Formichetti, one of the most prolific creatives of his generation, will support as costume mentor the first wave of emerging Saudi design talent, as both the film and fashion pathways converge in the oasis city.

The son of a Japanese mother and Italian father, Nicola Formichetti has always been a bridge between cultures. Born in Tokyo, he made the conscious choice, at an early age, to learn about his maternal and paternal heritages, thus finding his own path and a sense of belonging in each world.

Formichetti has been a fashion editor at Vogue Hommes Japan as well as having run his own monthly page titled “Eye Spy” at uber cool publication Dazed & Confused. But his entry into the fashion world wasn’t conventional, much like the man himself. In fact, Formichetti applied to study architecture in London, to live in the city he’d always dreamed of moving to, yet instead of attending classes he "literally walked in the front door of the architecture school and then ran out of the back one to go clubbing for three years,” as he told Vice years later.

In the early Naughts, Formichetti met Lady Gaga and the collaboration between the two has been the stuff of legends. It kicked off in May of 2009 at a shoot with Argentinian photographer Sebastian Faena for the July 2009 issue of V Magazine, and as Formichetti tells it, “it was an instant love.” And it continued through 2020, when, after a hiatus, Formichetti became the fashion director in the production of Gaga's sixth studio album, Chromatica.

In addition to his decades-long partnership with Lady Gaga, Formichetti has collaborated with various other global icons, including Nicole Kidman, Bad Bunny, JLO, Gwen Stefani, Lil Nas X, and Olivia Rodrigo.

The fashion stylist, though please don’t call him that to his face as Formichetti doesn’t like the term, has also worked as creative director for Mugler, the Parisian fashion house founded by celebrated designer Thierry Mugler, as artistic director at Italian fashion brand Diesel and as fashion director for the clothing company Uniqlo. In 2010 he was awarded the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at the British Fashion Awards.

Commenting on the mentorship collaboration, Formichetti said, “I'm very excited about the role as a mentor for Alula Creates. Collaborating with such talented creatives has been a magical experience. Helping them elevate their concepts and bring their visions to life has been truly inspiring. Looking ahead, Film AlUla is set to reshape the creative landscape, marking an exciting future for storytelling.”

AlUla itself is no stranger to fashion and elegance. The oasis city in the North West of Saudi Arabia is known for its concentration of rock dwellings and tombs that date from the Nabatean and Dedanite periods. Through Film AlUla, the Royal Commission for AlUla’s film agency, it has been promoted as a cool location for Hollywood and local productions.

Recently, London perfumers Penhaligon’s released a perfume called AlUla, which in their words is a new “scent for those seeking serenity and sanctuary.” The page for the perfume on their website states that “the vanilla winds whisper like A-lU-la-by. Born of sand and drenched in sky, an oasis appeared before us. A story of date palms swaying in a harvest wind, bringing with it the scent of citrus and fig. Plum and spice. Incense and saffron. A history steeped in spice markets and spirituality.”

So you see, a collaboration between style icons was inevitable.

‘AlUla Creates’ is a year-round initiative that will allow exciting new women filmmakers and creatives to collaborate with leading industry professionals and access development funds to create and share their stories with the world.  The program's first phase was rolled out alongside the 95th Academy Awards with a focus on fashion. Ambassadors Mila Al Zahrani, Helena Christensen and Eva Herzigova partnered with Alia and Abeer Olaif of Atelier Hekayat, and Arwa Al Ammari of ArAm to design bespoke looks, supported by British fashion designer Emilia Wickstead, for The Oscars Vanity Fair red carpet in Los Angeles as well as Cannes Film Festival. The designers were also part of a special showcase, organised in partnership with the British Fashion Council, on the sidelines of London Fashion Week in 2023.

In his mentorship role, Formichetti is guiding designers Alia and Abeer Olaif and Arwa Al Ammari of ArAm through their inaugural foray into the world of costume design; partnering with the winning directors for AlUla Creates’ short films, Hana Alfasi, Maram Taibah as well as sisters Raneem and Dana Almohandes. 

As a personal aside, I featured the filmmaking sisters in my ‘Six rising Saudi filmmakers to watch’ piece on Screen International in December of 2022. They are outstandingly creative and even taking a photograph with them proves something else, as you can see me surrounded by the sisters in the shot above. And yes, that’s a real hearty laugh right there, courtesy of the Almohandes and their telephone handbags.

Charlene Deleon Jones, Executive Director of Film AlUla, added: “Nicola has consistently redefined the boundaries of style and culture, and his participation will not only enhance the quality of the programme but will also spark the imagination of our designers and filmmakers, pushing them to new heights. Engaging game-changers like Nicola to invigorate the creativity which AlUla plays host to through this program is a joy and we are delighted to have him join us.”

The films are currently in post-production following the shoots in AlUla last month and will premiere at film festivals later this year. Formichetti joins mentors already established on the initiative including pioneering Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour (The Perfect Candidate, Mary Shelley and Wadjda) and leading producers James Richardson and Jane Moore of Vertigo Films (Monsters and Britannia).

Alula Creates aims to build a film-friendly ecosystem with a world-class purpose-built studio and digital creative hub complex. This aligns with the rapidly growing film industry in The Kingdom, boosted by AlUla’s financial and support incentives, which have already resulted in a significant increase in regional production shoots.

For more information, visit their website.

All images courtesy of Film AlUla, used with permission.