"I think as I’ve delved more into experimental fashion work and ethereal themes in my films, my personal style has transformed to reflect that."
Every Stitch is a new interview series asking fashion’s new creative class how they manage their closets, lives, and careers.
Sayna Fardaraghi is a filmmaker based in London. Her work, which covers the breadth of short films, fashion films, and music videos, has been seen in Vogue, SHOWstudio, NOWNESS, and more. Her most recent narrative short, Waiting, won the Intel/Movidiam Award for Best Director and was named the Best Experimental Student Film at TIFF. Sayna and I have known each other since the OG iteration of HALOSCOPE, and it's been unbelievably beautiful watching her career skyrocket over the year — especially in light of her debut narrative short, Glint.
Here’s how Sayna picks up every stitch.
The self-appointed work uniform:
I feel like it's always this very specific look I'm wearing to the Burberry office and to my freelance meetings, which is a striped pink blouse, loosely buttoned; an asymmetrical striped brown Morgan skirt; and my trusty Paloma wool Judo boots I'm always wearing. Other times, it's an off-the-shoulder tank sitch with a skirt.
I’m not too fussed on the occasion's dress code. I’ll just wear what I feel confident in and feel like the person I want to be for the day! It weirdly impacts my mood even if a tiny detail feels off. I find the way I dress is really an outlet to externally portray my inner self — my personality, my aesthetic, and my mood.
When it comes to being on set, I'm normally dressed a little more comfy and practical, like some black yoga pants with a shapely tank top paired with my Z-Coil trainers. You’ll be surprised how hot it can get on set, as well as how many random stains and dust you collect — so black is an easy one to not worry about so much!
The journey to becoming a filmmaker:
It sort of came out of nowhere, really, I just fell into it! I initially wanted to be a fine artist / graphic designer, but with my intrigue to work with new mediums, I ended up finding and falling in love with film. Specifically fashion films and experimental work through NOWNESS.
From there, I started experimenting. I originally wanted to be more of a DP / cinematographer — but as it turns out, I'm a way better director, as that's what I was consistently praised on and asked to work as. The transition from my university life to the real world was really lucky, I worked a lot on some small fashion film setups with a close friend of mine at SHOWstudio and got paired to work with the lovely Charles Jeffrey, who gave me my first fashion film gig as a director. I went on to direct a few projects for his collections, one being featured in Vogue, at the London Fashion Film Festival, and at SHOWstudio, which was a sweet full-circle moment. From there I got scouted, and here I am about to complete my next short film Glint in a couple weeks!
The on-set must-haves:
My polaroid camera — I'm a very sentimental person so I need to snap a pic. I still have my polaroid of me and Charles on our first project. Another thing is my personal shot-list with lots of notes printed off to hand. I'm a bit hyper-organized and need it on me at all times. And snacks... of course. I love Clearspring Salted Seaweed Crisps & strawberry Hello Pandas, they’re so addicting.
The people who help her get it done:
My AD (Assistant Director) — any thought I have and it's done! I remember working on a music video for Sony (which was my first real music video job ever, a very high-risk training ground), which included a cast of around 20 people. It ran so smoothly and I couldn’t have done it without my AD & 2nd AD. Love you forever Niomi & Lottie. <3
The art-personal style connection:
I think as I’ve delved more into experimental fashion work and ethereal themes in my films, my personal style has transformed to reflect that. I'm wearing lots of softer palettes, detailed with accessories — like silver cuffs, my RKB necklace, a belt, etc. — or pairings of different fabrics to create shape. I love an outfit that sits on me with a flattering structure but also has a flowy element. I’m always looking at and dressed in something Paloma Wool, and going back to images from Chloe SS00, Prada SS99, and Luca Luca SS03.
The problem with perfectionism:
This is hard! I've grown to appreciate my perfectionism at times, as it helps me set goals and expectations for myself to do better, but it can very quickly turn toxic. I think the best way to let go is to try to keep calm, grounded, and stay realistic, knowing that you’ve done the best you can. I often find myself internally setting expectations years beyond my physical work, and to combat that I go back to Day 1, realize how much I've grown and that I'm doing just fine. Sure, I'd love to be doing grander stuff, but I have to be patient! I'm bad at waiting, which is quite literally what one of my films is called and [is] about — I need to take my own advice more often.
The way she shows up for herself on set:
I definitely try to decompress the day before, take a bath, even have a therapy session to clear my mind a bit and get all my worries and frustrations out of mind. That way, when I'm on set the following day, I can be the best version of myself to serve my crew — because, at the end of the day, the director is the person setting the tone for the environment. It's crucial for me to put my best foot forward and create a great atmosphere for everyone!
When I'm on set, I’m always so excited and just ecstatic to see my little ideas come to life — so I'm full of energy. I just need to remember to eat and drink more, as well as to sit down. I seem to always forget to do that, ha.
The advice she'd give burgeoning creatives:
Stay true to your vision, always. As you begin to grow and gain clients, there will be more people involved — with that, it can snowball quite easily, with higher-ups swaying your vision and turning it into something else, and that can turn quite soul-killing. I’ve had that happen to me before where I didn't believe in myself enough and let other people change my vision entirely. Not anymore though! Always remember that your vision, your style, and your eye is your strength, that's why you’ve been hired and that’s why you’ve been seen. Don't ever forget that and never let anyone change what makes you you. 🌀