STAND UP STAND OUT: Fashion & Filmmaking Featuring Director Ronita Awoonor-Gordon
Photography by Inés Ladrón de Cegama López
24 April 2024
By Arabella Ladiero
‘The more we are seen, the more we are heard
In an age of Depop deals, fast-fashion and micro-trends, Ronita Awoonor-Gordon’s latest documentary ‘Stand Up, Stand Out’ is a sincere tribute to the never-expiring legacies of the revolutionaries before us, exploring the global importance of personal style as a means of protest. Featuring a rich mix of archival footage and a reimagined lookbook of outfits, the short documentary pays homage to the politics of fashion history. Taking audiences on a journey from the American Civil Rights Movement to the #EndSARS protests, ‘Stand Up, Stand Out’ is, at its core, a film for the underdogs.
Below, we speak to Ronita Awoonor-Gordon on fashion, filmmaking and her vision for the future.
Photography by Abu Dumbuya
Why did you want to make a film on the intersection between fashion and politics - and more importantly why did you want to make it now?
Initially, the film was based on one of my anthropology papers I completed during my masters. I looked at whether aesthetics could be a useful tool within African feminism and so the use of fashion as a statement has always been interesting to me. I’ve always wanted to make a film or documentary based on what I’ve learnt and so when the opportunity came to expand my portfolio, I took it as a chance to revisit something that had already piqued my interest at the time. I wanted to explore that avenue and try my hand at fashion filmmaking.
I think I wanted to make it now because I’ve seen how social media is playing a big part in political movements and protests and I felt like I wanted to contribute to that conversation. I feel like the way that I can personally contribute to large conversations is through my creativity- through my filmmaking.
I loved how it felt like an interactive fashion show - What were your main influences for the documentary?
In terms of the visuals I was heavily influenced by fashion films, I watched loads and loads of fashion films to see how they share collections with audiences. And then in terms of looks that we chose, I had a big list of movements and looks I was interested in and sat down with the creative director Rohmarra, to narrow it down to the five main looks. Some of them have sub-movements embedded in them as well, for example, when I looked at youth counter-culture, I came across the Hippie movement of 70s and also the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria.
I’ll add that it’s a mix of looks that I knew were iconic throughout my life, for example the Black Panther movement and leather and Martin Luther King's more suited-and-booted protests. But also, when I started refining the idea, the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria was quite big and there were a lot of recession-related protests - so it became a mix of iconic looks and ones that are relevant now.
Photography by Abu Dumbuya
Photography by Inés Ladrón de Cegama López
Your documentary draws together the two visual cultures of fashion and film, what is your relationship with using either of these as self-expression?
I think that fashion is not something I make a conscious thought about, but I recognise that it is something that others think of. Actually, one of my first projects was a docuseries called ‘GRWM’, that explored a few different people’s relationships with fashion and how that related to their identity and sense of self. I recognised that in other people. Funnily enough I did try an episode on myself but I think it’s harder to see myself in that position compared to others.
I would definitely say that filmmaking is my expression of self. I have a background in anthropology and as much as I love it, I preferred exploring that research and those ideas through creativity. And so I think filmmaking was the perfect medium and balance between the research that I love to do and my creativity. I wanted to marry the two. Filmmaking is a representation of those two sides of me.
Photography by Abu Dumbuya
Were there any movements in particular that you wanted to highlight?
Because the film is a manifestation of my past anthropology paper, I knew that I wanted to have that feminism aspect in it. I wanted to look at mini skirts and women rocking men’s silhouettes because there was a time when women were not allowed to participate in that.
I would say that the looks of the civil rights era is something that is always on people’s lips, so it wouldn’t have been right if I didn't include it. I think through sitting with the creative director we were able to decide what other movements we would be able to feature, and there were even a few we didn't get a chance to look at. The film also included some references to Halo Code, and hair discrimination. I wanted to look at things that people don’t immediately think of as forms of protest, because whilst hair can grow out and be cut off, people don’t realise it can cost you a job, it can cost you an education. People are getting kicked out of school and rejected from jobs because of it.
Do you think there's still a future relationship between fashion and revolution?
I definitely think so. I think fashion is sometimes seen to be very superficial - only about trends, and fashion shows and outer image - but they forget that how we style ourselves is based on our cultural history and our experiences. And I think that aspect of fashion will always continue, as different things happen in the world, people will use fashion to respond to what’s going on. I think that down the line there will be more to say on fashion and styling playing a part in political movements.
BTS Videographer - Inés Ladrón de Cegama López
What is the main message you hope audiences will have after watching this documentary?
I want to challenge viewers to think of fashion through a different light. A lot of my work looks at things that many think are just ‘fun’ - like music and fashion for example - but there is a deeper meaning to a lot of what we do. So I want people to consider the importance of fashion, where these things seem fun and easy but they either speak for people or are a way for people to make space and room for themselves. I hope that audiences know that these things aren’t just superficial, they mean something.
As a young woman of colour in the industry, what do you hope the future of female filmmaking looks like?
I would say that I hope that the film industry in general just becomes a level playing field. It is really tough when you don’t come from money, especially in the early stages because you have to create a lot of the work yourself and that can become costly. I hope that it becomes easier to be in the room, even when you don’t come from rich backgrounds.
And, finally, what do you see in your future as a filmmaker?
I think down the line…I don’t know - I kind of like seeing where I’ll end up. Ultimately I would like to do documentaries, branded and commercial, but I’m not married to that idea. I think I want to see where the journey will take me.
‘Stand Up, Stand Out’ (2024) will be available to watch on April 24. You can keep up to date with Ronita’s projects by following her instagram @ronitatemitayo_