Turner Classic Movies(TCM) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) are teaming up for Follow the Thread, a limited series exploring the synergy between fashion and film. It is inspired by the Met's new exhibition, In America: An Anthology of Fashion, which launched earlier this month and will run through September 5. It premieres on TCM on June 4 and HBO Max on June 17.
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, TCM's General Manager Pola Chagnon discusses how the series came about.
"We reached out to the Met with an eye to, 'Is there a way for us to elevate it for TCM and ground it in something that is speaking to the culture currently?' There's probably no bigger event than the Met Gala," Chagnon says.
In America: An Anthology of Fashion features 100 examples of men's and women's dress dating from the 19th to the mid-late 20th century, and counts on nine-film directors to create fictional "freeze fames" to share their fashion perspectives. Those directors are: Tom Ford, Sofia Coppola, Regina King, Martin Scorsese, Radha Blank, Janicza Bravo, Julie Dash, Autumn de Wilde, and Chloé Zhao.
Follow The Thread's Focus on Fashion
Parts of the series, hosted by TCM's Alicia Malone, were filmed on location at the Met. Follow the Thread includes conversations with some of fashion's most recognizable names, including fashion expert Tim Gunn (Project Runway), designers Bob Mackie and Zac Posen, costume designer Isis Mussenden (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), and fashion and film historian Kimberly Truhler.
In its thorough exploration of the powerful connection between film and fashion, Follow the Thread will present 70 feature films including Sabrina (1954), Rebel Without a Cause, Funny Face, Annie Hall, American Gigolo, Kill Bill Vol. 1, The Great Gatsby (2013), and Crazy Rich Asians.
In a statement released by TCM yesterday, Chagnon said:
“We see fashion inspired by the silver screen gracing red carpets, runways, and city streets every day. Fashion is yet another way for our fans to join these colorful worlds and show their passion for their favorite films, which is on display in Follow the Thread.”
The partnership is expected to be mutually beneficial for TCM and the Met, and drive more, and new, audiences to both. In another fashion collaboration, TCM has recently partnered with Julien's Auctions for an upcoming Hollywood Legends auction that will include jewelry worn by Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Jane Russell, and Elizabeth Taylor.