’d like to constantly be changing
themes within that style. I really look to
Kubrick in that sense. He’s a director whose
motifs followed throughout most of his work
no matter the changing themes.
HH In terms of influence by other
directors, is there any European director you
may claim to have an impact on your work?
SR I’ve never thought about it like
this, but I guess that all depends on if I’m
shooting color or black and white. I come
from a photographic background, so the two
mediums are very separate in my mind. When
I’m shooting black and white, it’s got to be
Fellini and Resnais. It took me a second after
starting college to make the transition from
photo to film. So anything that can work as a
still image really captures my attention when
it then chooses to move.
I found myself looking a lot to Dario
Argento’s “Suspiria” during the filming of
“Channel Surfing” for his vivid use of colors
through unmotivated lighting.
HH As a female director looking back
at your own experience—do you feel the
fashion industry should become more diverse
in the direction of decision makers in terms of
business and creative decisions?
SR Absolutely. Yes. Speaking as a
young, female, African-American, that’s a
no brainer.
HH Working in the west, east and south
of the US—if you could choose, which would
be your preferred city to work in?
SR I prefer to write in the midwest, film
in the east, and take a breather in the south.
I grew up between Michigan and Florida,
so bits and pieces of me belong to certain
regions. Living in New York and not being
able to have the parts of the other cities I
call home readily available has been tough
to navigate. Though, I’ve found ways to still
create without having to travel miles to get
there. New York is such a surprising place. You
can find the suburbs and the beach amongst
the city if you look for them.
HH
Can you tell us about your next project?
SR I just wrapped two projects coming
out this September. The first is a music video
for the artist Mafalda. She’s got an incredibly
smooth dark-pop sound. We met two years
ago when I first started at PAPER on a
shoot and this will be her first music video.
The second is a piece highlighting several
northeast based sex workers. I chose to film
it in a 1970s porno homage, but instead
of the sex workers playing their assumed
roles, I flipped the script and gave them the
role of the director on a porn set. I wanted
to highlight their ability to direct
their own careers.
MATERIAL GIRLS